2024 Postseason: 1st Round, Game 5: Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders

After New York kept their season alive with a 2OT win in Game 4 on Saturday night, the series returned to Raleigh for Game 5 on Tuesday night. The Hurricanes returned to the ice after a two-day break with their second chance to put the Islanders away for good. New York's stars officially woke up in Game 4, meaning the Canes' group needed to set the tone with a date with the New York Rangers looming in the second round.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (1:23)- Teuvo Teravainen (2) (assisted by Seth Jarvis (3) & Jaccob Slavin (1))

CAR (3:13)- Andrei Svechnikov (1) PP (assisted by Seth Jarvis (4) & Brent Burns (1))

NYI (3:54)- Mike Reilly (1) PP (assisted by Mathew Barzal (2) & Brock Nelson (2))

CAR (13:22)- Evgeny Kuznetsov (2) PS (unassisted)

2nd Period

NYI (3:47)- Brock Nelson (2) (assisted by Kyle Palmieri (2) & Ryan Pulock (2))

NYI (19:38)- Casey Cizikas (1) (assisted by Mathew Barzal (3) & Ryan Pulock (3))

3rd Period

CAR (4:36)- Jack Drury (1) (assisted by Brady Skjei (4) & Martin Necas (4))

CAR (4:44)- Stefan Noesen (3) (assisted by Brady Skjei (5) & Evgeny Kuznetsov (2))

CAR (18:21)- Seth Jarvis (3) EN (unassisted)

My Thoughts

I'm not sure if words can properly express how important it was for the Hurricanes to finish this series tonight, especially with the Rangers making quick work of the Capitals. It was looking a little dicey after New York scored twice late in the second period to tie the game going into the third period, but it all worked out for the Canes. The Hurricanes, as they had been for the entire series, were the better group. They were dominant in the first period, got away from their game in the second, and put it all together to win the third. They earned their series win in five games, ending what could've really turned into a dogfight if the Islanders had pulled out this win.

It almost felt like deja vu seeing the Canes score twice in quick succession in the third period. For as good as Semyon Varlamov was during this series, it's crazy that the two biggest moments came because of mental lapses from the Islanders' netminder. In Game 2, it was Varlamov looking in the wrong direction on Jordan Martinook's go-ahead goal. Tonight, he came out to play a puck, only got it to hit the stanchion and bounce to Stefan Noesen right after the Canes had taken the lead. The third period was New York's Achilles' heel the entire series. In Game 1, Carolina scored twice to break a tie in a 3-1 win. In Game 2, the Canes scored four times to complete their ridiculous comeback. In Game 4, both teams scored, but it was Noesen's late goal that forced overtime. Tonight, it was a three-goal outburst that broke a 3-3 tie. 

As was also the case throughout the series, the entire Hurricanes' roster stepped up to get the job done. Tonight, six Hurricanes found the back of the net. For the series, 12 players scored a goal. Seth Jarvis led the way with three points tonight. Evgeny Kuznetsov also had a multi-point night, featuring a slick goal on a penalty shot, and Brady Skjei added two assists in the third period. The defense combined for four points tonight after an otherwise laidback series offensively. Frederik Andersen didn't have to be outstanding, though he did his part in making this win happen. He had a few unfortunate moments during the game, including his slip-up on the tying goal late in the second period. Andersen really stepped up in the third period, especially as the Islanders pushed. 

I'm going to do a deeper dive into the series with the Rangers in the coming days, but there are a few things that really stand out to me. Chief among them is the Hurricanes' health. Tony DeAngelo took an unnecessary slash to the arm from Pierre Engvall in the third period, and it required DeAngelo to get X-rays after the game. DeAngelo was already playing as the seventh defenseman with Brett Pesce's injury early in the series. While it's unclear what DeAngelo's or Pesce's status for Game 1 against New York will be, the prospect of Dylan Coghlan or Scott Morrow having to step into the series leaves a little to be desired. There's still time to get that sorted out, but it'll be at the back of my mind until we get more answers closer to Game 1 in New York.

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Jack Drury- 1 goal

Drury picked an incredible time to score his first playoff goal. We all thought he'd gotten it against Florida in Game 2 last season, but he had to wait a little longer to get it this season. It worked out well because it served as the series-clinching marker. The goal was the product of a fortunate bounce over Pageau's stick, though we'll choose to ignore that because of how awesome a moment it was. 

2nd Star- Brady Skjei- 2 assists

Skjei was arguably the Hurricanes' best defenseman throughout the series. He led the team's blueliners with five points, all of which were helpers. Tonight, both of his assists were primary apples on both ends of the eight-second flurry to put the game away. Skjei finished the night with five shots to go with it, though his blocked shot that led to the Drury goal might've been his most important attempt of the night.

1st Star- Seth Jarvis- 1 goal, 2 assists

No player in the series had more points than Jarvis did. With his three-point effort tonight, Jarvis finished with a series-high seven points, two more than anyone else. He picked up his two assists in the first 3:13 of the contest before throwing his body around a little. Jarvis finished with a game-high five hits. With every incredible performance, Jarvis' contract this summer continues to get a little more expensive. 

Next Game- We don't know when the next game will be, but we know where it'll be and who the Hurricanes will be playing. The second round will be a highly-anticipated rematch from the 2022 playoffs, as the Hurricanes face the New York Rangers. New York won that series in seven games, but plenty of time has passed.