Game 3 Preview: Islanders vs Hurricanes 

NEW YORK ISLANDERS VS CAROLINA HURRICANES

GAME 3 | CAR LEADS BEST OF SEVEN SERIES 2-0

7:30 PM | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS 

WATCH: MSGSN, MSG+, ESPN2, ESPN+

LISTEN: 88.7FM, 103.9FM, 1050AM

The New York Islanders will host the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 3 of their First Round series on Thursday as the series shifts to UBS Arena. The Islanders currently trail the Hurricanes 2-0.

The Islanders are looking to move on after a bitter 5-3 defeat at PNC Arena in Game 2. Kyle Palmieri, Bo Horvat and Anders Lee (PPG) scored to build a 3-0 lead by the 3:54 of the middle frame, but the Islanders recorded just three shots on goal for the rest of the game as the Hurricanes battled back with five unanswered tallies.

After a night where they were outshot 39-12 and out attempted 110-28, the Islanders know they need to generate more chances and sustain more offensive zone pressure to combat a high shot volume team in the Canes.

“For us to be successful, we have to get the puck out of our zone, and we weren’t able to do that,” Palmieri said. “We knew they would have a push, we just weren’t able to generate a push of our own.”

As much as Monday night stung, the Islanders have maintained an even-keel mindset all season and will forge ahead with a no-quit mentality on Thursday.

“At this time of year, you can’t dwell on things too long,” Ryan Pulock said. “Game 3 is the most important game of our season.”

MORNING SKATE UPDATES

Matt Martin is a game-time decision, per Head Coach Patrick Roy. The veteran forward missed Wednesday's practice and is considered day to day. If Martin can't go on Thursday night, Ruslan Iskhakov is expeced to skate with Kyle MacLean and Cal Clutterbuck in his place. 

Martin suited up in 87 playoff games in his career (81 with the Isles) while Iskhakov made his NHL debut on Apr. 17 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

"Well, they're different players," Roy said. "[Martin] is an experienced guy, plays the position well and understands the game, he's a very important piece of the team. [Iskhakov] is a rookie with a lot of speed and a lot of energy. A player that doesn't know he's small... if he plays, I'd be very curious to see how he does just like everyone else."

THE SERIES SHIFTS TO UBS ARENA

The complexion of a playoff series can change rapidly. As the series shifts to Long Island, the Islanders are hoping that home ice advantage can provide a jolt.

"We're going back home, it's like a totally new series," JG Pageau said. "That's going to be our mindset. Now we have the energy and the crowd on our side, we know they're going to be super loud, and we need that. They're our seventh man out there."

The Islanders are in an identical situation to last year, trailing 2-0 in the series to the Hurricanes, and they responded with a 5-1 win in Game 3 on home ice, which doubled as the first playoff game and win in history at UBS Arena. But as the series wore on, the Hurricanes found a way to prevail as visitors, winning Game 4 at UBS Arena and ultimately taking the series on Long Island in Game 6.

“I can't wait,” Bo Horvat said. “Playoff hockey on Long Island, it was unbelievable last year at UBS and obviously I expect our fans to be pumped up and ready to go for tomorrow night.”

This season, Carolina were a powerful road team with a record of 25-13-3, which ranked seventh in the league. The Islanders stood 13th in the NHL with a home record of 21-10-10, but closed out the 2023-24 regular season on a five-game winning streak on home ice.

“With the energy of our fans, it’s not an easy building to play in here,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said. “If our fans are behind us, cheering and excited about that game, all we can worry [about] is the first period in Game 3 and try to win.”

SOROKIN TO START GAME 3:

The Islanders were off Tuesday but hit the ice for practice on Wednesday. Head Coach Roy confirmed Ilya Sorokin as the expected starter after Semyon Varlamov played Games 1 and 2.

Sorokin played all six playoff games for the Islanders last season against Carolina, going 2-4, with a 2.60 GAA and a .929 SV%.

"We knew we [would] have to use both goalies," Roy said. "They're both sharp and Varly had a lot of shots the last game, so it would be good to have someone fresh for tomorrow."

In other lineup developments, Hudson Fasching skated on a line with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri in Wednesday’s practice. Simon Holmstrom is expected to come out of the lineup for Fasching.

SPECIAL TEAMS BATTLE

The Islanders have fared relatively well in the special teams battle thus far, going up against a Hurricanes team entered the postseason with the league’s top penalty kill (86.4%) and the second-best power play converting at 26.9% in the regular season. 

The Islanders scored on their lone power play on Monday night. In a patient play in front of the net, Anders Lee used a backhand to sneak the puck around Frederik Andersen’s pad, marking the Islanders’ first power play goal of the series. 

The Islanders penalty kill is 6-for-8 against Carolina’s lethal power play six times across Games 1 and 2. There were some blemishes, though – allowing an early power play goal in Game 1 and giving up a second period PPG in Game 2 – but overall, their performance and structure leaves Patrick Roy feeling encouraged.

“We want to be good in special units and I think we did a good job,” Roy said. “We’ve been pretty good structure-wise, and I know what we’re doing works well.”

HURRICANES UPDATES

The Hurricanes suffered a blow on the back end, losing defenseman Brett Pesce (lower-body) in the second period of Monday’s contest and he'll "more than likely" miss the rest of the series, per Hurricanes Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour.

Pesce provides the Canes with valuable playoff experience with 21 points through 57 games career games on his postseason resume. The 29-year-old blueliner notched an assist on Martin Necas' empty-net goal in Saturday’s season opener. Last year, he recorded two assists against the Islanders through six games of the First Round.

Defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who was a healthy scratch for Games 1 and 2, is expected to draw in for Pesce. The other option on the roster is Scott Morrow, a Hurricanes’ 2021 second-round pick (40th overall).

Jesper Fast (upper-body) missed practice on Wednesday and will likely be out for Game 3 on Thursday. The veteran winger missed Games 1 and 2.