NEWARK, N.J. _ The pace was frantic, back and forth hockey with few stoppages.
And, for a long time, it was the kind of tight hockey played in the playoffs, or at least by teams battling for playoff position.
But the Devils then did what good contenders do: Seal the deal.
The Devils scored twice in a 32-second span in the third period to extend a one-goal lead and went on to beat the Hurricanes, 5-2, on Thursday night at Prudential Center.
The teams meet again on Sunday at Carolina and then twice more through March 27.
The Devils (29-20-8) remain in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and in the Eastern Conference's first wild-card spot but moved three points ahead of the Hurricanes (27-22-9), who are in fifth place in the division and in the second wild-card spot. The Devils surpassed their win total from last season, when they finished last in the conference.
No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier had a goal and two assists for the Devils (29-20-8) and Stefan Noesen added two goals as the team won its second straight following a four-game losing streak.
"When the heat gets turned up, opposing buildings, divisional games, this kid has been one of our best players in those games," Devils coach John Hynes said of Hischier.
Keith Kinkaid, starting for the eighth time in nine games with No. 1 goalie Cory Schneider (groin/hip) not expected to resume skating until next week, made 27 saves, including seven to start the third period as the Hurricanes, trailing 3-2, applied relentless pressure.
But Hischier, on an odd-man rush, snapped a shot past Scott Darling (17 saves) at 8:06 of the third period to give the Devils a 4-2 lead. Leading scorer Taylor Hall extended his career high point streak to nine games with the primary assist on Hischier's goal. He now has six goals and six assists over those nine games and actually has at least a point in each of his last 16 games _ 11 goals, 13 assists _ though he missed three games before the All-Star break with an injured right thumb.
The Hurricanes had their three-game winning streak snapped as they played their lone road game in a 12-game stretch.
The Devils took their first lead at 6:48 of the second period when Noesen got to the crease and knocked in a rebound after Darling was unable to hold on to Travis Zajac's initial shot.
Zajac, with the Devils since 2006, played in his 819th game for the franchise to tie Jay Pandolfo for sixth place on the team's all-time list.
But that lead was extremely short-lived as Brett Pesce was given way too much time and space as he was allowed to skate low through the right circle from the blue line as he beat Kinkaid high to the short side to tie the game at 2 at 7:43.
Kyle Palmieri, of Montvale, playing his 200th game with the Devils, made it 3-2 at 17:28 of the second period, getting low in the slot to deposit a loose puck with Hischier getting his second assist of the game.
Jeff Skinner had given the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 17:22 of the first period, just 11 seconds after the Devils had killed off the game's first power play. Referee Tim Peel initially _ and immediately _ waved the goal off, ruling Skinner had kicked the puck.
However, after a quick video review, it was correctly determined that while Skinner had kicked Victor Rask's feed off the right post, he knocked the puck over the line with his stick.
Then, just five seconds after the Devils had killed off a second Hurricanes' power play, defenseman Damon Severson beat Darling to the far post from the right circle with 18.8 seconds left in the first period to tie the game at 1.
