Islanders' Carkner excited for Blue Jackets

NEW YORK -- One year ago, the New York Islanders and defenseman Matt Carkner were standing toe-to-toe with the Pittsburgh Penguins, owners of the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders not only split the first four games of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series, they sent Marc-Andre Fleury, one of the NHL's top goaltenders, to the bench.

Confidence was high in the Islanders' dressing room, similar to what the Columbus Blue Jackets are feeling after a series-tying 4-3 overtime win against the Penguins in Game 4 on Wednesday. The Blue Jackets have a chance to do on Saturday what Carkner and the Islanders couldn't in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year; win Game 5 at Consol Energy Center (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS, FS-O, ROOT).

The Islanders dropped Game 5 in Pittsburgh and were eliminated when they lost 4-3 in overtime at home in Game 6.

"We wanted to go for the throat," Carkner said. "Obviously Pittsburgh's a good team and they have their plans as well. It's so up in the air what's going to happen. I'm excited to see it."

Carkner visited the NHL offices Thursday as part of the League's Take Your Child to Work Day. He also spoke with NHL.com about a first round of the playoffs that has seen the winning team overcome a deficit of at least one goal in 22 of the 28 games played so far, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Columbus tied Game 4 when Fleury's mishandling of the puck led to Brandon Dubinsky's goal with 24 seconds left in regulation; Nick Foligno's wrister from just inside the blue line trickled past Fleury 2:49 into OT to even the series. Even though Fleury stopped 42 shots, he'll be remembered for the two stops he didn't make.

It's been a familiar refrain for Fleury, who won 39 games during the regular season but has struggled in the playoffs since leading the Penguins to the Stanley Cup in 2009. He has a 3.18 GAA and .903 save percentage through four games in the 2014 playoffs.

Carkner saw Fleury's struggles play out firsthand last year when his Islanders scored 14 goals, including six in Game 4, after which Penguins coach Dan Bylsma benched him for Tomas Vokoun.

"It seems to be the common theme during the playoffs," Carkner said. "I don't know if the pressure gets to him or whatever it is, or if teams really know they've got to get under his skin.

"I'm sure [Blue Jackets coach] Todd Richards is probably the first one to say let's get some weak shots on him. He's going to struggle. He's got playoff nerves."

Carkner said the Islanders knew Fleury was struggling last year and played accordingly.

"We were shooting pucks from behind the net and he was getting out of position and he was falling out of his net," he said. "He let a few weak ones in, and I think at that point Bylsma saw that he was struggling and wasn't making the easy saves, and it became evident that he had to make a change."

Vokoun's numbers against the Islanders (17-7, 1.95 goals-against average, .937 save percentage) might have helped Bylsma make the change last year, but Carkner believes a switch to rookie backup Jeff Zatkoff isn't imminent.

"I know he loves to play Fleury. He's going to stick with him," Carkner said. "I don't think they'll be a change unless it's really, really evident that they need to do so. I think you have to play him to get him over this. He has to overcome this. He's a franchise player. He has to play in the playoffs."

Carkner recalls the Islanders' confidence heading into Game 5 in Pittsburgh last season and senses a similar feeling among the Blue Jackets, whose Game 4 win was the first playoff victory on home ice in franchise history.

"I think the Jackets see what they have to do," Carkner said. "They have to be relentless, they have to keep the pressure on, get the puck in, work the cycle, get to the net, get people and pucks to the net and basically grind them out. There's nothing left to lose but to just throw it all out there and go all out at them."

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