Isles Excited for Playoffs

There's been a buzz around Northwell Health Ice Center the past three days, as the New York Islanders get ready to kick off the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes.
After a one-year absence, the Islanders are back in the postseason and are excited to get going for Game 1 on Monday night in Raleigh.
"I can't tell you how hard last year was just not playing in those big games and those big moments," Mathew Barzal said. "We want to be in the spotlight and that's what the playoffs is. We're excited."

The Islanders are in the postseason for the fourth time in the past five seasons, advancing to the third round of the playoffs in both 2020 and 2021 and the second round in 2019. While missing out last season was disappointing for the group, it's a good reminder that opportunities to play in the postseason shouldn't be taken for granted.
"Coming into this year, there was a strong focus on having that goal of finding a way in," Ryan Pulock said. "It doesn't matter if you're first or 16th you get a chance to fight for the Stanley Cup and I think it's starting to set in here as we get closer by the day of just the excitement and the energy that you have in practice."

There's a lot of playoff experience on the Islanders roster, as 16 players played in at least one of the two runs to the third round, with 12 players playing in both. That experience wasn't there when the Isles and Canes last met in the 2019 playoffs. Ten players remain on the roster since then.
"There are a lot of guys in here with a lot of experience in the playoffs and you can really rely on that at some big moments," Pulock said. "When the buildings are as loud as they're going to be, you kind of have to settle yourself down and just take a deep breath and go out there and play. A lot of the guys in here have experienced that and you know, we'll be using that."
The pace and intensity of playoff hockey can't be fully re-created, but the Islanders have experienced playoffs lite for the past two months. They put together a 19-9-4 run from Jan. 27 onwards and did not clinch until the final game of the regular season. They've been playing meaningful, intense and desperate hockey for over two months, so they feel primed for the playoffs.
"From a mental standpoint, you're kind of already in it," Matt Martin said. "What I learned from playoff series is a lot of things can happen. You have a short memory and you just got to get ready for every shift, every game. There are going to be ups and downs throughout a playoff series, but we have to keep our minds right and find ways to do the right things all the time. UI like our chances against anyone when we're playing our game."

The Islanders know they have a tough test in the Hurricanes, who won the Metropolitan Division with 113 points, the second most in the NHL. The Isles went 1-3-0 against the Hurricanes this season, winning the first game 6-2, before dropping the next three, most recently falling 2-1 in Raleigh on Apr. 2.
The Hurricanes have given the Islanders trouble over the past four years, going 2-10-2 in their last 14 games against the Hurricanes, including the four-game sweep in the 2019 playoffs.
"We know that they're a heck of a hockey team over there," Barzal said. "They've got a little bit everything, so we just got to focus on playing our game. We know every time we play these guys, it's usually a pretty hard-fought defensive game, so that's probably what we're expecting here. I'm sure they are as well so it's going to be a good series."
Both teams are good at keeping the puck out of the net, as the Hurricanes have averaged the second-fewest goals against in the NHL (2.56 GA/GP), while the Islanders are fifth (2.65 GA/GP). How they arrive at those numbers is where the teams split.
Carolina plays an up-tempo style with a shoot-from-everywhere mentality. They average the most shots in the NHL (34.8 per game), while allowing the fewest (26 per game). They employ a strong puck possession game and the best defense is a good offense mindset, pushing the pace and smothering opponents.
"They pressure you all over the ice. They're a man-on-man team, so you have to beat your guy all over the ice," Zach Parise said. "They go for volume on the net and we have to make sure as wingers we're getting in shot lanes and our defenseman are doing a good job of taking away the sticks and letting goalies see the puck."

The Islanders structure and forecheck has rounded into form in the back half of the year, and the Isles have gotten strong play from their goaltenders, with Ilya Sorokin turning in some of the best numbers in the league. Sorokin was 16-6-3 from Jan. 27 onward with a 2.20 GAA, a .928 SV% and three shutouts.
Taking on the division leader will be a challenge, but the Islanders welcome it as they kick off the second season. They've worked hard just to get to the dance and they're not looking to go home early. They just want to get started.
"They're ready to play and they want to play," Head Coach Lane Lambert said before the team flew to Raleigh. "They're tired of practicing and want to get into game action."