After the New Jersey Devils saw their season end in double overtime Tuesday night, goaltender Jacob Markstrom wanted to express his frustration via his stick. He thought about boomeranging it to the boards. Instead, he swung it hard against his goalpost, breaking it in half.

Sebastian Aho‘s goal at 4:17 of the second overtime in Game 5 gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 5-4 win and a 4-1 series victory over the Devils. It was the first puck Markstrom had fly by him in 37 consecutive shots on goal, dating to the second period. That included 18 saves he made in overtime, as Carolina marauded a short-handed and exhausted Devils defense but couldn’t solve the 35-year-old goalie.

“That was one of the better goaltending performances that I’ve witnessed,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of Markstrom, who finished with 49 saves. “He let in a few early that he’d like to have back. But once he got dialed in, you’re thinking it’ll have to bank off somebody, because we’re not beating him.”

Markstrom’s frustration wasn’t just with the overtime goal. The Devils built a 3-0 lead in the first period. Carolina scored three times in the first 5:40 of the second period to erase it. New Jersey responded with a Nico Hischier goal, only to have Aho knot the score at 4 moments later.

“We put up four goals on the road,” Markstrom said. “We should have brought it home. It should have been enough.”

But as his teammates noted, Markstrom’s effort in the overtimes should have been enough to win Game 5.

“We were under siege. He was outstanding. We were reeling,” coach Sheldon Keefe said.

“He played unbelievable. Marky kept us in that first overtime,” Hischier said. “I feel bad for him because he battled his ass off.”

Markstrom was acquired by the Devils last offseason in a high-profile deal with the Calgary Flames that was intended to fix the team’s goaltending, which ranked 30th in 2023-24. He won 26 times in 49 games with a .900 save percentage and a 2.50 goals-against average. He was outstanding, for the most part, in the playoffs: .911 save percentage and a 2.78 goals-against average in five games.

But Markstrom couldn’t overcome two things in the postseason for the Devils. The first were their injuries. Already without star center Jack Hughes, who had season-ending shoulder surgery, the Devils saw defensemen Luke Hughes, Johnathan Kovacevic and Brenden Dillon leave the series with injuries, with defensemen Jonas Siegenthaler and Dougie Hamilton playing at less than 100%.

“We had a few guys go down in the series. A few guys step up and battle. We’ve got to get better. We don’t like the result,” forward Timo Meier said.

The other factor was the Devils special teams. Their power play was officially 0-for-15. Their penalty kill allowed six goals on 19 Carolina power plays.

“That’s why we lost the series for sure. We couldn’t get the power play going. That’s on those guys, including me, that are on the ice. That’s definitely frustrating,” Hischier said.

But the Devils gutted out the series, pushing Carolina to double overtime in an elimination game despite those deficiencies.

“There’s a lot of will in this room,” Markstrom said. “It sucks right now.”

BALTIMORE — The New York Yankees became the first team in major league history to open a game with three consecutive home runs more than once in a season when Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge and Ben Rice went deep off Baltimore‘s Kyle Gibson in the first inning Tuesday night.

New York started the bottom of the first of its March 29 game against Milwaukee with three homers in a row. In that game, Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Judge needed only three pitches to hit three homers.

The Yankees added a fourth home run later in the first inning of both that game and Tuesday’s game, making them the first team to belt four in the first inning twice in a season.

On Tuesday night, the Yankees hit three of the game’s first five offerings out to right field.

“Grish got it going for us and set the tone for us early on,” Judge said after the 15-3 win. “When he goes up there and … sends one to Eutaw Street, it’s pretty impressive and gets you going.”

It was an ugly return to the majors for the 37-year-old Gibson, who made 30 starts for the St. Louis Cardinals last season before Baltimore signed him to a $5.25 million, one-year contract in late March. He’d been working in the minors since then before being called up before Tuesday’s game. He was finally pulled with two outs in the fourth after allowing nine runs and 11 hits.

“He gave up four homers in the first inning. That’s kind of a telling sign,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “At that point I’m just trying to figure out how we’re going to get through the game.”

After Rice’s home run made it 3-0, Gibson retired Goldschmidt on a grounder before Bellinger also homered. Anthony Volpe‘s RBI double made it 5-0 before the first inning was over.

Rice homered again in the second to make it 6-0. Austin Wells hit New York’s final home run — all six came with nobody on — with two outs in the ninth.

“It just shows that we’ve got a lot of depth in the lineup,” Rice said.

Not all the news was great for the Yankees, however. Jazz Chisholm Jr. left the game with right flank discomfort in the first inning.

Chisholm, who is hitting .181 with seven home runs this season, appeared to have hurt himself while he was batting. After being checked on, he stayed at the plate and hit a double, advancing to third on an error by right fielder Ramon Laureano.

Chisholm said he wasn’t worried about needing to go on the injured list.

“I’m really not as concerned as everybody else,” Chisholm said. “I tore my oblique before. I know it’s not torn or anything.”

The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.

NEW YORK — The Mets could be without left-hander A.J. Minter, one of their top relievers, for the remainder of the season, manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday.

Mendoza said Minter, after seeking multiple opinions, is contemplating season-ending surgery to repair his left lat. The other option for Minter is rest and rehab, which would open the door for him to return this season after missing an extended period.

Mendoza said he expects Minter, who was placed on the injured list Sunday, to decide in the next day or two.

“All we know right now is we’re dealing with a pretty significant injury here,” Mendoza said.

The Mets signed the 31-year-old Minter to a two-year, $22 million contract over the offseason to bolster the bridge to closer Edwin Diaz. He’s looked the part through the first month, giving up two earned runs on six hits in 11 innings (1.64 ERA) over a team-high 13 appearances this season.

After feeling discomfort in his left triceps, Minter exited Saturday’s game against the Washington Nationals after recording just one out. He underwent an MRI the next day.

The bullpen has helped fuel the Mets’ first-place start, combining for a 3.07 ERA — good for seventh in the majors — entering Tuesday. Eight relievers have appeared in at least 10 games. Six relievers have accumulated at least 12 appearances. Minter is one of four with a sub-3.00 ERA.

“It’s a big blow,” Mendoza said. “I’m not going to lie. Not only because of his ability to throw in high leverage, but his ability to get lefties and righties [out]. It’s a big blow for sure, but guys will step up. Guys will continue to get opportunities and we got to keep going. Sucks for him. Especially going down this early.”

The Mets called up right-hander Jose Urena to replace Minter on the active roster Sunday. They designated him for assignment Tuesday after he surrendered five runs in three innings Sunday and promoted right-hander Kevin Herget to take his spot.

As it stands, Danny Young is the only left-hander in the Mets’ bullpen. The Mets are hopeful veteran left-hander Brooks Raley will factor into their calculus to fill the void this summer. The club signed Raley to a one-year contract with a club option for 2026 on Tuesday as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery last May.

“He’s throwing bullpens and he’s going to work down in Florida and continue to throw his bullpens,” Mendoza said of Raley. “So, hopefully in the next couple of weeks, he starts facing batters and then we’ll go from there. But he’s already throwing bullpens. That’s a good sign.”