Game 3 Preview: Islanders vs Hurricanes

GAME 3: ISLANDERS VS HURRICANES
CAROLINA LEADS BEST-OF-SEVEN SERIES 2-0
7 PM | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS
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The New York Islanders are looking to shift the momentum in their First Round series against the Carolina Hurricanes as the series shifts to Long Island in the first-ever playoff matchup at UBS Arena on Friday night.
The Islanders trail the best-of-seven series 2-0 after a pair of one-goal losses - 2-1 and 4-3 in overtime - in Games One and Two. As the series progresses, tensions between the Islanders and Hurricanes are rising rapidly in the opening round of the playoffs as animosity is brewing between the two divisional rivals.

The Islanders are coming off a heartbreaking 4-3 loss in OT at PNC Arena on Wednesday night. Jesper Fast scored the OT winner to take Game Two and ultimately the 2-0 series lead for the Hurricanes. Kyle Palmieri (1G, 1A), Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson (1G, 1A) scored for the Islanders to build a 3-2 lead in the third period, but Jaccob Slavin scored Carolina's third goal to force overtime.
The Islanders were without a power play for the first time in franchise playoff history, while they went 5-for-6 on the kill.
The style of play in the series has played out almost as expected: low scoring and tight checking. An unexpected element of fluky goals defined Game Two for the Islanders, as the Hurricanes were able to capitalize off an Islanders own goal and Slavin's shot that bounced off the helmet of Sorokin and into the net.
"It is what it is," Scott Mayfield said. "It's all about tomorrow now."
A 2-0 hole is not insurmountable, as the Islanders are capable of evening the series with two wins in the pair of upcoming home games. The Hurricanes blew a 2-0 series lead to the New York Rangers last postseason, falling in seven games in the second round.

LOOKING FORWARD AND MOVING ON:

Despite a controversial end to Game Two, the Islanders have left any frustrations in Raleigh. The veteran Isles are a resilient team and have alreayd turned the page, looking to jump into Game Three with a fresh start.
"I think the main thing is just stick with it," Noah Dobson said after Game Two. "Regroup here, take the positives and get back home and try and win Game Three."
The Islanders were able to stay competitive on the road to combat a feisty home crowd in Raleigh, as both games were decided by a single goal.
The Islanders brought an aggressive and physical style of play into the postseason, edging the Hurricanes in hits 98-67. Despite trailing 2-0 in the series, the Islanders can pull some positives with the progress between both matchups. According to Lambert, Wednesday's 4-3 OT loss showed some improvement from Game One.
"I thought we made more plays tonight and we played faster," Lambert said on Wednesday night. "We have to get ready for the next one. Everyone's committed. I think we played good hockey [and] we've done some good things. We just have to keep going."

SERIES SHIFTS TO UBS ARENA:

The home crowd at UBS Arena has been rocking all season, but the fans are expected to be even louder for the first playoff game in the building's history.
"With our fans, I think it'll be pretty electric," Bo Horvat said. "They're so passionate, they just love Long Island. I'm guessing and hoping it's going to be really loud. I have no doubt it'll be a high energy game, so looking forward to playing."
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Isles History
The Islanders concluded the regular season on a four-game win streak at home to finish with a record of 25-13-3 on home ice, which tied for seventh in wins and eighth in points. The Islanders clinched playoff berth in Game 82, which had a playoff-like atmosphere.
"The last game, it was the loudest I've ever heard our fans," Noah Dobson said of the Islanders 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Apr. 12. "We're all expecting that to be raised another level or two. It's going to be exciting, the fans have been waiting for playoffs at UBS. We'll be excited to get back home as well."
Home ice advantage evidently helped out the Hurricanes, who lead the Islanders 2-0 in the series and qualified for the postseason for the fifth consecutive season. Over the span of their last 50 playoff appearances, the Hurricanes are 19-8 on home ice and are 7-16 record on the road.
Carolina is on a seven-game losing streak on the road in the postseason, which proved to be their Achilles heel in last year's postseason. Three road losses to the Boston Bruins in Round One pushed the series to seven games, while the Hurricanes dropped all three road games to the New York Rangers and were eliminated in Game Seven with a home loss.
After a pair of road losses, the Islanders look to turn the page with a boost in their return to UBS Arena for Game Three.
"It's huge," Mayfield said. "We're all excited. We get to play at UBS, we haven't had a playoff game there yet. I'm sure it's going to be loud. We're excited to get home."
The Islanders are looking to take advantage of some stellar home stats, as both teams are dominant on home ice during the regular season.
The Islanders sported an exceptional penalty kill (89.2%) on home ice in the regular season, which ranked first in the NHL. The Hurricanes PK on home ice ranked third (86.4%).
The two teams were stingy defensively at home, with their regular season goals against per game only ranking below the league-best Boston Bruins. New York (2.24) and Carolina (2.46) also had the second and third best GA/GP on home ice respectively.
Prior to the game, Islanders fans are encouraged to check out the Plaza Party, presented by Heineken. The party starts outside UBS Arena at 4 p.m. and fans will have the chance to meet Bob Nystrom from 5-6 p.m. and enjoy 20% off food and beverage, as well as entertainment on the plaza.

INJURY UPDATES AHEAD OF GAME THREE

The Hurricanes didn't leave Game Two unscathed.
Carolina will head into Game Three without forward Teuvo Teravainen, who left Wednesday's game in the waning minutes of the third period with a broken hand and is expected to miss the remainder of the series. Teravainen, who had 37 points in 68 games during the regular season, broke his hand after a slash from JG Pageau.
"That play happens probably 25 or 30 times a game," Lambert said on Thursday. "The player that was injured continued to play on the power play. Pageau] is an honest and hard player."
The Hurricanes are already without Andrei Svechnikov, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in March.
Hurricanes President and GM Don Waddell announced a slew of recalls on Thursday from the Chicago Wolves, the team's minor league affiliate. Forwards Ville Koivunen, Vasily Ponomarev, Jamieson Rees and Ryan Suzuki were called up, along with defenseman Maxime Lajoie and netminder Zach Sawchenko.
"They play the same no matter who they have in their lineup," Lambert said of the Hurricanes. "We don't expect any changes from that standpoint."
On the Islanders injury front, Alexander Romanov is still day-to-day with an upper body injury and has not practiced with the team yet. The 23-year-old defenseman traveled with the team to Raleigh for the first two games of the series and is skating on his own. Lambert did provide a timeline for his return.
UPDATE: Romanov participated in the team's morning skate on Friday and was deemed a gametime decision by Lambert. If Romanov doesn't play, Parker Wotherspoon will draw into the lineup, per Lambert.
[Tweet from @NYIslanders: Friday Morning Skate ��� pic.twitter.com/ZYsYORDjKY