"On the Verge": 2024-25 Regular Season, Game 73: Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders

With clinching a playoff spot out of the window following Montreal's win in Sunrise this afternoon, the Canes could focus on getting two points against another team desperate for wins. As their magic number continues to shrink, the home team tries to make it two in a row before a big showdown with the Capitals on Tuesday night. New York lost yesterday afternoon in Tampa and could ill-afford to drop another as their search for a Wild Card spot continued in Raleigh. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (4:41)- Mark Jankowski (11) (Eric Robinson (18) & Tyson Jost (3))

CAR (4:54)- Logan Stankoven (11) (Jordan Martinook (21))

NYI (6:10)- Pierre Engvall (7) (Adam Pelech (19))

NYI (11:27)- Kyle Palmieri (23) PP (Noah Dobson (27) & Bo Horvat (26))

2nd Period

NYI (1:37)- Pierre Engvall (8) (unassisted)

CAR (8:35)- Sebastian Aho (28) PP (Shayne Gostisbehere (34) & Taylor Hall (21))

CAR (17:29)- Seth Jarvis (28) SH (Sebastian Aho (40) & Jaccob Slavin (18))

3rd Period

NYI (4:05)- Anders Lee (27) (Bo Horvat (27) & Kyle Palmieri (24))

CAR (9:19)- Dmitry Orlov (6) (Andrei Svechnikov (26) & Tyson Jost (4))

CAR (17:14)- Seth Jarvis (29) (Sebastian Aho (41))

My Thoughts

This wasn't a pretty win, but it was a win. This homestand hasn't been nearly as good as the last one, though the group has earned four points with a big game remaining. It would've been nice for this to be a postseason-clinching win, though those hopes were dashed after Montreal earned a victory on the road against the Panthers earlier in the afternoon. Instead, we'll probably settle for the group clinching before they hit the ice on Wednesday. The Islanders really needed this win. Like they did against the Canadiens on Friday, the Canes matched the desperation of the Islanders, preventing them from pulling ahead before using a big penalty kill and short-handed goal late in the second period and putting them away late. 

The Canes will continue to use their goalie rotation until the end of the season, meaning we know who will be starting each game. Frederik Andersen has been excellent. Pyotr Kochetkov hasn't. He's been subpar for three straight starts after another rough outing tonight. While he won the game, the offense needed to score six times to do it. The goal he allowed to Pierre Engvall after the group jumped out to a 2-0 lead changed the complexion of the first period before New York tied it on the power play. Engvall's second goal wasn't much better, and he was a second late on Anders Lee's tying goal early in the third. I said after Friday's game that Andersen should be the Game 1 starter, and tonight only reaffirmed that. 

When Jordan Staal isn't in the lineup, it leaves a huge hole for the team to fill. It puts pressure on the entire team to pick up the slack. Mark Jankowski jumped into Staal's spot on the penalty kill, helping to lead a 4-for-5 effort. Jankowski also scored the opening goal before his usual linemates, Jordan Martinook and Logan Stankoven, combined to score 13 seconds later. The fourth line added the game-winner as Tyson Jost and Andrei Svechnikov set up Dmitry Orlov's blast from the point to make it 5-4 midway through the third. 

Leading the charge once again were Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. The duo combined for three goals and five points, including a power-play goal from Aho before setting up Jarvis for a short-handed tally late in the second. They connected again on the dagger late in the game after Jarvis' excellent keep at the blue line. The pair are on the verge of hitting 30 goals in consecutive seasons. It was a great weekend for their line overall. Along with Jackson Blake, who was held scoreless tonight, finished with five goals and 11 points in wins over Montreal and New York. 

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Seth Jarvis

What can I say about Seth Jarvis that isn't already common knowledge? He's truly a gamer who is invaluable regardless of the situation. He didn't get an assist on the power-play goal, but he was responsible for stopping the puck from getting out before Sebastian Aho's knuckler made it home. His short-handed goal was wired, tying Kevyn Adams for the single-season record in franchise history. Then, he made another great play by jumping in the air to knock down the puck before finishing a sweet pass from Aho for the dagger. Jarvis is one goal away from back-to-back 30-goal seasons.

Checking In on the Playoff Picture

New Jersey (9 Points Behind for 2nd)- The Devils split a very tough back-to-back by winning 5-2 in Minnesota on Saturday night. While New Jersey still holds a mathematical chance of jumping the Canes for second place, Carolina still owns two games in hand after tonight. 

New York (R) (8 Points Behind NJ for 3rd)- After blowing a two-goal lead and losing to the Ducks in overtime on Friday night, the Rangers responded by tearing the Sharks apart on Saturday. Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox score two goals each in a 6-1 victory, moving them, temporarily, into the second Wild Card spot. 

Columbus (10 Points Behind NJ for 3rd)- The Blue Jackets dropped a close game to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, continuing Ottawa's ascent while the Blue Jackets remain in limbo in a tight Wild Card race. They've won just three times in their last ten contests as they've failed to separate from the rest of the pack.

New York (I) (11 Points Behind)- The Islanders picked the worst time to lose five straight games after dropping tonight's game in Raleigh. Their road doesn't get any easier as they start a three-game homestand against Tampa, Minnesota, and Washington.

The Road Ahead- The Canes conclude their four-game homestand on Wednesday night with a nationally-televised game against the Washington Capitals. Then, they'll begin their final long road trip of the season, visiting Detroit, Boston, Buffalo, and Washington over seven days. Their final two home games will be against the Rangers and the Maple Leafs before concluding the regular season with a back-to-back against Montreal and Ottawa.