Take #2: Logan Stankoven is unstoppable
Logan Stankoven took over this game for the Carolina Hurricanes. So many players could have scored, but they were having trouble figuring out Markstrom. Former second-round pick and the centerpiece to the Hurricanes Mikko Rantanen trade was dominant in his first playoff game in Carolina. He scored two goals and was tied with Andrei Svechnikov with three individual high-danger chances according to Natural Stat Trick.
Stankoven is playing on an interesting like with Jordan Staal and Jordin Martinook. The Canes want to match that line with whatever line Nico Hischier is on. If Hischier gets more offensive zone time, that will stop Stankoven in his tracks. The best defese is a good offense-type philosophy.
We also see these performances in the past. It's a player going Super Saiyan in a game. It doesn't always last from game to game. The Devils can stop him, especially now that they know what he's capable of.
Take #3: Injuries will sink the Devils
The take going into the second intermission was that the Devils had no chance with the injuries they were facing. Most gave the Devils no chance after losing Jack Hughes for the season. When they lost Jonas Siegenthaler and seemingly Dougie Hamilton, their chances went down even more. Luckily, the Devils got back Dougie Hamilton before Game 1. But, they left Game 1 in pretty bad shape.
Brenden Dillon, Luke Hughes, and Cody Glass all got injured in the game. If the Devils truly would be without those players, then it might as well be time to pack it in and book tickets to Cancun. However, it's not as it seems.
Luke Hughes actually returned before the game was over. He looked like he had a serious shoulder injury, but it ended up not being too bad. Dillon looked pretty bad when he couldn't put weight on his legs and fell onto the ice. He didn't return, but Sheldon Keefe said he tried to advocate to return. We'd be surprised if he's not back in the lineup by the time the Devils return to the Prudential Center. The one injury we're not sure about is Cody Glass, who went down after Jacob Markstrom hit him with his stick.
With all these overreactions, the Devils are still set up for success. It's one game, and the Hurricanes might come into Game 2 too confident. It's set up for the Devils to punch back in Game 2.