Playing in front of their fans isn't the only benefit for the New York Islanders, who return home for Game 3 after trailing their series against the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- Playing in front of their fans isn't the only benefit for the New York Islanders, who return home for Game 3 after trailing their series against the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0.
Unlike on the road, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy can dictate matchups, getting the last change.
Through the first two games of the series, two losses, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour matched Jordan Staal's line against Brock Nelson's, Sebastian Aho's line against Bo Horvat's, Jasperi Kotkaniemi's line against Jean-Gabriel Pageau's (MacLean's in Game 1) and Evgeny Kuznetsov's line against Kyle MacLean's (Holmstrom's line in Game 1).
"It might be different tonight because we have second change, but I'm not opposed to Horvat playing against Aho, having Kotkaniemi playing against Pageau, and having Kuznetsov against MacLean," Roy said. "I'm comfortable with those."
Here's how the lines did in Game 1 and Game 2, courtesy of NaturalStatrick.com.
The Islanders got caught into a bad habit in Game 2, not by choice. The Hurricanes kept coming and coming, eliminating the Islanders' chance at any kind of transition game.
Roy's club failed to break the puck out, which made things catastrophically worse. He will need to help his top guys, particularly Horvat and Barzal, get the best chance of success.
So, which lines should he be trying to match up?
Ideally, Roy should try to have Horvat face Kuznetsov, the weakest line on a team that has few holes.
Nelson and Palmieri, who were so good in last year's playoffs and this season, need to be unleashed on home ice, potentially up against Kuznetsov's, with the hope that they can do much better against Kotkaniemi's, a line they should be able to be more effective against.
Pageau, the shutdown line, should get Aho's as much as possible, while MacLean's line should counteract Staal's.
The Hurricanes' blue line is as strong as they come, but with Brett Pesce's loss for the rest of the series, Brind'Amour will likely put Tony DeAngelo in the lineup alongside Brady Skjei on the second pairing.
The Dmitry Orlov-Jalen Chatfield pairing may be one of the more underrated pairings this season, but Roy would likely want Barzal and Horvat to face DeAngelo as much as possible, as DeAngelo is now their weakest link.
Roy isn't afraid to make changes and will need to be proactive early if he sees certain weaknesses in the Hurricanes' game that, given home-ice advantage, he can exploit.
Four Takeaways From Series So Far
1. Playing Even-Strength Hockey:
In Game 1, the Isles controlled the majority of even-strength play but failed to do so in Game 2, and if the "Corsi Canes" (nicknamed after the possession metric) take control as they did on Monday, the Isles won't have as many chances. Now, the Islanders scored three goals on their limited chances, but if they could have found a way to control the pace of play after that, they would have been tied in the series.
2. Keep The Kyles Rolling:
On the same note as opportunistic hockey, both Kyles found ways to stuff in goals. The tallies were messy and not pretty by any means, but these goals are the exact ones that they need to score. With Pesce out for the rest of the series, capitalizing on rebounds and jam plays will be critical.
3. No Shell Shock:
Turtling and hunkering down did not work to preserve their 3-0 lead---one shot over almost two periods did not help. It's about transitioning and puck control. Simply dumping the puck out of the zone isn't enough. Forecheck, gaining possession, and getting shots to the net will be key, whether they have a lead or not.
4. Strong Sorokin Early:
Sorokin is the franchise goaltender, and to win games against a far superior opponent, they'll need goaltending to outright steal games. The Hurricanes will almost certainly generate more offense and better chances, and it will be up to Sorokin to make up for this imbalance. Opposing goalie Frederik Andersen has looked formidable but also shaky at times. If Sorokin can start stealing games, the Islanders can gain momentum and maybe have a chance in this series after all. It starts with Sorokin's rebound control, which will dictate the outcome.
Kai Russell contributed to this report.