Although on the losing end of a 2-1 Game 1, the New York Islanders left the game with more optimism than concern.
Although on the losing end of a 2-1 Game 1, the New York Islanders left the game with more optimism than concern.
"We played some pretty good hockey. It's a 2-1 hockey game," Islanders captain Anders Lee said postgame. "It was a playoff style. Our guys played hard, played good on some big kills in the second period there, and we stuck with it the whole night."
Lee continued: "It's one game. It didn't go our way tonight, but I thought we built our game pretty well throughout it, stuck with it, and got better as the game went on."
READ MORE: Opportunistic Hurricanes Edge Islanders 2-1 in Game 1
The Carolina Hurricanes did dictate play for most of the game, but backed by Ilya Sorokin's brilliance, the Islanders were just a goal away from tying the score for 37 minutes.
And they did outplay Carolina in the third period.
The Islanders got in on the forecheck from the opening puck drop, starting with the identity line.
The issue wasn't getting behind the Hurricanes' defense. It was more about the decisions made after winning the board battles, with some errant passes wiping away the strong work, helping out Carolina's transition.
"Tough plays to get to the slot. You see us defend it the same way," Lee said. "You got to take a look at those sometimes and give it a chance and kind of knowing that it might not be 100% luck, you gotta force it sometimes and get those pucks to the slot to get an opportunity, and we defend the same way."
The Hockey News asked Islanders head coach Lane Lambert about those secondary decisions.
"I think sometimes, maybe we did (force plays to the slot). I thought we made some plays as well at times. It's going to be a battle. It's going to be a battle. That's all there is to it. There was a lot of effort out there by both clubs."
The Islanders struggled in transition, with issues stemming from Carolina's structure, but their breakouts were often not clean enough.
That led to an inability to generate much, if anything, off the rush.
"They're tight. They got good sticks. They're on you pretty quick, so I think we have to find a better way to be a little cleaner, execute some passes, but there's no more space out there.
"It's going to be like the last two years. We've just gotta find a way to grind through it."
That being said, the Islanders did outscore the Hurricanes 1-0 during five-on-five play.
"I mean, come playoff time, you need to win games, but you're not gonna win four straight," Pulock said. "So, we'll regroup, we'll find some things, some areas where we can maybe tighten things up and get a little better, and will find a way to try and win Game Two."
The Islanders had four power plays in the loss, putting up a goose egg with the man advantage.
Their first power play of the game was dynamite, doing everything except what has to happen -- score goals.
Mathew Barzal broke into the zone with ease, cycled the puck back to the point, and quick passes created optimal opportunities point-blank in front of goal.
A lack of finishing got in their way, which has been an issue all season.
But as the game went on, the Islanders' power play got worse and worse, completely reverting to what we saw throughout 82 games.
As for what changed:
"We didn't have our entries the way we liked to a little bit going into the rest of the game," Lee said. "I thought early we got in clean. And then, you know, some tough pucks on draws. They get a clear. They're pretty good on the break in, so we (need to) clean some of that up.
"We did have some good looks and were able to move it, and I liked the plan we had going into the night. We just got to execute a little bit better."
Top power-play unit quarterback Noah Dobson weighed in.
"We had great looks. They just didn't go in," Dobson said. "They're the number one penalty kill in the league for the last few years. So it's not easy out there. I thought we generated a little bit. We'd like to generate a little more on those last couple, but we'll watch the video and see what we can get better for next game."
FINAL NOTES:
Ryan Pulock laid nine hits, along with a goal on two shots in 21:19 TOI as he was one of the Islanders' best players in the loss.
"I thought it was the most physical game I've seen him play and I thought he played amazing," Lambert said.
Mathew Barzal played his first game after missing 23, finishing with two shots, a giveaway, and a block in 15:38 TOI.
"I thought he was good. I mean, it's been a long time since he's been out and to come into a playoff game with that kind of atmosphere, certainly, it's not an easy thing to do. And I thought he showed well," Lambert said.
Game Two is Wednesday night at 7 PM ET.