A late-game surge from the Canes was capped off with a goal from center Paul Stastny that sent Carolina onto the second round and the Islanders packing their bags.
Game six was a tale of two halves for the Hurricanes, who eventually managed to collect themselves and get back into form by the end of the game. With the national anthem bringing the Long Island crowd to a roar, the Islanders came out buzzing and put the Canes on the backfoot to start the game.
New York was dominating puck possession and testing goaltender Frederik Andersen, who made his first playoff start since the bubble playoffs in 2020. Andersen was rock-solid for Carolina in the net and undoubtedly the MVP of the game, saving 33 of 34 shots. The one and only goal that got past the Great Dane came 9:21 into the first when right wing Cal Clutterbuck ripped one past Andersen’s glove.
Clutterbuck was able to capitalize on a bad line change from the Canes to set himself up one-on-one with Andersen, who had been left helpless to defend against the rush. This goal had massive implications, considering the fact that in the previous five games, the team who scored first ended up winning.
UBS Arena was going crazy because it looked like the Islanders were coming alive, setting themselves up to tie the series at 3-3 after going down 3-1. Despite both teams’ best efforts, Andersen and Isles goaltender Ilya Sorokin were like brick walls, stopping anything that came their way.
Halfway through the second period, the game began to turn on its head and the Hurricanes turned into a different team. The forecheck was able to keep the puck in the Islanders’ defensive zone and the Canes were getting within inches of evening up the score. It was a matter of when and not if Carolina was going to score.
After 49 minutes and 24 seconds of play, it was none other than center Sebastian Aho who tied the game up. Knocking the puck down with his glove, Aho then tapped the puck past Sorokin and stunned the crowd. Aho, who leads the franchise in playoff goals and has been bruised all series long, came up clutch when his team needed him most.
The Islanders and the Hurricanes, two teams who don’t give up many chances to score, found themselves in overtime for just the second time throughout the series. With the game on the line, it was the fourth line who were the heroes of the game just six minutes into OT.
Center Derek Stepan intercepted a zone-clearing attempt from Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech, creating an odd-man opportunity for the Canes. Stepan got the puck to Stastny, who fired from almost below the goal line. The puck deflected off Sorokin’s pad and in. Stepan and Stastny came into the playoffs as seasoned veterans and managed to deliver when the lights were brightest.
With the series win, the Carolina Hurricanes move on to the second round to face either the New Jersey Devils or New York Rangers.
