Injury crisis for the New Jersey Devils as Luke Hughes leaves briefly, but Brendan Dillon and Cody Glass exit in the game 1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes

Key Highlights
- Luke Hughes exited Game 1 for a short time but came back to finish the match
- Brendan Dillon and Cody Glass were injured and did not come back on the ice at all
- Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler are already out with injuries during this playoff series for the New Jersey Devils
The injuries are suddenly piling up for the New Jersey Devils, and at the crux of this playoff schedule, it is starting to count. During their first-round Game 1 showing against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Devils not only lost 4-1 that day but also saw three of their players encounter injury scars. Now the Devils are up against physical challenges and competitive hurdles heading to Game 2 with an early lead in the series for the Hurricanes.


The Devils' blue line was shaken up at some point during the game when defenseman Luke Hughes briefly left the ice after a collision in the third period. Though he returned later, it was a reminder of how intense the postseason can get. The more worrying injuries were the two other crucial performers who exited the game early: defenseman Brendan Dillon and forward Cody Glass.

Dillon had left in the second period and did not return. His head coach, Sheldon Keefe, later clarified that Dillon's exit from the game was simply precautionary, explaining that the medical staff would not permit him back even though he desperately wanted to rejoin. Meanwhile, Glass ended up leaving in the third and never returned before the game concluded. An immediate update on his condition was not provided, leaving his availability for Game 2 up in the air.

These injuries have further depleted an already-thin list of New Jersey absentees. Jonas Siegenthaler remains on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury, expected for a return sometime in May. Meanwhile, star forward Jack Hughes had already been ruled out for the season due to the shoulder injury he sustained in March.
Adding to their woes, the Devils were unable to stymie the Hurricanes' charge forward. With a goal from Nico Hischier, their captain, coming just thirty seconds before the end, the Devils were never ahead and were heavily outshot for the duration of the game.
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The Devils have Game 2 scheduled in PNC Arena, but the roster is in dire need of repairs for them to remain alive in the playoffs, on top of dealing with the injury bug. Against a confident Carolina squad already in the lead in the series, the injuries to key players Brendan Dillon and Cody Glass will test New Jersey's depth.