2024 Postseason: 1st Round, Game 4: Hurricanes at New York Islanders

For the first time in the series, we have an elimination game. With Carolina's 3-2 win in Game 3, every game from now until the end of the series will be for the series. The Islanders played their best game of the series in Game 3, but an early start by the Hurricanes allowed them to lead 2-0 and 3-1, sending Ilya Sorokin to the locket room before the halfway point in the second period. New York returns to Semyon Varlamov to keep them in the series with hopes of Game 5 in Raleigh on Tuesday.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (8:00)- Seth Jarvis (2) PP (assisted by Jake Guentzel (3))

2nd Period

NYI (10:10)- Mathew Barzal (1) (assisted by Adam Pelech (2) & Bo Horvat (1))

3rd Period

NYI (1:38)- Jean-Gabriel Pageau (1) PP (assisted by Noah Dobson (1) & Anders Lee (3))

CAR (14:08)- Stefan Noesen (2) PP (assisted by Teuvo Teravainen (2) & Martin Necas (3))

Overtime

None

Double Overtime

NYI (1:24)- Mathew Barzal (2) (assisted by Robert Bortuzzo (1) & Bo Horvat (2))

My Thoughts

I think there are two ways to look at this game if you're a fan of the Carolina Hurricanes. One of them is a little more rational than the other. It feels a little far-fetched to say that the New York Islanders now have life in the series after winning this game in double overtime. While they certainly got a solid boost by extending their season by at least one more game, the series is still 3-1 in the Hurricanes' favor. All of the level-headed Caniacs can agree that control of the series is squarely in the Canes' corner. Game 5 is still an elimination game and it's taking place in Raleigh, North Carolina. PNC Arena is already not a fun place to play in as a visitor, and now the Islanders have to contend with a hostile crowd who'll be ready to cheer their team to victory. To their credit, the Islanders were in the same spot last season when they came to Raleigh for Game 5, and they won 3-2. Last season's series is much different than this season's. 

I'm not presently worried about the Hurricanes after today's loss. This wasn't the team's best effort, but I also don't think the Canes were outplayed by New York. The Islanders played like a desperate team whose season was on the line, and the Hurricanes refused to let them pull away and take control of the game. Carolina matched their desperation late in the third period by scoring on the power play with under six minutes left. The difference in the game was Semyon Varlamov. He'd been good in Raleigh for the first two games, but two losses had him on the bench backing up Ilya Sorokin to begin Game 3. That experiment didn't work, so Varlamov was back in the net for Game 4, and he was phenomenal. He was just a little better than Frederik Andersen, who was solid in his own right. 

New York won this game in two key areas. First, they dominated the face-off dot. In the two games on Long Island, the Islanders won over 60 percent of the draws in both games, including more than two-thirds of them in this game. The Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal in the third period on the power play to take the lead was the result of a win in the dot. Second, New York's stars won the battle for the first time in the series, especially Mathew Barzal. Barzal's line terrorized the Kotkaniemi line for most of the game. In the end, Barzal scored twice, including the game-winner on a deflection just over four periods into the contest. 

If New York manages to come into Raleigh on Tuesday night and beat the Hurricanes for the second straight game, my nervousness will increase quite a bit. The Canes will still hold a lead in the series, but having to go back to Long Island for Game 6 on Thursday is not ideal, considering how the series started. To prevent that, Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Jake Guentzel need to lead the charge. I've liked how the contributions have been coming from the entire lineup, but those three need to have their best games of the series on Tuesday. The Canes will be able to dictate matchups on home ice, and they'll have the backing of the home crowd to lead the way. There are far worse places for the Hurricanes to be in this series. I can live with a 3-1 series lead. 3-2 would be pushing it. Get the job done, close it out, and get ready for the New York Rangers in the second round. That should be the agenda. 

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Tony DeAngelo- 6 shots

Coming in for Pesce couldn't have been an easy job for DeAngelo, but I felt like he'd played two strong games on Long Island since entering the lineup. He finished the game with a team-high six shots, tying Palmieri for the most in the contest. DeAngelo is still waiting to pick up his first point, but he's getting shot on the net, so it's sure to come soon.

2nd Star- Stefan Noesen- 1 goal

We were about six minutes away from not needing overtime, but the second power-play unit had different thoughts. Teravainen deserves some credit for his great pass, as Noesen's stick was there to redirect the tying goal past Varlamov, giving the Canes a chance to end the series in overtime. Noesen is one of the best net-front guys in the league, so this goal barely comes as a surprise to the Caniacs. 

1st Star- Seth Jarvis- 1 goal

Over the four games, Jarvis has a legitimate claim to the Canes' top player honors for the round. He's always in the middle of everything when he's on the ice, getting the job done on both ends of the ice. His goal on the power play in the first period was another great way to get the team off on the right foot in hostile territory. He played another solid game today, giving his team a chance to win.

Next Game- As I mentioned, Game 5 won't happen until Tuesday night, giving the Hurricanes and Islanders a few days to recuperate before battling again with the series on the line. Clearly, Semyon Varlamov will be the one in the net for the Islanders, barring something unforeseen. I would think the Hurricanes will continue to ride with Frederik Andersen with the extra day between games.