2024 Postseason: 1st Round, Game 3: Hurricanes at New York Islanders

The series shifts to the north as Long Island hosts its first of two guaranteed games on Thursday night. The Hurricanes own a 2-0 series lead after an incredible comeback victory on Monday night in Raleigh. New York took a 3-0 lead early in the second period, but the Canes scored five unanswered goals. Sebastian Aho and Jordan Martinook scored the game-tying and game-winning goals nine seconds apart in the final frame to help complete the miraculous win. With the change in venue, New York has to win this one to garner a sliver of hope in this matchup.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (4:46)- Brent Burns (1) (assisted by Martin Necas (2) & Teuvo Teravainen (1))

CAR (10:25)- Dmitry Orlov (1) (assisted by Andrei Svechnikov (3) & Jake Guentzel (2))

2nd Period

NYI (2:48)- Pierre Engvall (1) (assisted by Anders Lee (2) & Adam Pelech (1))

CAR (7:14)- Sebastian Aho (2) (assisted by Andrei Svechnikov (4) & Jalen Chatfield (1))

NYI (17:39)- Brock Nelson (1) (assisted by Kyle Palmieri (1) & Ryan Pulock (1))

3rd Period

None

My Thoughts

The Islanders played their best game of the series to this point, yet they still couldn't find a way to beat the Hurricanes. I'm not saying it's a sign, nor am I saying the series is over, but that has to be a very discouraging feeling for Islanders fans. This felt like their best chance to get back in the series, and, to their credit, they did their darndest to do it. The problem is they started their game 20 minutes too late. The first period decided the game. We just didn't know it until the very end. Brent Burns set the tone less than five minutes in, and Dmitry Orlov added to the lead just past the halfway point in the period. The kicker is that it wasn't even their best period tonight. The Canes dominated the Islanders in the second period, but they were outscored 2-1. 

Even when New York finally found their game in the third period, Frederik Andersen refused to concede a goal. I don't think Andersen stole the game because the Canes earned it with their effort in the first 40 minutes. Still, New York hemmed Carolina in their defensive end for most of the period and had no success. The shots were 11-3, but so too were the saves. The moment I knew it was over was Andersen's stop on Alexander Romanov from his butt. It was the same feeling I had after Andersen robbed Noah Dobson early in the third period in Game 1. If Andersen couldn't be beaten while on his side, there was no way he was going to allow one while in an athletic position. 

The Canes' defense came to play tonight. Brett Pesce's absence for the rest of the series means the entire group needs to step up, including Tony DeAngelo, who took Pesce's spot in the lineup tonight. Offensively, they set the tone with their goals in the first period before settling into the game defensively. They were flying everywhere in the third period to keep New York from finding the tying goal. Jaccob Slavin was diving to get pucks out with Semyon Varlamov on the bench in the final minutes. Orlov and Jalen Chatfield were also incredible, both earning points in the win. 

As I said earlier, I refuse to say that Carolina has this series wrapped up. Going up 3-0 is usually a sure sign, but as long as there are games left to play, the Islanders still have a chance. The Hurricanes have beaten the Islanders in three different ways in three games. Game 1 was more of a traditional victory. Game 2 was a miracle win that only comes around once in a blue moon. Tonight was a gutsy effort on the road against a team that knows its time is running out. Game 4 is going to feature an ever more desperate team whose season is being threatened. Carolina must do their best to take away New York's will early. If they do that, I'm sure they'll be able to find a corner with a little dust in it.

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Brent Burns- 1 goal

Setting the tone on the road is always an important way to start a game. Burns did that tonight with his goal less than five minutes into the contest. The rest of the night was him being reliable on the defensive end. He and Slavin were tough to beat, keeping New York at bay in the late stages to preserve the victory.

2nd Star- Andrei Svechnikov- 2 assists

It would be awesome to see Svechnikov average a goal or two per night, but as long as he's setting up his teammates for goals, I'll be satisfied. Tonight, he was the only player to finish with multiple points, notching two helpers. His pass to Orlov to set up the second goal was beautiful, and he earned the primary apple on the game-winner from Aho.

1st Star- Frederik Andersen- 29 saves

I was honestly surprised that Andersen got the nod tonight, but I'm sure happy the team decided to stick with him. I didn't think he was bad in Game 2, though his numbers weren't great. Instead of turning to Kochetkov, the team stuck with the hot hand. Tonight was about as great of a performance as we could've hoped for. I wouldn't go as far as to say that he stole the game, but he was the difference in the win.

Next Game- The Islanders are on the brink of elimination now, making Game 4 a "do or die" game for them. Semyon Varlamov is likely going to get the nod after Ilya Sorokin failed to make it halfway through the game. The decision for the Hurricanes is a little more interesting, given the quick turnaround. Saturday's game is at 2 pm, so I wouldn't think it'd be crazy to see Pyotr Kochetkov get the start. Should the Islanders extend the series, it would give Andersen two more days of rest, with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday night. The rest of the lineup feels self-explanatory, with Brett Pesce out of the lineup for the remainder of the series.