trim_14028474-D033-4FF6-B654-3A09671C9AFC EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] (9-11-7) weren't ready when the puck dropped on Thursday night against the Seattle Kraken in a 5-2 loss. That can't be the case when the puck drops on Saturday night at 5 PM ET against the Carolina Hurricanes. "We have to come out hard out the gates, especially at home. We got to have a good jump," Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson said. "We know they're going to be ready. We got to be ready, too. You don't want to be chasing the games. But in saying that, even if you go down a goal, it isn't the end of the world. We know we're capable of coming back, but yeah, a good start is key." Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExMjM0MzI0Mjk1NDYwNTQx/usatsi_23153900.jpg] Dobson and the rest of his teammates know this season hasn't gone as planned. The Islanders have dropped eight of their 10 games and are looking up in the standings at a wild-card spot when securing a lead in 75 percent of the games they blew would have them fighting for a top spot in the Metropolitan Division. "It's not early in the year anymore. Dobson said. "The games are important. We're down in the standings and not where we want to be, but we also know a couple of wins here and there, and we're right back in the mix." The Hurricanes are no easy task. They're a team in third place in the Metropolitan Division and one that has had the Islanders' number in back-to-back postseason. "We know that if we want to beat these guys, we're going to have to be very good in our 1-on-1 battles," Roy said. "This is a very good defensive team. They're always one of the best with possession time. We know that they're going to shoot a lot of pucks at the net. I mean, that's their DNA. They throw a lot of pucks at the net, so we're gonna have to be good in different areas, but I think we're gonna have to be good around the net. "We're gonna have to move that puck quick. We're gonna have to jam the net. It's not gonna be like Tic-Tac-Toe kind of goals. It's gonna be working hard to get those opportunities and those goals." The Hurricanes aren't a team that seems dangerous on paper, but they are very strong structurally and have active defensemen who know when to sit back. Their weakness is in goal, where starter Pyotr Kochetkov owns an .897 SV%. on the season. So, the Islanders need to shove Carolina's game plan back in their face: "It's going to come down to 1-on-1 battles," Dobson said. "I mean, we know the script every time we play them. The last few games have all been pretty tight-checking. So it's a good test for us, a team in our division, a team that we have to try and chase. I know the guys will be ready to have a big game and respond." The Islanders have four wins in 12 games at home. Their fans deserve better, and if they want to hang around a wild-card spot or start climbing, they have to start getting the job done. Because, as Dobson said, "It's not early in the year anymore."
