3 Takeaways: Islanders Lose Game 1 to Hurricanes 2-1

The New York Islanders opened up the playoffs on a losing note, falling 2-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of their First Round series at PNC Arena.
Ryan Pulock scored the Islanders lone goal, but it was not enough to overcome a pair of power-play goals from Sebastian Aho and Stefan Noesen. As a result, the Isles trail their best-of-seven series 1-0.

Monday's playoff opener between the Islanders and Hurricanes looked a lot like the last regular season meeting between the clubs back on April 2, right down to the Hurricanes winning 2-1. It was a low-scoring affair that saw the Canes outshoot the Islanders 37-26, similar to the 35-22 shot totals from two weeks prior.
Both teams played to their identities, with Carolina throwing everything at the net and playing a swarming style game, while the Islanders played physical and limited chances at five-on-five. That meant another busy night for Ilya Sorokin, who stopped 35-of-37 shots, but looked solid in the losing effort. Antti Raanta was good enough for the Hurricanes, stopping 25-of-26.
"There were certainly positives in the game," Head Coach Lane Lambert said. "It's a hard-fought game by both teams. Both teams had some chances. We certainly had our looks in the third period and with our goalie pulled equal. We got better as the game went on and we just have to get ready for the Game Two."

SPECIAL TEAMS ARE THE DIFFERENCE IN GAME 1:

Special teams were ultimately the difference in Monday's Game 1.
The Hurricanes scored both of their goals on the power play - going 2-for-4 - netting goals on their first two man advantages. They made quick work of the first one, with Sebastian Aho one-timing a Brent Burns cross-ice pass by Sorokin five seconds into the power play at 3:47 of the first period. Noesen deflected a Burns shot at 2:27 of the second period.
GM 1: HURRICANES 2, ISLANDERS 1
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KINGER'S CALLS
Pulock's Unassisted Tally
That was an uncharacteristic start for the Islanders penalty kill, which finished the season ninth overall, but they righted the ship in the back half of the game, holding the Canes off the board on their next two power plays.
"We got hit with a faceoff play," Lambert said. "Burns got a bit of a seeing-eye shot through so those things are going to happen. I thought we had two big kills after that, which we had to do to keep the game close."
But on a night where the penalty kill started slow and rounded into form, the opposite was true of the power play, which started strong, but faded on a night it went 0-for-4.
The Isles had four shots on their first power play opportunity, generating three high-danger chances by funneling pucks to Anders Lee in front of the net. A pair of chances narrowly missed, while Raanta denied the captain in tight. The power play also gave the Islanders some momentum after an opening stretch where they were outshot 10-2.
That was the high-water mark, as the Isles didn't generate a shot on goal over their last three power plays, including one with five minutes to play in the third and Burns in the box.
If there was an encouraging sign, it was that the Isles outscored the Hurricanes at five-on-five, and the high-danger chances (at five-on-five) were essentially even, with Carolina holding an 11-10 advantage.
"It came down a little bit to zone entries at times," Lambert said of the power play. "We know they have a pretty good hard stand. We potentially got a little stubborn at times trying to bring the puck in, but overall I thought we moved it pretty well, certainly early."

RYAN PULOCK SETS PHYSICAL TONE:

When Ryan Pulock levelled Jack Drury in the opening minutes of Monday's game, he was setting the tone for the rest of his night.
That was hit one of nine - a career-high - for Pulock, who easily established the game high in terms of bodychecks.
"That's playoff hockey," Pulock said. "It's a long series and you try to wear teams down and it's not that fun getting hit every shift, so you try to be physical as much as you can."
Pulock's previous high was eight hits, which he recorded twice against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2021 playoffs.
Pulock also hit the scoresheet, pinching off the blue line, skating through three Hurricanes and beating Antti Raanta with a shot he very much fanned on to make it 2-1 at 2:51 of the second period.
That was a bit of redemption for Pulock, who was in the box when Stefan Noesen made it 2-0 Hurricanes at 2:27. It was an odd sequence for Pulock, as his stick-check on Noesen saved a sure goal, but broke the winger's stick in the process. Noesen then scored on the ensuing power play, deflecting a Brent Burns shot past Ilya Sorokin at 2:27.
Regardless, Pulock finished the game with a goal, nine hits, two blocked shots and seven shot attempts, and drew a good review from Head Coach Lane Lambert.
"It was the most physical game I've seen him play and I thought he played amazing," Lambert said of Pulock.

SOROKIN SOLID IN GAME 1:

Sorokin was easily the best Islander on Monday night.
He allowed the Islanders to hang around in the third period, coming up with a handful of big saves to keep it 2-1. He stood his ground when Brent Burns took the puck hard to the net - and also benefitted from Brock Nelson fishing a loose puck out of the crease - and quickly got across his net to deny a backdoor try from Seth Jarvis.
He stopped all 11 Hurricanes high-danger chances at five-on-five and it was hard to fault him on either of the power-play goals.
"We've got all the confidence in the world in him and made some big saves at key times tonight, especially in the third there so he gives us a chance to win every night," Noah Dobson said. "Now it's just on us, we have to go find a way and get a big win here next game and go back home one-one."
At the other end, Raanta was good enough in the win, rebounding after allowing the low-danger chance to Pulock, while coming up big during the Islanders last-minute push, making a couple of big stops on Brock Nelson with the Isles net empty.

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders and Hurricanes rematch for Game Two on Wednesday night. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.