Key absences cripple Islanders' offense. Early goals and Carolina's relentless pressure seal their third consecutive loss.
With Mathew Barzal scratched for missing the team bus and Calum Ritchie unable to get to Raleigh because of the weather, the New York Islanders fell 6-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes for their third straight defeat (0-2-1), going with 11 forwards and seven defenseman.
David Rittich made 27 saves for his first loss of the season. Rookie and Long Island native Brandon Bussi improved to 3-1-0 after making 26 saves.
It was a spooky start, allowing two goals in under 5:30 minutes. Rookie Bradly Nadeau scored his first NHL goal at 2:33 after a Maxim Tsyplakov turnover, before former Islanders defenseman Mike Reilly wrapped around his own rebound on a shorthanded goal at 5:21.
Jordan Martinook found a loose puck behind goaltender David Rittich to make it 3-0 at 10:21 of the first.
No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer snapped a three-game point streak at 13:20 of the first, beating Long Island native Brandon Bussi from distance on the power play for his third of the year to make it 3-1:
That goal snapped the Islanders 0-for-10 power-play streak and also gave them their first road power-play goal of the season, starting the campaign 0-for-15 away from UBS Arena.
The Islanders and Rittich played much better defensively since that Martinook goal, but struggled to overcome Carolina's impeccable forechecking.
The Hurricanes added insurance early in the third period, with Jason Blake's son, Jackson, beating Rittich glove side from the slot off the rush.
The Islanders answered with Simon Holmstrom's third goal of the season at 10:48 of the third, but Andrei Svechnikov answered 11 seconds later to make it a 5-2 game.
Logan Stankoven scored with 11 seconds to play in regualtion for the 6-2 final.
The Islanders, with Barzal back in the lineup, will face the Washington Capitals on Friday night before returning home for an evening showdown with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday at 5 PM ET.