The New York Islanders are set to face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Hurricanes’ fight for the Presidents’ Trophy Award race came down to the final few games of the season, but the New York Rangers ultimately came out on top, resulting in the Hurricanes finishing as the two-seed. Despite finishing third in the division, many fans are saying the Islanders are an easy matchup for Carolina. However, there are a few reasons they could upset the Hurricanes.
3 Lines Rolling
The New York Islanders under Barry Trotz were a top-to-bottom, well-rounded team that saw goals come from all over the lineup. After Trotz’s departure, it was a bit of a free-for-all-all. However, the past few weeks have seen the Islanders find success from their middle-six forwards, a feat that they have not accomplished in a few seasons.
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This has been most in the recent change to the second line, with the permanent addition of Hudson Fasching alongside Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. Fasching had a strong run last season but struggled to enter the lineup in a full-time capacity this season. However, the three have been on fire as of late, possessing a 59.5 expected goals percentage (xG%) in 79.5 minutes (per Money Puck). Fasching has complemented the two as a responsible, two-way presence who can get close to the net and get the puck on his teammate’s stick.
The third line is comprised of Anders Lee, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Pierre Engvall. The three have struggled the most among Islanders forwards this season but have found a groove together. They have 60.7 xG% and have played a hard-nosed, get-the-puck-on-net style of hockey that has resurrected each of their seasons. They have just over 50 minutes together, but this line combination has shown tons of promise for an otherwise unproductive third line this season.
Getting Goaltending
Semyon Varlamov’s $2.75 million AAV for a four-year contract was criticized when signed this past offseason, but he may have saved the Islanders’ season. He has led the Islanders’ on his five-game win streak, and he has a 2.09 goals against average and .930 save percentage since Mar. 1. Heading into the playoffs, he is one of the hottest goaltenders in the NHL and can continue to steal games for the Islanders.
Ilya Sorokin was a Vezina Trophy Award finalist in the 2022-23 season but has struggled this season. However, he has made strides lately, providing hope to return to his previous form. While he is not expected to be the starting goaltender in the playoffs, he has provided confidence to the team that he could play in the playoffs if necessary.
Patrick Roy Saved the Day
After the Islanders fired head coach Lane Lambert, they signed Patrick Roy. And well, he has not disappointed. In 36 games as head coach, he is 19-12-5 and has taken the Islanders from the depths of despair to the playoffs. Not only this, but he has a positive goal differential and has the team winning some of their overtime games.
The changes under Roy are obvious, with every player stepping up their game since his hiring. Whether it is speaking to the media or improving their play, it is evident he has done a lot to get the team ready to run through a wall. With their recent success, there is no limiting this same team that was a goal away from the Stanley Cup final just a couple of seasons ago.
With the rest of the Eastern Conference filled with stacked rosters, the Islanders will have their work cut out for them. While the Hurricanes have one of the league’s best rosters, they will still need to take on the red-hot, underdog Islanders, who have proven the doubters wrong this entire season.