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Takeaways From Islanders’ Game 1 Loss to the Hurricanes

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Michael Ostrower | Last updated 4/21/24

The New York Islanders fell 3-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening matchup of the playoffs. Despite being heavily favored to win, the Hurricanes did not dominate, showing the Islanders have a real chance to take the series. Carolina was not steady with the puck, had an abysmal second period, and got the game-winning goal from a lucky bounce. Of course, they had other chances that could have gone their way, but this series may be closer than fans initially thought.

Islanders’ Offensive Takeaway

The Islanders only walked away with one goal but had quite a few great chances. The goal came for Kyle MacLean, who had his best career game as an Islander. He was strong on and off the puck, establishing possession in the offensive zone and driving towards the net.

He spent the game alongside Anders Lee and Pierre Engvall. Lee, whose wife gave birth to his third child earlier this week, missed Game 82 against the Pittsburgh Penguins but still had a great performance. He showcased his reignited dad strength, dominating on the boards as a physical presence and putting rebounds on Frederik Andersen, creating some of the Islanders’ few high-danger opportunities. Engvall was not his best; he looked a bit slow at times. However, he has been strong in the Islanders’ recent stretch, so expect him to improve from here on out.

The top line of Mat Barzal, Bo Horvat, and Casey Cizikas had its ups and downs, with Cizikas having the best game of them all. Not only was he great in the defensive aspect of the game, but he was poised and fast on the penalty kill. He turned his defense into offense, playing a great role in fighting for the puck in the offensive zone and cycling it to his linemates.

Barzal looked good, but he did not take over the game in the way fans are used to from this season. He was speedy but failed to make the best reads to get a teammate a great shot, reminiscent of his early 2020s seasons. Horvat struggled, too, and the Islanders’ leading scorer, Brock Nelson, was not any better. The two centers who are supposed to contribute the most to the offense did not. Luckily, this was the first game of the series, and any future improvement will go a long way.

Islanders’ Play in Their Own End

The 2023-24 New York Islanders defense was a far cry from recent seasons, playing a less structured system this season. This was a result of coaching chances and injuries, but they are also a different team from prior seasons. However, they stepped up big in the opening tilt, especially from veteran Robert Bortuzzo. He showcased his experience, limiting the Hurricanes’ chances around the net.

Semyon Varlamov was great from start to finish. The opening goal came from an Evgeny Kuznetzov snipe he could not do much about, and the lone other goal came from a weak shot from the point courtesy of Brady Skjei that led to a Stefan Noesen goal on the rebound. Besides that, Varlamov was great and continued his stretch of phenomenal play. After all, if the Islanders hope to win, they will need to score more than one goal a game.

Moving forward, the Islanders will need more from their key players. Barzal, Horvat, and Nelson need to step up their play and put more shots on Andersen, especially with his unsteady play. He gave up just one goal but did not look as sharp as one would expect, so forcing him to make the big saves is how the Islanders could hope to break through. Additionally, everyone needs to skate with a little bit more urgency, chasing after the puck and getting more physical around the net.

This team has proven the doubters wrong time and time again, and they will need to take the next step in their play to tie the series up when they head back to Long Island. Game 2 is Monday, April 22 once again in Raleigh, and the lineups are expected to remain the same. Neither side will have a reason to change their goaltenders based on their performance in Game 1, and the Islanders will likely only bring in Jean-Gabriel Pageau if he is healthy enough to play. Regardless, the Islanders proved in Game 1 they can compete with the Hurricanes, so Monday will be the time to prove they can beat them.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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