EAST Playoffs '23-'24 Round 1: (M3) New York Islanders at (M2) Carolina Hurricanes (CAR Wins 4-1)

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

                                                                   

 

The New York Islanders were left for dead not that long ago, even going so far as firing their head coach.
Enter Patrick Roy, the team transforms into contender once again, and they go on a tear, barreling through the rest of the non contending field, and end up face to face with what should be a Cup favorite, in the Carolina Hurricanes!

Carolina has been building up to a Cup win for a few seasons now. Have they gotten the formula right?
If they have, then they should dispose of an Islander team that just managed to get into the playoffs with the 2nd lowest point totals of the entire playoff field....on paper anyways.
But.....games aren't played on paper are they? Nope....

NY Islanders tale of the tape:
Season Record: 39-27-16, 94 pts__________ Home/Road Splits: 21-10-10 / 18-17-6

Offense-Defense: 246 GF, 263 GA good for a -17 differential
Special Teams: PP 20.4% (19th), PK 71.5% (32nd)

 

Carolina Hurricanes tale of the tap:
Season Record: 52-23-7, 111 pts________ Home/Road Splits: 27-10-4 / 25-13-3

Offense-Defense:  279 GF, 216 GA good for a +63 differential
Special Teams: PP 26.9% (2nd), PK 86.4% (1st)

 

Patrick Roy or no, the Isles look to be heavy underdogs here.
I wouldn't say the Canes have this 'in the bag', but shame on them if they can't take this series.

Isles, Canes.....series talk right here!

Edited 18 hours ago by TropicalFruitGirl26

[mojo1917]

Hahahahaha the Islanders still suck.

Somehow every other team in the Metropolitan division managed to suck more. 

Carolina will eviscerate them.

 

I picked 'Canes in 6 because the Russian goalies are hard to beat when they're average and the Isles have 2 good ones.

I think these games will be non-competitive and boring.  Carolina will have the puck all the time but will need 40 shots to beat the Sorokin /Varlarmov tandem.

The Islanders effectively ended the Flyers season when they won in overtime two weeks ago. They were terrible that night but somehow managed to beat a spent Flyers club.

I never liked them and hope they lose as embarrassingly as possible.

 

 

[thegx.ca]

Long Island might win one but that's it...took Canes in 5...

[Math]

Goalies: 

Defense: 

Offense: 

Special teams (PP/PK): 

Coaching: 

Mental: 

Experience: 

Robustness: 

Depth: 

 

Without the addition of Guentzel, I'd honestly have gone with the upset. The Isles' goalies have a slight edge despite Sorokin having a so-so season. Carolina is much more talented bit I have the feeling that the Islanders might create them some problems with their old-school boring defensive system. 

 

Hurricanes in 7.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

I almost wanted to vote Hurricanes in 5, but that feels like I am selling the Islanders a bit too short.
Do I think Carolina is the better team? Absolutely. 
Like I said before....they have been building towards a Cup run for a few years now and this could be the season they do it.
But still, at times, the Hurricanes HAVE looked a bit ordinary and the jury is still out on whether Carolina goaltending can hold up under the pressure of the playoffs.

To top that off, the Islanders do have Sorokin in net who, at his best, can frustrate the best teams in the league......and Patrick Roy (another freakin goalie!) behind the bench, who somehow has worked some kind of mojo (no, not YOU, @mojo1917  ), and has had this Islanders team playing way above their heads for quite some time now.
NY also has some nasty bit of business in Pelech, Pulock, and Romanov on the blueline....Martin, Clutterbuck, and Lee up front....all with designs on plastering Canes' players all over the boards whenever possible.

But at the end of the day, I believe the Canes have the better deeper lineup overall, have a top 10 goal producing lineup, are killer on the PP, and stingy on the PK, and in yielding goals overall, so they DO get it done.

Carolina Hurricanes in 6, giving the heavy underdog Islanders 2 games due to their physical style, Sorokin, and Patrick Roy juju.

[yave1964]

Carolina and incredibly overrated, but will push past a feisty and Isles club 

[FD19372]

Carolina is going to win, but they'd better tighten up defensively. Also, Freddie Andersen has to be better.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

3 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

Carolina is going to win, but they'd better tighten up defensively. Also, Freddie Andersen has to be better.

 

Didn't get to watch this one due to being outdoors, but I completely forgot about Frederik Andersen.
When I thought about Carolina goaltending, I was thinking of Raanta (is he still broken?), or that young goalie whose name escapes me at the moment.
With Andersen in net, the Canes definitely have experience in goal and not at all as green or unproven as I was thinking initially.

Doesn't change my pick, still going with Canes in 6, and they just got the win which has them on their way.

I will settle in to watch Leafs at Bruins though, so you'll see my deranged posts on that thread.  

[mojo1917]

This was a lot more competitive than I was thinking it would be. 

Maybe the 'Canes just don't have it.

The Islanders should have won that game. Anderson wasn't good by any stretch, the Islanders shots were right at him.

If the Canes don't get it together they're going to be at home before they're ready; and then what happens to them with their salary crunch? Big changes everywhere?

 

 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Isles had a 3-0 and a 3-1 lead.....now could lose the game 4-3.

If they do drop this, could be the series.
This was underdog NY's chance to make it a series, but they let that slip away.

A 2-0 Carolina team will be almost impossible, IMO, for the Isles to overcome.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

EN makes it 5-3 Canes.
Wow. Ya blew it NY!!

[SaucyJack]

A sad night in the Hamptons, I reckon.

[Podein25]

Worst lead in hockey strikes yet again. Unreal.

[Jimtown guy]

Just now, Podein25 said:

Worst lead in hockey strikes yet again. Unreal.

Got that right 

[mojo1917]

I absolutely loved how the NYI became unhinged and the parade to the penalty box started.

I'm glad Carolina tried to score on the power play after the empty netter because that was a completely bush-league move by Palmeri to be the second guy in on Guentzel after he took the whiny baby slash from Brock Nelson.

NYI is losing in the most embarrassing ways possible and that warms my cold dark heart.

Edited April 23 by mojo1917

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

@mojo1917

Looks like the Isles haven't fixed their hinges yet for Game 3.

Already down 2-0 midway through the first....

[SaucyJack]

They really must have priests in attendance next game to perform last rites.  

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

2 minutes ago, SaucyJack said:

They really must have priests in attendance next game to perform last rites.  

 

Or at least one of those flaming ships they send out to sea for the Scandinavians on the team  

[mojo1917]

13 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Or at least one of those flaming ships they send out to sea for the Scandinavians on the team  

Applying the awesome Viking funeral to the Islanders sullies the ritual,  Odin will be greatly displeased. 

If you must, you may apply it to your beloved Bolts who are worthy of Valhalla.

 

No ale for the Islanders !

[Brewin Flames]

And game # 4 is heading to OT.

 

If the canes score, NYI is are done.

[Tomdog]

Watching 2nd overtime and the Islanders just score.

But it looks like the arena is not full!

Come on Islander fans, where are you? 

[SaucyJack]

Islander players reacting to their first minute 2OT goal as if they can win more.  Psyched.  We’ll see.

[mojo1917]

On 4/27/2024 at 5:42 PM, Tomdog said:

Watching 2nd overtime and the Islanders just score.

But it looks like the arena is not full!

Come on Islander fans, where are you? 

There was a really long line @ the bathroom.

[mojo1917]

All hating the Islanders aside.

 

They have been far more competitive in this series than I was prepared to give them credit for.

 

I am having that that moment where I can't tell if the 'Canes are worse than I thought or if the Isles are better...hmm.

Regardless this series could be 2-2 easily, or 3-1 if my blackened heart could see through the hating.

*waits for a second*  -nah

 

I wonder about Carolina though? I don't think they're beating a confident Rangers team if they can't find another gear. 

[OccamsRazor]

On 4/21/2024 at 5:45 PM, mojo1917 said:

'Canes just don't have it.

 

I'll just leave this here nothing like good ol speculation...

 

 

...but damn IF he is available i would really really hate that the Flyers didn't throw their hat in the ring...doesn't hurt to ask.

 

But would the Canes really let this happen?