The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Islanders 4-3 in a stress-filled overtime match in game two of the first round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Carolina (52-21-9) defeated the Islanders (42-31-9) in game one on Monday, April 17, and now holds a comfortable lead in the best of seven series. The Canes’ defense and offense were buzzing tonight as key players notched over 20 minutes of icetime.
The playoff atmosphere was felt all throughout PNC Arena tonight as fans donned their red and white apparel. Carolina goaltender Antti Raanta got the start for the second time in this series, and he played up to the pressure, stopping 23 of 26 shots on goal. While he dominated in the crease, his defensemen were able to take some of the burden off of Raanta’s shoulders and get some crucial stops.
“The guys played great in front of me,” Raanta said. “They battled back and got the tight-end goal there, and then to get to OT and score a goal. It’s a huge team effort.”
Defensemen Brett Burns and Brett Pesce each totalled over 22 minutes throughout the 65 total minutes of play. Pesce contributed three blocks on shots on goal, while Burns was able to help out the offense with two assists.
Four different Canes players were able to get a puck past New York goaltender Ilya Sorokin, with the first buzzer going off courtesy of center Paul Stastny less than six minutes after puck drop. He wasn’t the only member of the trigger-happy club, as Carolina racked up 36 shots on goal before time ran out, while the Islanders only had 26.
The second frame saw the first power play goal for either team, as right wing Stefan Noesen slipped one past the netminder to make it a 2-0 lead. This advantage didn’t last long, as New York was able to get two goals past Raanta within the final 10 minutes of the period.
“Special teams are huge in the playoffs,” said defenseman Jaccob Slavin. “We had the power play coming up, so I think our main focus is going out there and trying to hone in on the power play. You know, it’s gonna be a good series, it’s gonna be a grind series.”
Going into the third period tied up is not always the best position to be in, but the Canes are used to working well under pressure. The Islanders scored first within the frame to make it 3-2, but Slavin notched a goal and made it 3-3 with under eight minutes left to play. As the final seconds ticked down within PNC Arena, Caniacs waited with bated breath to see who would be the last-minute hero – or villain.
However, no one was able to get a puck past either goalie before time ran out, forcing game two into overtime. At the start of the extra session, both teams were chipping at the puck and taking it up and down the ice, but neither could create a good opportunity to score. But that all changed when right wing Jesper Fast sniped one just over five minutes into OT to make the final score 4-3 and give the Canes a 2-0 series lead.
“You know, they had us on the ropes,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “My guys came back and said ‘enough’. We gave it back, so that’s how it’s gonna go.”
As the team travels to play the third and fourth games of the series in New York, they’ll look to sweep the Islanders 4-0. The next game of the first-round series is Friday, April 21 with puck drop set for 7 p.m.
