Kuznetsov pays dividends for Hurricanes in Game 1 of Eastern 1st Round

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The long shot paid off for the Carolina Hurricanes before the sure bet.

Forward Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the opening goal and had an assist on the winning goal for the Hurricanes in a 3-1 victory against the New York Islanders in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round at PNC Arena on Saturday.

“I mean, he's a proven winner,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “… He’s done it in the playoffs and he’s got a Stanley Cup ring to prove it. Tonight, again, he was obviously good. He's a veteran and there’s certainly no panic in his game in this type of environment. That’s, I think, what makes him special.”

Game 2 of the best-of-7 series is here Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; MSGSN, BSSO, ESPN2, TVAS2, SN360).

Kuznetsov was obtained from the Washington Capitals on March 8 prior to the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline that day as depth for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. But he wasn’t the biggest news ahead of the deadline for the Hurricanes, which paid a ransom to the Pittsburgh Penguins for first-line forward Jake Guentzel the day before.

Kuznetsov won the Stanley Cup in 2018, when the Capitals defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. At the height of his powers then, he led the NHL with 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 24 postseason games.

But things have not been rosy since.

Kuznetsov was never the same player with the Capitals, and Washington could not put together another extended playoff run. Kuznetsov’s production declined, and he had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 43 games this season before the trade.

He also had troubles off the ice, entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program twice, most recently Feb. 5 before being cleared to return March 2, when he was loaned to Hershey of the American Hockey League until he was traded six days later.

Kuznetsov said that after the struggles, he thought about making an impact for his new team and recapturing a piece of the playoff magic he displayed six seasons ago. But this was something else.

“It was a long, tough season for me and things went wrong,” he said. “This was the greatest opportunity for me to start fresh in the playoffs’ first game.”

Kuznetsov made it 1-0 on the power play at 1:35 of the first period with Anders Lee in the box for holding. Kuznetsov took a pass from Martin Necas in the left circle and, with Stefan Noesen in front, shot from a sharp angle past a screened Semyon Varlamov.

He became the second player to score in the opening 95 seconds of his first playoff game with the franchise, joining Matt Cullen, who did it 50 seconds into Game 1 of the 2006 Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Montreal Canadiens. He also became the third active player to score a goal in the opening 95 seconds of his first playoff game with a franchise, after Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson (2020) and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (2017).

But the Hurricanes struggled after that, letting the Islanders take control of the game. Kyle MacLean tied it at 1-1 at 8:20 with his first NHL playoff goal, and then New York dominated the second period, with the brilliance of Frederik Andersen (33 saves) keeping it tied.

Kuznetsov said the performance through the first 40 minutes was unacceptable.

He was part of changing the narrative.

On the game-winning goal, Kuznetsov took a shot from up high. The puck ricocheted off teammate Brady Skjei and Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock before falling onto the stick of Noesen, who shoveled it home at 3:44 of the third period.

“There’s no other way that I know how to do it,” Noesen said, laughing.

But he knows that his linemate is far more skilled.

“He’s a great player and anytime you get him to hunker in and make a competitive play, it’s going to open up his skill,” Noesen said. “It’s why we have our line together right now. I feel we have two guys (with Jack Drury) who work extremely hard and allow him to create space for himself and do his thing. You need that this time of year.”

It wasn’t Kuznetsov who was supposed to make the headlines now. It was Guentzel.

In the regular reason, Guentzel paid immediate and sustained dividends, scoring 25 points (eight goals and 17 assists) in 17 games with the Hurricanes and fitting in perfectly as soon as he joined the lineup. Kuznetsov, meanwhile, had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 20 regular-season games with them and struggled at times to find his way in his new team’s fast, high-pressure game.

After seeing extensive time at center on the second line here, he found himself on the fourth line for the start of the playoffs.

No matter.

There might not be a more dangerous fourth-line center in this postseason.

“He's a big-time, big-game player,” Skjei said. “He's proven that in playoffs in the past and he was he was huge for us tonight. Obviously, getting that goal early was huge.

“He's one of the most skilled, talented players that I've ever seen or played with. So hopefully he can keep going. He's been a huge, huge part of our team here since he's been here and we're excited to have him.”