Hurricanes recover, eliminate Islanders with win in Game 5

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Jack Drury and Stefan Noesen scored eight seconds apart in the third period, and the Carolina Hurricanes eliminated the New York Islanders with a 6-3 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round at PNC Arena on Tuesday.

Drury made it 4-3 at 4:36, scoring short side from the left circle after Brady Skjei’s initial shot from the top of the right circle deflected to him off the skate of Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov.

On the ensuing face-off, Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov came out of his net to play dump in from Skjei, but the puck caromed off a stanchion back toward the crease, where Noesen tapped it into the open net to make it 5-3.

“Definitely some fortuitous bounces, but we always talk about trying to get pucks to the net," Skjei said. “Obviously, some crazy stuff can happen, and that’s what happened there on both goals.”

Seth Jarvis, who had two assists, scored an empty-net goal with 1:39 remaining for the 6-3 final.

"I mean, that's just a tough way to lose a game," Islanders captain Anders Lee said. "We were grinding back, stayed in the fight all night. We believed what we were doing, believed we were going to win this hockey game, and two bounces like that that. ... It's tough to swallow, but that's how it goes sometimes."

Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and an assist, and Frederik Andersen made 22 saves for the Hurricanes, who are the No. 2 seed from the Metropolitan Division.

Carolina will play the New York Rangers, who swept the Washington Capitals, in the second round.

“The start of the game was great. That at least got us a nice lead,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “They had their push, and you’ve got to give [the Islanders] a lot of credit. They just kept coming. We had to play really well to win this series.

"It’s hard to win a playoff round. Sometimes you forget that. I’m proud of the group because that’s a good accomplishment, but that’s not what we’re shooting for.”

Mike Reilly, Brock Nelson and Casey Cizikas scored for the Islanders, who were the No. 3 seed from the Metropolitan. Varlamov made 32 saves.

"I am very proud of this group because they were resilient,” New York coach Patrick Roy said. “I mean, even tonight they show that. That's how they were all year. I mean, it would have been easy to pack it in, and it's not what we did.

"I feel like we deserve better. I thought we played some good hockey in that series. Losing in five, I feel like we deserve a little bit better, and I'm not saying we should have won that series, (but) I'm saying that we could go home right now and play game No. 6 easily, and instead it's over."

Carolina took a 1-0 lead on its first shot of the game at 1:23 of the first period. Teuvo Teravainen took a pass from Jarvis and scored under the left arm of Varlamov from a sharp angle.

Andrei Svechnikov made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 3:13. He sent a backhand centering pass toward Sebastian Aho at the edge of the crease, where the puck deflected in off the stick of Islanders defenseman Robert Bortuzzo.

Reilly scored his own power-play goal on a one-timer from the point to cut it to 2-1 at 3:54.

Kuznetsov scored on a penalty shot to push the lead to 3-1 at 13:22. He skated in slowly before roofing a snap shot over Varlamov, who had attempted a poke check.

The penalty shot was awarded after Romanov covered the puck with his glove in the crease.

“This was a big goal at a crucial time, so I was happy for him,” Brind’Amour said. “He’s a great player, and he contributed big time.”

Nelson cut it to 3-2 at 3:47 of the second period, taking a pass from Kyle Palmieri on a rush and beating Andersen five-hole with a shot that deflected off the stick of Jalen Chatfield.

Cizikas tied the game 3-3 with 22 seconds left in the period, scoring into an open net with a one-timer from the slot after Andersen lost an edge at the left post.

"I'm proud of every single player in here,” Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. “Everybody thought we weren't going to make the playoffs. We proved everyone wrong. Everyone said that they were going to sweep us. I thought we gave it a good shot. Didn't really get the bounces. We'll be back."

The Islanders outshot the Hurricanes 11-9 in the second period after being outshot 21-4 in the first period.

“We knew we kind of let them crawl back into it in the second,” Jarvis said. “You don’t want to do that, especially with a team like that that can score and just the momentum it gives them. With so many good veterans, they kept us calm. We never really got flustered. They made sure we knew what was at stake. We just came out in the third and executed.”

NOTES: Jarvis led the Hurricanes with seven points (three goals, four assists) in the series. … Kuznetsov is the second player in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to score on a penalty shot in the playoffs. Jordan Martinook did it against the New Jersey Devils in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Second Round last season. ... The Hurricanes' two goals in the opening 3:13 were the fastest two to begin a playoff game in franchise history.