2024-25 Regular Season, Game 73 Preview: Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders

The Carolina Hurricanes played another strong game on Friday night, beating the Montreal Canadiens, 4-1. The teams traded goals in the opening minute. Josh Anderson was left alone to bury a one-timer after a defensive breakdown, giving Montreal the lead 23 seconds in. It took 18 seconds for the Canes to respond, getting help from Kaiden Guhle as he accidentally put Jackson Blake's redirection past Samuel Montembeault. The rest of the first period was very volatile as the sides got very chippy. The Canes' top line continued its dominance in the second period. After Sebastian Aho's pressure created a power play, Blake set up Taylor Hall, who played his 900th game, between the dots for his fifth goal in three games. Just over two minutes later, Seth Jarvis put a perfect saucer pass on Aho's stick for a one-timer in transition to extend the lead to two. Frederik Andersen was tested in the third period but refused to let Montreal back into the game. Andrei Svechnikov, who returned to the lineup after seven games, iced the game into the empty net to finish a decisive victory. Blake recorded his first three-point game as the top line combined for six points. 

The Opponent: New York Islanders (32-30-10, 74 Points- 6th in the Metropolitan Division)

Last Meeting: The Hurricanes visited Long Island for the second time this season on January 25th, falling 3-2 in overtime to the Islanders. The Canes scored twice in the first 6:30 of the game against Marcus Hogberg. Jack Roslovic and Sebastian Aho scored 1:12 apart to make it seem like the Canes were going to run away with the game early. Alexander Romanov got a friendly bounce late in the first period to cut into the Canes' lead, and the score remained 2-1 through two periods. Anders Lee was on the spot to bat home a rebound early in the third period, tying the game and ensuring both teams earned a point as they played overtime. Just over two minutes into the extra session, Brock Nelson scored the game-winner, beating Pyotr Kochetkov to secure the second point.

Since We Last Met: Like half of the Eastern Conference, the Islanders are in the fight for the second Wild Card spot, and, like half of the Eastern Conference, they don't seem interested in taking control of it. They are right below the line, sitting 2 points out of the playoffs. They didn't do themselves any favors on Saturday afternoon, putting themselves in a 4-0 hole and coming just short of a comeback in a 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Islanders have lost seven of ten and their last four overall, failing to capitalize on similar struggles by the Canadiens and the Rangers. Still, the Islanders remain deep in the thick of the hunt despite trading Brock Nelson at the trade deadline and Mathew Barzal being out since early February. Anders Lee, Bo Horvat, and Kyle Palmieri all have 20+ goals, while Lee and Horvat are one point away from 50. Former Hurricane Tony DeAngelo has been excellent since joining the team midseason from the KHL, posting four goals and 16 points in 25 games. Ilya Sorokin has been fine, and Marcus Hogberg, who will start tonight, has provided value as the backup. Hogberg has a .931 save percentage and a 1.92 GAA in ten appearances, including a 24-save performance against the Hurricanes in January. They have a steep hill to climb to earn the final Wild Card spot, but the Islanders are still in the mix.

Stories of the Night

1. Use Rest and Travel to Your Advantage

It's always cliche to point out that a team played the night before, but it's, more often than not, something worthwhile to mention. In fact, the Canes used it to their advantage against the Canadiens on Friday after they played in Philly on Thursday. The Islanders will also be starting their backup, though his numbers, as mentioned, have been pretty good. In the second half of back-to-backs, the Islanders are 4-6-0, so jumping on them early could give the Canes a chance to put a stranglehold on the game.

2. Don't Look Ahead

Once the Canes finish with the Islanders tonight, the next team in their path is the Washington Capitals. The overall importance of the game has been lessened by Washington's continued dominance over the conference, as they seemed locked into the top spot. At most, the game will be more for momentum before meeting in D.C. eight days later. However, that's two days from now. You can start worrying about that game tomorrow. This isn't the time to take an opponent lightly, especially one fighting for their postseason lives.