Forechecking is going to be key for the New York Islanders if they want to mimic their second-period performance from Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Forechecking is going to be key for the New York Islanders if they want to mimic their second-period performance from Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
RALEIGH, NC -- Entering the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes were the odds-on favorite to hoist the Stanley Cup.
Despite finishing second in the Metropolitan Division to the New York Rangers, there didn't seem to be any holes in Carolina's game, and if they got strong goaltending, it would be tough for the New York Islanders to generate much.
But in Game 1, a 3-1 loss, the Islanders found a way to slow down a dynamic offense in the second period.
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No goals were scored in the middle frame, with key opportunities. going by the wayside, but New York held Carolina to just six shots, earning 13 of their own.
"I think we just found our game. We were playing to our strengths," Mathew Barzal said on Sunday morning. "We were finding a way to get the puck out. I think a lot of the time, we've had troubles with this team at this rink, just finding ways to get the puck out. I thought our defense did a good job with that. Our wingers did a good job just battling to get the puck out of the blue and come in with some speed through the neutral zone, so that definitely helped us a bit."
Getting the puck out of the zone is one thing, and the Islanders struggled to do so in the first and third periods.
When the Hurricanes put pressure inside the Islanders' zone, as you saw in the first period and early on in the third, there were many attempts to quickly flip the puck into the neutral zone.
Even if the Islanders did get the puck out, the Hurricanes were able to catch the puck or bat the puck down and quickly re-enter the Islanders' zone and generate chances that way.
So, cleaning up the breakouts was key, but that's only a part of limiting chances against.
It was more about the Islanders' forechecking, pressuring what is usually a very active Hurricanes' defense.
"We just wanted to continue to put pressure on their defense, finish our check when we have a chance, try to get those pucks back, and then generate some scoring shots off the forecheck," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. "I mean, both teams don't want to overhandle the puck. We want to move it fast. And I think it's important to finish our check when we have a chance."
The Hurricanes are able to transition the puck so well because their defenders aren't just good at making outlet passes; they also use their legs, usually attacking up the ice as a five-man unit.
It's not uncommon to see their defense deep in the offensive zone, but because they can skate, they also have the trailer open on most rush attempts, meaning a quick drop pass to the high slot usually allows them for a shot on goal.
And if the shot isn't there -- with all the attention on the defender coming in -- that allows for the wingers to be more open for one-time finishes inside either circles or the back door at either post.
But, if they struggle to transition the puck, whether that be because of the Islanders' impeccable forecheck as we saw in the second or the Islanders' limiting the breakout pass with strong blue-line, neutral-zone coverage, the Hurricanes can't be as effective.
What killed the Islanders in Game 1 was their lack of finishing. There were chances to not only take the lead in the second period, but build on it and even in the third period, too, despite the Hurricanes getting back to their game.
If the Islanders can slow down the Hurricanes' transition for more than 15 to 20 minutes, that makes this matchup rather even.
But if the Islanders can only do that in spurts, it will be hard to stay with them, which, more often than not, leads to penalties, and we know how elite their power play is.