2024 Postseason: 1st Round, Game 1: Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders

All eyes were on Raleigh as the first game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs dropped between the Hurricanes and Islanders. Meeting for the third time in six years, the Canes hoped to get off on the right foot, like they've done in the last two postseason meetings. After an incredibly even season series, the Islanders looked to use their season-ending ten-game point streak to begin the playoffs with a big upset. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (1:35)- Evgeny Kuznetsov (1) PP (assisted by Martin Necas (1) & Brady Skjei (1))

NYI (8:20)- Kyle MacLean (1) (assisted by Anders Lee (1) & Alexander Romanov (1))

2nd Period

None

3rd Period

CAR (3:44)- Stefan Noesen (1) (assisted by Brady Skjei (2) & Evgeny Kuznetsov (1))

CAR (18:28)- Martin Necas (1) EN (assisted by Brett Pesce (1) & Jack Drury (1))

My Thoughts

This was exactly the type of game that I expected to see, seemingly indicating that this isn't going to be as easy as everyone thinks it is going to be for the Hurricanes. The New York Islanders were the better team for most of the first two periods, so keeping the game 1-1 going into the third period was the Canes' saving grace tonight. The Canes won this game in the third period thanks to the two things that have made them so tough to play for the second half of the season. First, their special teams scored on the power play and didn't allow the Islanders to get anything going with the man advantage. Second, Frederik Andersen played out of his mind. 

You could argue that the Canes got a little lucky, too. New York had a pair of chances in the third period that should've gone their way that didn't. Noah Dobson rang the post early in the period and had a golden opportunity when the rebound worked back to him as Andersen sat on his backside because of a collision with Brett Pesce. With a lot of the net to shoot at, Dobson couldn't lift the puck over a sprawling Andersen, giving Andersen another highlight-reel stop. Later in the period, with New York on the power play down by a goal, Kyle Palmieri couldn't score into an empty net as he was falling. He hit the post, failing to capitalize on a golden opportunity.

This win showcased the Hurricanes' depth because their top line didn't play as strongly as they did to finish the regular season. It was Evgeny Kuznetsov and his linemates who helped carry the offense. In his playoff debut with the Canes, Kuznetsov scored the opening goal on the power play before kickstarting what became the game-winning goal. His linemates also got into the scoring, with Stefan Noesen scoring the game-winner and Jack Drury assisting on Martin Necas empty netter. Necas added a pair of points, Brady Skjei had two helpers, the third pair looked solid, and Andrei Svechnikov played great in his return to the playoffs. 

While the Hurricanes didn't look their best, they managed to find a way to get the job done, which is about all you can hope for at this point in the season. It's the first of four wins needed to advance, and that's the only way to look at it. If the Canes can find a way to start on time earlier than the third period, they'll be much harder to deal with. As we all expected, the Islanders are going to be a tough out. They were last season, too. I anticipate it'll be much harder from here, but a better start will make this series go a lot smoother. 

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Frederik Andersen- 33 saves

On most nights, I'd have Andersen a lot higher than third, and there's a serious case that he should've been tonight. As he has been since returning from his medical emergency, Andersen was fantastic. He put the team on his back when the Islanders took over in the second period and made an early candidate for the save of the postseason on Dobson in the third. I'd imagine we'll see him again on Monday night after his work tonight.

2nd Star- Evgeny Kuznetsov- 1 goal, 1 assist

Kuznetsov also has a solid case to be the first star tonight. He kicked it all off just 95 seconds into the game with his snipe on the power play and helped get the play rolling on Noesen's game-winner. The end of his regular season was quiet, so getting him going in the playoffs is going to be big for this team. His line with Noesen and Drury was Carolina's best, combining for four points. He is in his domain right now, and the Canes will only benefit from that. 

1st Star- Stefan Noesen- 1 goal

While he finished with just one point, it was a very big point. Plus, his role in Kuznetsov's goal won't be recognized on the scoresheet, but it was just as important to the overall success of the play. His moving screen on Varlamov allowed Kuznetsov to pick the corner without any contest from the goalie. Noesen won the battle to the front of the net on his game-winner, muscling off a defender to score his first goal in 20 games. He was a star tonight, getting the Canes over the hump in the third period for the win. 

Up Next- Game 2 will commence on Monday night from PNC Arena. There are plenty of stories to watch from the Islanders' side going into the game. The big one will surround their goalie decision for Game 2. Semyon Varlamov played a strong game, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ilya Sorokin gets the nod on Monday. Also, the health of Jean-Gabriel Pageau will be worth watching as New York hopes to get him back in the lineup. The series will shift to Long Island for Game 3 on Thursday night.