On Saturday afternoon at UBS Arena, the New York Islanders hosted the Carlina Hurricanes in a matinee matchup for Game 4 of their first-round series. After a back-and-forth game, the Islanders ultimately kept their season alive in dramatic with a goal in the second overtime to win 3-2. Despite the well-fought victory, the Islanders were outshot 44-35 in the game and gave up a third-period lead, a familiar theme for the team throughout their series thus far. The Islanders still have a monumental hill to climb if they wish to keep extending their season.

Throughout the first four games of the series, it has been all Hurricanes. Out of the four games played thus far, the Hurricanes have scored first in three games, outscored the Islanders in the third period 7-1 and outshot the Islanders 131 to 112. What has been most impressive about the Hurricanes this postseason is how they have devastatingly sucked the life out of the Islanders. The Hurricanes have masterfully used momentum to sink the Islanders in the biggest moments.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, momentum has the power to change the course of a series. One single play can change the trajectory of a game and thus alter a series. The powerplay or penalty kill is an excellent source of momentum in the playoffs. Scoring on the powerplay can help a team keep momentum in their favour or even take away momentum. The Hurricanes’ powerplay has been a catalyst for the success of the Hurricanes in this series. It has been a source of momentum for the Hurricanes and a tool to throw the Islanders.

In Game 1, the Hurricanes defeated the Islanders 3-1 despite being outshot 34-26. The Hurricanes opened the scoring just two minutes into the game with a power-play goal. In this instance, the power-play goal got the Hurricanes’ fans into the game early and gave the Hurricanes a boost of momentum.

In Game 4, both of the two Hurricanes’ goals scored were power-play goals. These goals significantly hurt the Islanders because they kill any chance they have at using the crowd to their advantage. Letting up a power-play goal at home instantly takes the fans out of the game and kills all momentum.

Additionally, the Hurricanes have been able to claw back from deficits when trailing and when leading have held the Islanders’ offense at bay. 

For example, in Game 2 of the series, the Islanders’ offense started clicking immediately. The Islanders scored twice with only seven shots on goal and wound up leading three to zero reasonably early on into the second period. However, the Carolina Hurricanes answered with a powerplay goal in the second period to cut the Islanders’ lead to 3-1 entering the third period. Consequently, the Hurricanes outshot the Islanders 17-1 in the third period, winning the game in regulation. After the Islanders had seven shots on goal in the first period, the team only had five for the rest of the game.

In Game 3, the Hurricanes got off to an early lead, going up 2-0 in the first period. The Islanders cut the lead to 3-2 in the second period, going into the third period only down by a single goal. The Islanders put on a solid third period performance, outshooting the Hurricanes 11-3. However, the Hurricanes were able to hold off the Islanders to win the game.

Although Game 2 and Game 3 were very different for the Hurricanes, the net result was the same. The Hurricanes walked away with a victory.

 Both games showcased the Hurricanes’ adaptability to raise their level of play in different situations. In Game 2, the Hurricanes displayed the suffocating nature of their offensive forecheck, while in Gam3 the Hurricanes proved their ability to play strong defensively when the Islanders were throwing everything at them.

The Hurricanes have demonstrated their offensive prowess, depth, and overall resilience in the first four games. The Hurricanes have played to their strengths in this series. Their speed off the rush and their mobile defenseman, who can join the play at any moment, have overwhelmed this slower and older Islanders team. The Islanders have not had any scoring from their defence in this series. In contrast, the defensemen Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov both have a goal apiece for the Hurricanes.

Carolina has been incredibly opportunistic in this series. They have capitalized when needed, whether scoring a powerplay goal, using their home crowd’s energy to build momentum, or being able to defensively shut down the Islanders when they have been on the verge of scoring. They have outplayed the Islanders when they have needed to and have found ways to win when they have been outplayed. The Islanders will need to do a lot of work if they want to keep extending their season.

Featured image courtesy of Michelle Farsi/New York Post

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.