Sebastian Aho and Stefan Noesen scored power play goals to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Monday to open their first-round playoff series.
Noesen’s tip on Brent Burns’ overhead shot proved the winner at 2:27 of the second period, as Antti Raanta finished with 25 saves to lead a defensive effort that saw the Hurricanes reject every chance the Islanders had. with a man. take the opportunity to take the lead in the best-of-7 series.
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Carolina Hurricanes’ Martin Necas (88) skates with the puck around New York Islanders’ Casey Cizikas (53) during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first round playoff series in Raleigh, NC, on Monday, April 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Karl B. DeBlaker)
Carolina, who entered the game with the league’s No. 2 penalty, denied all four of New York’s power plays. The Hurricanes also held on for the final 90 seconds to protect the lead after the Islanders pulled Ilya Sorokin for the extra spiker.
Ryan Pulock beat out Raanta early in the second period for the Islanders, a big goal that came moments after Carolina had taken a 2-0 lead on Noesen’s score. But that ended up being the last time either team would find the net, prompting a third-period rut until the final buzzer.
Sorokin finished with 35 saves for the Islanders, including a big one midway through the third when he slid into the box just in time to stop Seth Jarvis near the post after a perfect pass from Teuvo Teravainen.
The Hurricanes are in the playoffs for the fifth straight season, the first such streak since the former Hartford Whalers moved to North Carolina in 1997. They won their final two regular-season games to clinch a division title for the third season. consecutive. And they entered the postseason second only to Boston in the NHL standings.
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) takes a drink after a goal by Carolina Hurricanes’ Stefan Noesen during the second period of Game 1 of a hockey Stanley Cup first round playoff series from the NHL in Raleigh, NC on Monday, April 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Karl B. DeBlaker)
THE CAPITALS AND HEAD COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE MUTUALLY AGREE TO SECURE AFTER THREE SEASONS
The Islanders had reached the Stanley Cup semifinals in 2020 and 2021 before missing the playoffs last season, but they battled their way into first place as the Eastern Conference wild card in a tight finale to the season.
WELCOME BACK
Islanders star Mathew Barzal has returned from a lower-body injury that cost him 23 straight games. He hadn’t played since Feb. 18, though he started skating earlier this month and rejoined the team for practice late last week.
Barzal returned to the top line along with captain Anders Lee and mid-season trade acquisition Bo Horvat. Barzal saw more than 21 minutes of ice and made two shots.
Carolina Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis, left, celebrates after a goal with Stefan Noesen, right, and Sebastian Aho (20) during the second period of Game 1 of a Stanley Cup first round playoff series NHL hockey game in Raleigh, NC on Monday, April 2. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Karl B. DeBlaker)
SIRENS SIRENS
Carolina star Andrei Svechnikov participated in pregame preparation despite being sidelined with a season-ending knee injury that could present a significant obstacle to Carolina’s drive to win the Cup. .
The forward sounded the pregame «storm warning» siren for the team to clear the ice out of the locker room. Moments earlier, he received a standing ovation from towel-waving fans, with Svechnikov waving and patting his heart in appreciation.
Duke football coach Mike Elko and North Carolina State men’s basketball player DJ Burns Jr., a fan-favorite big man with the program that shares the arena with the Hurricanes, sounded the siren. for the following intermediates.
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UNTIL NEXT TIME
Game 2 is Wednesday in Raleigh before the series moves to New York.