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Last spring, the Islanders battled the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs but fell short as the Hurricanes won Game 6 in overtime at UBS Arena to finish off a hard-fought series.
The Islanders lost three games by one goal, including two in overtime, so it was a series that could have gone either way.
This Saturday in Carolina, the Islanders begin a first-round playoff rematch with the Hurricanes and are hoping for a different ending to the story. But, just like last year, they know this will not be easy against a Carolina team that finished second in the Metropolitan Division with 111 points.
“It’s going to be a really good challenge,” Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri told GLI after Wednesday night’s 5-4 win over the Penguins in the regular season finale at UBS Arena. “We’ll take the next couple of days to prep and get ready and learn what we can. We’re pretty familiar with them over the last couple of years. We’re really excited to have that challenge of going on the road and focusing on Game 1.”
The Islanders haven’t enjoyed much practice time during the regular season, but they will have some time to get ready for the series opening on Saturday. Thursday is an off-day for the Islanders, who are expected to practice Friday at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow before traveling to Carolina.
Over the next 48 hours or so, the Islanders will do their homework to prepare for the challenge that lies ahead.
“We’ll reset, refresh, and go back to work,” said Islanders forward Brock Nelson. “It will be tight and tough-checking. They have a great team. They’ve been playing great all year. They’re a fast team and in your face. We’ll watch some video and break it down and try to build a game plan. We’ll be ready.”
Key to the series
That game plan will include trying to win the special teams battle, which turned out to be a significant factor in last year’s close series.
The Islanders outscored the Hurricanes 11-10 in the series at five-on-five, but they were just 1 for 18 on the power play over the six games. The power play struggled down the stretch of the regular season, although they did score three power play goals over the final two games. The penalty killing is also a concern as the Islanders finished dead last in the NHL during the regular season at 71.49%.
The Islanders’ special teams will have to be effective if they are to have a chance to knock off the Hurricanes.
“The PK and power play are momentum changers,” said Isles head coach Patrick Roy. “If you score goals, that gives you momentum. If you kill penalties, that gives you momentum. Special units will be very important. It’s also the five-on-six and the six-on-five and the face-offs. We’re going to have to be very good against Carolina because this is a team that can put a lot of pressure on you.”
Hot heading into playoffs
The Islanders have been playing well heading into the playoffs, having won eight of their last nine games, with the only blemish being a 3-2 shootout loss to the Rangers this past Saturday.
There are some injury concerns with Noah Dobson (upper body) and JG Pageau (undisclosed), and there should be updates on both of them coming on Friday.
It’s expected that Semyon Varlamov, who has been outstanding for the Islanders in the last few weeks, will be the Game 1 starter against Carolina. Ilya Sorokin had his struggles at times during the season, but he and Varlamov give the Islanders a solid 1-2 punch between the pipes going into the postseason.
“We’re feeling good,” said Nelson. “It doesn’t matter who is in net for us. We’re confident in both goaltenders.”
The Islanders turned things up a notch down the stretch and finished with 94 points, good for third in the Metropolitan Division. This is a group that has won a lot of playoff games in recent years, and they certainly know what to expect from the Hurricanes.
It will be a tough task.
“(Carolina is) a very good hockey team,” said Roy. “It will be a good challenge for our team.”
A challenge that begins on Saturday in Raleigh, and one has to wonder if this could be the final ride for most of this group. That thought has come up a few times over the last couple of seasons, but here they are again…back in the playoffs.
Top: New York Islanders celebrate a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of Game 3 in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, April 21, 2023, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)
