The New York Islanders (42-32-4-5, 42-41 PL, 35-44 O/U) collide with the Carolina Hurricanes (53-21-6-3, 34-49 PL, 35-46 O/U) in game two of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Wednesday evening. Carolina posted a 3-1 record against the Islanders in the regular season and it was the Hurricanes who opened the series with a 2-1 home win on Monday.
The New York Islanders are looking to even the series before heading back to Long Island for two games. The squad did not play a bad game on Monday but just couldn't find enough offense. They allowed two power-play goals which ended up being the difference. The Isles are no stranger to playoff success, reaching the third round in two of the past three seasons. They went 5-4-1 in their last ten regular season games. The Isles have now lost four straight meetings to the Canes.
Brock Nelson enjoyed the best season of his career, finishing with 75 points. The veteran was productive against Carolina, netting three goals in the four regular-season meetings but was held off the scoresheet in game one. Mathew Barzal missed the last two months of the regular season due to a lower-body injury but made his return to the ice in game one. The 25-year-old is th e Isles' most important offensive player. He recorded 51 points in 58 games and two points in three games against the Hurricanes. The Islanders added Bo Horvat in a trade with the Canucks. They paid a big price to land the sniper and he has not produced as expected, recording seven goals and nine assists in 30 games.
PULOCK FROM ONE KNEE. pic.twitter.com/6dZdDb2hVi
— x – New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 18, 2023
Ilya Sorokin is a big reason the Islanders qualified for the playoffs. The 27-year-old is one of the best netminders in the entire NHL. He is sporting a stifling 2.34 GAA and a .924 save % accompanied by a 31-22-7 record. He has the ability to steal games. He made 37 saves on Monday night. New York is not a high-scoring team. They averaged 3.0 goals per game, ranking them 22nd. The Islanders are limiting opponents to 2.6 goals, good for fifth.