The New Jersey Devils fought tooth and nail for a 3-2 double overtime victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night. At long last, the Devils made Round 1 into a series, but the win was far from easy. The team is still without Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon, whose star power and physicality help bolster their blue line. Luckily, Jonas Siegenthaler rejoined the lineup, but the Devils were down to just five defensemen by the end of the first period. Jonathan Kovacevic saw six minutes of ice time before leaving the game with an undisclosed injury. In the wake of this adversity, one Devil emerged as an unlikely hero: Brian Dumoulin. With 36:24 ice time, Dumoulin helped lead the team to victory with grit and determination. Dumoulin’s Game 3 Impact Dumoulin was phenomenal all night long, putting in the effort when the Devils needed it most. Primarily, he played with Brett Pesce, but shifted between four other defensive partners throughout Game 3. Together, Dumoulin and Pesce blocked a combined 11 shots, and recorded a 57.14 shots for percentage (SF%). Dumoulin even saw 6:49 in ice time with Dougie Hamilton, and this pairing saw an 85.52 expected goals for percentage (xGF%). In fact, the Dumoulin-Hamilton pairing created three times more scoring chances than the Hurricanes generated. Dumoulin also made an impact throughout the 13:10 he played alongside Timo Meier. They had a 68.42% Fenwick and garnered 15 shot attempts. Dumoulin also created the most high-danger chances with Meier, providing six different opportunities for the Devils to score. Overall, Dumoulin proved to be an extremely versatile player, which will come in handy for the remainder of the series. Veteran Defense Makes a Difference Since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks, Dumoulin has proven his worth as a shutdown veteran defenseman. In Game 3, he was on the ice for 29 Devils unblocked shot attempts and created nine high-danger scoring chances. Likewise, he ended the night with a plus-2 rating, and fired two shots on goal. Throughout the series so far, Dumoulin has generated 15 high-danger scoring chances, with a 48.23 xGF%. He has also upped his physicality during Round 1, landing ten hits and blocking seven shots. Dumoulin is making a difference at both ends of the ice, providing consistency in crucial moments. Brian Dumoulin, New Jersey Devils (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers) Head coach Sheldon Keefe had glowing praise for Dumoulin, who played the second-highest minutes of his career. “He’s clearly a veteran, he’s won before, knows what it takes…He played extraordinarily well tonight,” said Keefe. Related: Devils’ Simon Nemec Fighting for Playoff Redemption When asked about his performance, Dumoulin said he tried to keep things simple and stay focused on the task at hand. He also discussed the mental and emotional side of a double-overtime game. “It gave you that mental edge a little bit, to dig in deep, keep grinding,” said Dumoulin. There’s no doubt that Dumoulin earned himself a pat on the back, laying it all on the line for the Devils’ massive win. Can the Devils Tie the Series? After a fantastic group effort from the entire team, the Devils’ playoff dreams are still within reach. Their most recent victory is the perfect example of why New Jersey shouldn’t be counted out just yet. Despite being down many key players, the Devils live to fight another day. The action continues with Game 4 on Sunday, where the Devils will try and tie the series at two games apiece at the Prudential Center.