Hurricanes Survive Game 1 to Lead Series Over Islanders

When asked about Andersen’s performance in Game 1, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour stated, “He’s the difference in the game, obviously. He made countless saves tonight that kept us in it.” The huge third-period stop that Andersen made on Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson proved how dialed-in he was in the first game of the playoffs and how he carried the team on his back in the win.

Even Andersen was asked about how he played in Game 1, “I’m just grateful to be a part of playoff hockey. I think we have a really special team. Everyone’s going to be a part of it and do their job as best as possible.” It goes to show how humble he is even after a performance he put on to help Carolina get a 1-0 series lead on the Islanders just like last postseason. It is not clear if Andersen will get the start in Game 2 on Monday, April 22 but after how he played in Game 1, no one would argue with the selection either way from Brind’Amour.

Kuznetsov Brings the Eagle Celly in Playoffs

The other big takeaway from the game was forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, who got the scoring started for the Hurricanes in the first period. Entering the playoffs, the Hurricanes had the second-best powerplay in the NHL (26.9%) and they made the Islanders pay on their first man-advantage of the series. Kuznetsov on the second unit for Carolina was able to find space after some crisp passing with Martin Necas. Stefan Noesen cannot be left out with a great screen to give Kuznetsov a chance to put the puck on the net, and within seconds of the start of the powerplay, it was 1-0 Hurricanes.

It would not be the only time Kuznetsov and his line scored for the Hurricanes as Noesen got the game-winning goal in the third period. An initial shot by Kuznetsov went off of defenseman Brady Skjei that landed by Noesen who was in front of the Islanders net. For the second time in the game, Noesen’s net-front presence made the difference for two of the Hurricanes’ three goals in the game. He gathered the puck and put it past Semyon Varlamov to make it 2-1 Hurricanes at the time. The duo of Noesen and Kuznetsov gave way to Carolina winning the game 3-1 and showing how much depth scoring the team has.

Kuznetsov was asked after the game about the Hurricanes’ game overall and how big Andersen was for the team. He stated, “I think that save he made early in the third was big. [The first 40 minutes] were unacceptable for us. We’ve got to make sure we clean those up because both of our goalies are playing very good hockey and we have to make sure we help them. We can’t make their jobs harder.” To hear this from a guy who’s been with the team for 20 games speaks a lot about who Kuznetsov is as a competitor. Yes, the Hurricanes won, but they shouldn’t have to put more pressure on the goalies and force them to bail out the team for two periods. They are hoping for the team to come out stronger in Game 2 and play Hurricanes hockey for 60 minutes. However, no one can overlook the impact Kuznetsov and his line had in Game 1 to make the series 1-0 in favor of Carolina.

Pivotal Game 2 on Monday

All eyes turn to Monday night as Game 2 between the Hurricanes and Islanders starts at 7:30 pm Eastern on Bally Sports South and ESPN2. As of now, there is no word on who the starter will be for Carolina. It will be interesting if the Hurricanes will go with Andersen again after his performance in Game 1 or if they turn to Pyotr Kochetkov who’s had a great season as well.

The forward lines at practice on Sunday, April 21 were the same as in Game 1 along with the defensive pairings. Furthermore, there is still no word on whether Jesper Fast will be available for Game 2, so there’s a chance that Jesperi Kotkaniemi will play again as the team’s second-line center. There will be a clearer answer as it gets closer to puck drop in Raleigh.