RALEIGH, N.C. — The mix of emotions for the New York Islanders after losing Game 1 included two big ones: Frustration at not coming away with a 1-0 series lead after playing a strong game and encouragement that they know they can not just hang with the Carolina Hurricanes but control play.
The only thing standing between the Islanders and a series lead was Frederik Andersen. The big Hurricanes goalie was the standout of Carolina’s 3-1 win, making 34 saves and recovering from a collision with his own defender to deny Noah Dobson with the game still 1-1 early in the third.
“That could have been (a goal) right there,” Patrick Roy said of Dobson’s try, which came right after Dobson clanged one off the post as Andersen scrambled to get back into position. “I’m encouraged because I thought we played a really solid game. We did a lot of good things out there. We had our chances. And I’m frustrated because, you know, we had our chances.”
The template against the Hurricanes, especially this time of year, is to weather the storm as they bring wave after wave and funnel pucks and bodies to the net relentlessly. Carolina’s goaltending has been more of an afterthought — Andersen and fellow veteran Antti Raanta have not been fully healthy either of the last two postseasons and young Pyotr Kochetkov, Game 1’s backup, has been the go-to for the Canes in the playoffs.
Andersen’s career was very much in doubt from the first week of November, when he was sidelined indefinitely by a blood-clotting issue. The Canes had few expectations that the 34-year-old veteran would be back this season, so his return at the beginning of March was huge for them — Raanta was in the AHL and the Canes had to claim Spencer Martin off waivers from the Blue Jackets.
Andersen has been superb since he came back, winning nine of 10 regular-season starts while allowing two goals or fewer in nine of his outings. Even when he seemed a bit loose with rebounds and pucks in his pads early in Game 1 — Anders Lee’s deflection flummoxed Andersen and allowed Kyle MacLean to sweep the puck in to tie it at 8:20 of the first — Andersen was still fighting for space and shots the way opposing goalies usually do against the Hurricanes.
Kyle MacLean ties it up for the @NYIslanders! 🔵🟠 #StanleyCup
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The Islanders started Game 1 in unpleasant fashion, allowing the loud PNC Arena crowd to get right into it after a very weak holding call on Lee 1:22 in and Evgeny Kuznetsov’s pinpoint shot over Semyon Varlamov’s shoulder at 1:35. But Roy hasn’t just been blowing smoke about his team’s resiliency over the last month. They steadied themselves, did a very good job staying with their structure in the defensive zone and ended up being the team controlling play for long stretches of the second and third periods.
“There’s a lot of positives,” said Kyle Palmieri, who had the best chance to tie the game on a power play with nine minutes to go. Andersen couldn’t cover a Bo Horvat shot from a sharp angle, Palmieri dug the puck free and had an open net as he carried it around Andersen’s outstretched arm. But Palmieri couldn’t pull the puck back and it sailed wide. “It sucks you’re down one but I think realistically, we have a lot to draw on as we refocus and get ready for (Game 2 on) Monday.”
One of the big positives was the Isles forwards staying with Carolina’s players staying high in the offensive zone. The Canes work best when they’re in constant motion, drawing teams out of their space and exposing the weak side for puck retrievals or rebounds. The Islanders stayed strong on the points and the high-middle of the zone — 12 of their 22 shot blocks were by forwards, including three by Palmieri.
“They really sling it and usually there’s a D-man or someone on the weak side to pick up rebounds,” Palmieri said. “The more we can make those shots and puck placements harder on them, the better off we’ll be trying to get pucks back and break out of the zone.”
The final shot attempts were 74-59 in Carolina’s favor, right in line with the Hurricanes averaging 70 attempts a game. But very few teams put more pucks on net than Carolina in games and the Islanders, despite a clear speed disadvantage, counterattacked well in Game 1.
The difference was Andersen.
“I just thought we played a really good hockey game,” Lee said. “We played a really simple game and created some good looks.”
(Photo: James Guillory / USA Today)
