The New York Islanders failed to hold serve on home ice as the Carolina Hurricanes beat them 5-2 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
ELMONT, NY -- The New York Islanders failed to hold serve on home ice as the Carolina Hurricanes beat them 5-2 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
LINES:
Anders Lee-Bo Horvat-Simon Holmstrom
Pierre Engvall-Brock Nelson-Kyle Palmieri
Zach Parise-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Hudson Fasching
Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck
Adam Pelech-Scott Mayfield
Alexander Romanov-Ryan Pulock
Sebastian Aho-Noah Dobson
Ilya Sorokin
Semyon Varlamov
Rapid Recap:
The New York Islanders came out flying Sunday, but a questionable goalie interference penalty against Zach Parise and then a boarding call at the on Ryan Pulock.
On the ensuing five-on-three, the Hurricanes got on the board first as Seth Jarvis deposited a shot into a wide-open cage following a quick pass from Stefan Noesen.
The Islanders did get some relief as Paul Stastny took a penalty, but the Islanders' first power play (1:40) showed nothing.
Later in the frame, Jesperi Kotkaniemi threw an elbow, forcing Pierre Engvall to leave the ice for a bit. He did return minutes later.
While on the power play, Brent Burns cross-checked Mathew Barzal along the Canes' half-wall, but Barzal was given an embellishment penalty.
The Islanders went 0-for-2 on the power play in the first, while the Hurricanes went 1-for-2.
Lane Lambert's squad dominated five-on-five, like they have done all season, allowing just five Hurricane shots in the first.
That Martin penalty came back to bite New York as 1:25 into the man advantage, Martin Necas buried a Noesen pass to extend Carolina's lead to 2-0 with 18:45 to play in the second.
Another mistake by the Islanders sent them back on the penalty kill, as Brock Nelson interfered with Necas inside New York's zone with 13:58 to play in the second.
Isanders' penalty kill did its job to keep the distance at two.
New York struggled mightily at five-on-five in the second, struggling to break through the neutral zone clearly.
Through 12:05 played in the second, the Islanders had just two total shots, one being a floater from the corner that Raanta easily gloved.
The Hurricanes extended their lead to 3-0 with 6:30 to play in the second, as after Alexander Romanov whiffed in the neutral zone, Canes Sebastian Aho buried the odd-man rush off a Mackenzie MacEachern pass.
The Islanders were quiet for a good while after that Canes' goal but following a Jean-Gabriel Pageau shift, with his line producing a few high-danger shots, New York found themselves back on the power play after MacEachern holding infraction.
The power play had a few chances in-tight, but New York headed to the third down 3-0.
Carolina quickly put themselves up 4-0 as Jarvis scored on the breakaway, but the Islanders answered with an Adam Pelech wrist shot to get on the board 3:14 into the third.
The Islanders got some life from that goal as they put together a few strong shifts.
Pelech almost...almost scored his second of the game, but his shot trickled just wide of the right post after Raanta got a piece of the shot.
The Islanders pushed and found their game but a MacEarchern rifle from the low slot with 5:59 to play in the third put a dagger in any potential for a comeback.
Bo Horvat did score on a shorthanded breakaway, but that was that.
With the 5-2 loss, the Islanders must win Tuesday night in Raleigh to stay alive.
WHAT'S NEXT: The New York Islanders are in Carolina for Game 5 against the Hurricanes Tuesday night, with puck drop at 7 PM ET.