In an often wild Game 5, the Carolina Hurricanes secured their ticket to the next round of the playoffs with a remarkable 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. The Hurricanes’ victory was punctuated by a series of rapid-fire goals in the third period, along with a bizarre penalty shot conversion early in the game. It was the two quick strikes within a mere eight seconds during the pivotal third period and did the Islanders in.
Jack Drury scored the first of two quick Hurricanes goals. His was the go-ahead marker early in the third period. Seconds later, off a strange stanchion bounce that left Semyon Varlamov out of position, Stefan Noesen capitalized on a fortuitous bounce, extending the Hurricanes’ lead. Once the Canes’ were up 5-3, that was all they needed to drain the life out of the Islanders and close out the game. An empty-netter allowed the Hurricanes to score one more for a 6-3 victory.
The win not only propelled the Hurricanes past the opening round but also set the stage for a highly anticipated showdown with the New York Rangers in the postseason—a matchup brimming with history and intensity.
The Hurricanes Proved Why They Were the Favorites in the Series
The Islanders didn’t go down without a fight. The Hurricanes are one of a few Stanley Cup favorites coming out of the Eastern Conference and they showed their supremacy, battling through the Islanders’ pushback. It was goaltending issues more than anything that did the Islanders in.
One of the strangest moments of the game came when Evgeny Kuznetsov was awarded the first penalty shot of this season’s playoffs. In true Kuznetsov fashion, he moved as slow as molasses on the shot, finally putting it upstairs when Varlamov got impatient and went for a pokecheck. “I’m glad we continued working and got those two goals.” Kuznetsov said when asked about the game. His goal was the memorable one, but it was the strong third period that is pushing the Hurricanes onto the next series where they’ll face the New York Rangers.
Next: Matthews-Less Maple Leafs Win Game 5: Knies and Woll the Heroes
