For the second straight year, the New York Islanders will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Since 2019, the Islanders have played the Hurricanes twice in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Islanders have struggled immensely against the Hurricanes in the postseason, going 2-8 in 10 playoff games. In 2019, the Hurricanes swept the Islanders. In just four games, the Hurricanes outscored the Islanders 13 to five.

Last year, the Islanders and Hurricanes met again in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Although the matchup was not as one-sided as the 2019 playoffs, the Hurricanes were ultimately too much for the Islanders. They defeated the Islanders in six games to advance to the second round where they went on to play the New Jersey Devils.

The X-factor in the 2023 series was the power play. The Islanders could not keep the Hurricanes power play at bay. The Hurricanes could capitalize on power play opportunities, while the Islanders could not. Throughout the entire six-game series, the Islanders only scored one power-play goal. The Islanders went 1/18 on the power play throughout the series, while the Hurricanes went 5/25. During the series, any time the Hurricanes scored a power-play goal, they ultimately went on to win the game.

The Islanders’ 2024 postseason matchup against the Hurricanes will again present an uphill battle for the team. This season, the Hurricanes have one of the best power plays in the NHL. At a power play percentage of 26.9, the Hurricanes sit just behind the Tampa Bay Lightning who have the best power play in the NHL. Adding more fuel to the fire, the Hurricanes have the best penalty kill in the NHL, with a penalty kill percentage of 86.4.

This season, the Islanders and Hurricanes have faced off against each other four times. The Islanders have two wins against the Hurricanes, one in regulation and one in overtime, and two losses against the Hurricanes, one in regulation and one in overtime. Although the Islanders’ win-loss record against the Hurricanes suggests that the teams match up relatively evenly, other statistics present a different picture of the match-up.

Throughout the four regular-season games this season, the Hurricanes outshot the Islanders 163 -100.

In three of the four games played against the Hurricanes this season, the Islanders held the lead at one point during play. However, in one matchup, the Islanders blew a 3-0 lead and lost in overtime. In another contest, although the Islanders eventually won in overtime, the Hurricanes tied the game with only 0.7 seconds left in regulation. Lastly, in another meeting, the Islanders ultimately won the game 5-4, but the Hurricanes’ demonstrated their ability to stay in the game after going down 3-1 in the first period. The Hurricanes subsequently cut the Islanders’ lead to 3-2, then to 4-3 and ultimately lost 5-4.

Since Rod Brind’amour took over behind the bench in 2018, the Hurricanes have become a very resilient team. The Hurricanes can throw pressure surges at the Islanders for sustained periods making them dangerous to compete against. In three of the four games against the Hurricanes this season, the Islanders led entering the third period. When trailing, the Hurricanes never gave up and each time throttled the Islanders with a suffocating attack. During these three games, when trailing in the third period, the Hurricanes outshot the Islanders in the third period 19-5, 15-4 and 15-10.

Last year, during the Islanders’ round-one matchup against the Hurricanes, the Islanders led going into the third period three times throughout the series. During these three games, when trailing in the third period, the Hurricanes outshot the Islanders 17-7, 12-5, and 19-5. For this upcoming series, the Islanders must try to neutralize the Hurricanes’ third-period attack if the team is leading entering the third period.

The Hurricanes look more dangerous than ever and appear well-equipped to make a deep playoff run this postseason. They are skilled, resilient, and have a breadth of playoff experience. The Hurricanes will be a very tough opponent for the Islanders in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Featured image courtesy of  AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker

Ethan Halle

Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.