Hurricanes hammer Devils in opening game of series

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The New Jersey Devils eventually were going to lose. Boy, did they ever.

Ray Whitney scored two fortuitous goals, rookie Cam Ward got his first career playoff shutout and the Carolina Hurricanes ended New Jersey's 15-game winning streak with a 6-0 victory Saturday in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

It was the first loss for the Devils since March 26 -- they won the final 11 games of the regular season on the way to the Atlantic Division, then swept the New York Rangers in the previous round. The winning streak tied the longest in NHL history that encompassed the regular season and playoffs.

But New Jersey never had a chance in this one. Maybe it was the weeklong layoff between games, or perhaps it was the play of the Hurricanes. Either way, the Devils must find a way to bounce back for Game 2 on Monday night.

Eric Staal, Cory Stillman, Doug Weight and captain Rod Brind'Amour also scored for Carolina, which now has won five straight in the postseason. Ward had to make only 21 saves, continuing his impressive play after taking over for starter Martin Gerber in the first period of the second game against Montreal.

The 22-year-old Ward finished with a 1.54 goals-against average in that series, and he was even better against New Jersey. His counterpart, Martin Brodeur, wasn't as fortunate on his 34th birthday, getting pulled late in the third period.