Game 3 Preview: Islanders at Hurricanes

NEW YORK ISLANDERS AT CAROLINA HURRICANES
GAME 3: CAR LEADS SERIES 2-0
7 PM | PNC ARENA
WATCH: NBCSN | CBC | SN | TVA SPORTS
LISTEN: 88.7FM WRHU | 103.9FM LI NEWS | 660AM/101.9FM WFAN | RADIO.COM/ISLANDERS

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• While the Islanders have just one goal through two games of the series, the Islanders have held the edge on the stat sheet. On Sunday, the Isles had the upper hand in shots (27-18), hits (44-33), blocks (16-13), and faceoffs (58%-42%). The Islanders power play went 1-for-2 and the Hurricanes went 0-for-3.
  - Mathew Barzal scored his first-career playoff goal on Sunday. The 21-year-old sophomore had five assists through four games of the Isles round one sweep over Pittsburgh. Barzal is second in team playoff scoring with six points (1G, 5A).
  - Robin Lehner made 16 saves in the loss. Lehner leads playoff goalies with a 1.47 GAA and a .952 SV%.
  - Cal Clutterbuck is day-to-day, per Trotz, but made the trip to Raleight with the team.
  - Michael Dal Colle is a potential candidate to fill Clutterbuck's void, if he's unable to play on Wednesday. The 22-year-old winger has yet to make his playoff debut, but had seven pints (3G, 4A) during 28 games of the regular season.
  - For the second straight game, the Islanders had a goal disallowed. On Sunday, Devon Toews' second period tally was reviewed and subsequently disallowed after deeming that the defenseman used a direct kicking motion to bury the puck past Mrazek.
  - The Islanders penalty kill is 18-for-18 through the last five games.
  - Sunday marked the first time in Islander history that they have opened a series at home and lost both games.
  - The Isles look to claim Game 3 and tighten their deficit down to one game. During the regular season, the Islanders won both games at Carolina with a 2-1 OT victory on Oct. 4 and a 2-1 win on Oct. 28.

HURRICANES NOTES:

• Goalie Petr Mrazek will not dress for Game 3 after leaving Game 2 with a lower-body injury. Mrazek was replaced by Curtis McElhinney, who stopped all 17 shots he saw of his first career playoff victory. Mrazek is day-to-day and could be a possibility for Game 4
  - Trevor van Riemsdyk is expected to be out for Game 3 after sustaining an upper-body injury delivered by Cal Clutterbuck during the first shift and 36 seconds into Sunday's game. Van Riemsdyk went to the locker room shortly after the hit and did not return.
  - Saku Maenalanen won't return in the series, as he undergoes hand surgery after suffering an injury in the third period of Game 2.
  - Foegele scored his fifth goal through nine playoff games played. The 23-year-old winger has seven points.
  - Nino Niederreiter scored his first goal of the 2019 playoffs.
  - Andrei Svechnikov and Micheal Ferland have not played since Game 3 of Carolina's first round series against Washington. Svechnikov, the 19-year-old rookie, has been a game-time decision for the first two games of the series after sustaining an upper-body injury. Ferland has been classified as day-to-day. Both players skated with the team on practice on Tuesday. Coach Brind'Amour said both will go when they are ready.
  - Jordan Martinook is day-to-day with a lower-body. Martinook sustained the injury during Game 4 against Washington. The 26-year-old winger returned for Games 6 and 7 of the Capitals series. Martinook has not suited up for the second round series against the Islanders. Coach Brind'Amour said that Martinook is a possibility for Game 3 despite not practicing on Tuesday.
  - Carolina's power play hasn't converted in six straight games and is 3-for-32 in the 2019 postseason.
  - The Hurricanes recalled goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic and defenseman Jake Bean from Carolina's AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers on Monday on an emergency basis. Nedeljkovic was the recipient of the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL's most outstanding goaltender of the 2018-19 season. The 23-year-old netminder led the AHL in wins (34), goals-against average (2.26) and minutes played (2,917) and posted a career-high save percentage of .916. Bean, 20, recorded 44 points (13G, 31A) during the regular season with the Checkers and was named to the AHL All-Rookie team.