Series Talk: ECQF: Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Islanders (CAR Leads 3-1)

[tarheelhockey]

The stupid format sort of allowed BOS/VGK to tank.

What format? DAL/VGK and all of the eastern matchups including BOS/TOR would also have happened under a 1v8 format. Or do you mean something else?

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

I honestly was all out for Carolina in that series because I have so many damn FLA bandwagon friends since my family lives down in south Florida. He was sneaky bad in that obviously Carolina was not allowing boatloads of goals but he was just brutal in those game 3-4s in Florida, he even screamed at the D I think after the last second goal that lost them the series. I simply do not think he has the cojones to be a SC winning netminder, any Leafs fan will tell you it was never below the shoulders that was the issue, it was above

I’m not sure I’d talk to leafs fans for advice on goaltending.

 

[Extra Texture]

Its fairly typical for that to happen over the years....usually when a team does that its their big boys who carry them but once you get to the playoffs those guys inevitably get shutdown or focused on. We saw Ottawa make that run a few years back then just go quietly once the first round began. The Isles might have been a big pain in this series had the likes of Horvat/Barzal been better since their role guys have actually done very well. More often the rule that works better is when a 1-2-3 seed goes cold the final week or two, they often go out in round 1. I have not found that teams who get hot the final week or two necessarily go deep though FLA sure did last year

Yeah, very true. Not only the zeroing in on performers, but maintaining the team's compete level for that long. How often do we see a team launch a furious comeback from several goals down, tie the game, and then give up some late goal or lose it in OT after their energy is expended just getting back in the game? And yeah, certainly as lower seeds, the Caps and Isles pulling playoff berths with a strong close to the regular season doesnt seem to have translated to much.

 

[IronCladCane]

They might beat Florida but as I've said for days they lose in 5 or 6 to the Rangers and I'd bet the Shestyerkin/Andersen difference is largely why. Goaltending has pretty much killed the Canes in every series they've lost since 2019 and I see no reason why it won't again.

We didn't lose last year because of goaltending not even close we lost because we couldn't score FA was 1.6 GAA and .956 agaist the Panthers..... that ain't losing because of goaltending....

This year we have Guentzel instead of Mckeathern
Jarvis Graduated to being a big time goal scorer...
We have a healthy Svechnikov

 

[Mandar]

When did Bucci become a die hard isles fan? That broadcast duo was an abomination to the senses.

The military should force foreign spies to listen to that game over and over again....we'd get every secret

 

[MessierII]

Well that's truer than the regular season, but what I mean is they seemed to be playing in a style that would translated well to the postseason, from what I saw. Tight games that were going down to the wire and involved holding on to slender leads or deciding it in OT.

I don’t know. This was the least close matchup in the playoffs I felt. I voted canes sweep before it started. The isles need their goaltending to be absolutely elite to have a chance and it hasn’t been there.

 

[IronCladCane]

They might beat Florida but as I've said for days they lose in 5 or 6 to the Rangers and I'd bet the Shestyerkin/Andersen difference is largely why. Goaltending has pretty much killed the Canes in every series they've lost since 2019 and I see no reason why it won't again.

We lost in 7 to rags..... I'll let you in on a secret Anderson didn't play in that series..... Raanta lost it with his baby but softies.....

Let’s not get complacent and overconfident. If game 2 taught us anything it’s that a 3-0 lead is far from safe.

Only four teams have ever lost a 3-0 series lead.....
Even if that wasn't the case the Canes know how to defend a lead.

 

[IronCladCane]

I'm saying its killed them in their series losses...the Isles have no ability to finish at all which can make Andersen look fine but I do not trust him at all vs better teams. I felt he was bad in the series vs FLA last year overall

If a .936 % and 1.51 GAA is bad (Andersons numbers from the FL series) we will HAPPILY TAKE that..... your salty you are on the edge of a sweep your take is crap.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I'm not at all surprised that the Islanders are going to lose this series. I think even most Islander fans would admit that was going to be the most likely outcome.

I am surprised at how flat they came out yesterday in a must win game and just how physically disengaged they've been in this series aside from the end of game shenanigans in game 2. If theres an area where they hold a significant advantage over Carolina its there and they haven't done anything to try to turn this series into more of a knife fight which is baffling because thats been a staple of this team under this core.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Agree with most of your comments but would say the Canes lost in 7 games the other year because Raanta /Pyotr were not as good (a healthy Freddie and Canes win)

Sure, and that would be the one example I would give of goaltending not being good enough and maybe a deciding factor... that's why I did say 'almost always'. Every other time the Canes lost a series in the Dundon/Waddell/RBA era it's been because the other team was just better and our team couldn't score enough.

 

[BMOK33]

If a .936 % and 1.51 GAA is bad (Andersons numbers from the FL series) we will HAPPILY TAKE that..... your salty you are on the edge of a sweep your take is crap.

Sorokin was bad vs Carolina last year and posted good numbers, not quite as good as those but good. It really just takes 2-3 questionable goals in a series to really say a goalie should have been better or might have been a factor in a loss.

Igor hasn't had a bad playoff game since early in his first ever series against the pens two years ago.

He's been sensational against the Canes that year, then against the Lightning (despite elimination) and last year against the Devils (again despite elimination).

Even when the Rangers are knocked out in the past two years, Shesty has 100% been their best player by a long shot. And last year against the Devils, he was the best player on the ice for either team in all 7 games. Like, it wasn't even close. It was Igor alone v. Devils with a guest appearance of Kreider every few games and that's it.

This year, he's been good (not sensational) to take a 2-0 lead so far against the capitals too. He hasn't let in a soft goal and has made some killer saves last game.

While you can't predict how goalies will play, I do not think if the Canes eliminate the Rangers, it will be due to Shesterkin letting in softies. It will be because the Canes got a lot of second chance opportunities the rangers couldn't defend and then were able to successfully defend against the Rangers at 5v5 and on the PK.

And those are definitely not outside the realm of possibility here. Rangers are beatable. But it's not due to Shesterkin at all in my humble opinion. He's the guy I worry about least right now.

I think if you're an NYR fan at the moment the only thing that scares you is the series vs the Caps if you eliminate the terrible goaltending the Caps have gotten is REALLY tight...I felt the Rangers would have dominated games 1-2 a bit more than they did and they got help with 2 or 3 bad goals. Carolina outside of period 1 in game 2 has looked sharper to me

 

[Peltz]

I think if you're an NYR fan at the moment the only thing that scares you is the series vs the Caps if you eliminate the terrible goaltending the Caps have gotten is REALLY tight...I felt the Rangers would have dominated games 1-2 a bit more than they did and they got help with 2 or 3 bad goals. Carolina outside of period 1 in game 2 has looked sharper to me

Agreed, as a NYR fan, the Rangers haven't played their sharpest hockey, even when dominating game 1.

Game 2 was a very narrow win and wouldn't have happened without a literal perfect pass from Zib or absolute 1 in a 1000 laser beam shot from Roslovich.

But good teams find ways. And they're not letting themselves get bullied. I don't mind them winning with good structure some nights (game 1) and high end skill plays other nights (game 2).

Every game is a very different feel. And Washington isn't going to just roll over and get beaten.

 

[2ndGenIslander]

feels like this series is over and tomorrow is just a formality..Canes are just better in every aspect of the game at this point. Will be fun watching them as the playoffs go on

 

[Brad Meador]

Igor hasn't had a bad playoff game since early in his first ever series against the pens two years ago.

He's been sensational against the Canes that year, then against the Lightning (despite elimination) and last year against the Devils (again despite elimination).

Even when the Rangers are knocked out in the past two years, Shesty has 100% been their best player by a long shot. And last year against the Devils, he was the best player on the ice for either team in all 7 games. Like, it wasn't even close. It was Igor alone v. Devils with a guest appearance of Kreider every few games and that's it.

This year, he's been good (not sensational) to take a 2-0 lead so far against the capitals too. He hasn't let in a soft goal and has made some killer saves last game.

While you can't predict how goalies will play, I do not think if the Canes eliminate the Rangers, it will be due to Shesterkin letting in softies. It will be because the Canes got a lot of second chance opportunities the rangers couldn't defend and then were able to successfully defend against the Rangers at 5v5 and on the PK.

And those are definitely not outside the realm of possibility here. Rangers are beatable. But it's not due to Shesterkin at all in my humble opinion. He's the guy I worry about least right now.

Shesterkin is a great goalie but he's not super human. He may have beaten Carolina 2 years ago in the second round...but it did go 7 games and we were relying on Anti Raanta that year...not Andersen. Also, that was the year that Carolina could not win on the road in the playoffs.

All games between Carolina and NY Rangers this year have been close with exception of the blow out Carolina gave them in MSG and Shesterkin.

The Rangers may be up 2-0 to Washington but see last year.

Yes, I know different team and different year but frankly they were horrible in that series vs the Devils and the last Washington game Washington played better than they did in game 1 and now with Washington at home I expect them to make it a series again.

Carolina ended up basically man handling the Devils in their series.

I'll be watching it tonight.

However, if NYR do advance and faces Carolina in the 2nd round it will be a dandy of a matchup and will more than likely go the distance...again.

It may be the most watched 2nd round matchup in the Eastern Conference (a battle of the 2 top seeds in the East).

The only thing NY Rangers has going for them in a series vs Carolina is they appear to be Carolina's kryptonite lately.

 

[Mike C]

Igor hasn't had a bad playoff game since early in his first ever series against the pens two years ago.

He's been sensational against the Canes that year, then against the Lightning (despite elimination) and last year against the Devils (again despite elimination).

Even when the Rangers are knocked out in the past two years, Shesty has 100% been their best player by a long shot. And last year against the Devils, he was the best player on the ice for either team in all 7 games. Like, it wasn't even close. It was Igor alone v. Devils with a guest appearance of Kreider every few games and that's it.

This year, he's been good (not sensational) to take a 2-0 lead so far against the capitals too. He hasn't let in a soft goal and has made some killer saves last game.

While you can't predict how goalies will play, I do not think if the Canes eliminate the Rangers, it will be due to Shesterkin letting in softies. It will be because the Canes got a lot of second chance opportunities the rangers couldn't defend and then were able to successfully defend against the Rangers at 5v5 and on the PK.

And those are definitely not outside the realm of possibility here. Rangers are beatable. But it's not due to Shesterkin at all in my humble opinion. He's the guy I worry about least right now.

Great post. Well thought out!

I'd be very interested to see if in a hypothetical scenario, Carolina steals one of the first two games then goes up early in game 3 in front of their rabid fans how Igor responds

 

[Svechhammer]

Its odd bit this Isles team reminds me a lot of the 2019 Canes team. Fought like hell just to reach the playoffs, and went up against a team (or 3 teams in the Canes case) that were, for all intents, far superior. The difference between that year and this Isles year is that the Canes went up against a tired Caps team coming off a Cup win and really just reaching the empty mark of their tank, whereas this Canes team is hungry and gunning for their first Cup in 18 years. The way each team played is very similar (muck up the neutral zone, pack it in defensively, and try to take advantage of every break you can get to score).

Its a strategy that absolutely can work, but if you go against a hard nosed very talented team that can play that same style, it will break down and cause you to get overwhelmed, like it did for us against Boston.

 

[Satan'sIsland81]

I’m just shocked at how completely the Canes have manhandled the Isles, who were on fire at 8-1-1 to grab their playoff spot. I never thought all that momentum NYI had built would translate to absolutely nothing

Manhandled? Are you watching the games? The Isles have outplayed the Canes in two of the three games. And in the one game they "manhandled" the Isles, they won by one goal and an empty netter after being down 3-0. If not for Sorokin being a sieve in Game 3, these series is at worst 2-1 if not 2-1 Isles. Considering Carolina had 20 more points than the Isles, "manhandling" would be if they won 6-0 three straight games, not winning essentially three one goal games decided late.

They've made the games close though, outside of empty netters they've all been 1 goal games. on paper the Canes could easily be winning every game by 2-3 goals but they haven't been. credit to the Isles as they've been better than 3-0 suggests.

Thank you for being more rational and reasonable than most of your Canes fans brethren. This is a very reasonable post.

 

[StrmSurge]

I was dissing on the Isles earlier but they gained my respect in game 3. Outplayed us the last two periods. Their poke check and neutral zone control is absolutely smashing our beautiful clean looking (usually) offense like 75% of the time this series.

But.. Mr. Andersen said sorry boys it's gonna be 3-0, I have decided.

 

[StrmSurge]

If a .936 % and 1.51 GAA is bad (Andersons numbers from the FL series) we will HAPPILY TAKE that..... your salty you are on the edge of a sweep your take is crap.

Andersen rocks, he just proved... On the road... That he is clutch AF.

Idc if he choked in Toronto, He's in Raleigh now. Sometimes it just takes a change of idk 'Hockey Culture' , 'the right group of guys ' , not being under the Toronto curse...

Take your pick, after Freddy's performance in this series it's impossible to call him a choker... It could still happen, but so far he's a top Tender in these playoffs.

 

[Satan'sIsland81]

I was dissing on the Isles earlier but they gained my respect in game 3. Outplayed us the last two periods. Their poke check and neutral zone control is absolutely smashing our beautiful clean looking (usually) offense like 75% of the time this series.

But.. Mr. Andersen said sorry boys it's gonna be 3-0, I have decided.

Another reasonable post. A few more of these and I might be back to planning on rooting for the Canes over the Rags. The fact that I was strongly considering the opposite is basically unthinkable and goes to show how cocky and obnoxious the Canes fans have been on here.

 

[IronCladCane]

Andersen rocks, he just proved... On the road... That he is clutch AF.

Idc if he choked in Toronto, He's in Raleigh now. Sometimes it just takes a change of idk 'Hockey Culture' , 'the right group of guys ' , not being under the Toronto curse...

Take your pick, after Freddy's performance in this series it's impossible to call him a choker... It could still happen, but so far he's a top Tender in these playoffs.

And you know a team that actually plays defense in front of the goalie!

Another reasonable post. A few more of these and I might be back to planning on rooting for the Canes over the Rags. The fact that I was strongly considering the opposite is basically unthinkable and goes to show how cocky and obnoxious the Canes fans have been on here.

I respect the Isles a gritty team, plays hard I just think the skill difference is making it's presence felt. Plus come on man it's the Rags.... you might hear it for a year if we win but forever if the rags do!

 

[Bruce Granville]

I’m not sure I’d talk to leafs fans for advice on goaltending.

Why not? Even their Zamboni driver knows more about goaltending than the actual coaching staff…

 

[Mike C]

I’m not sure I’d talk to leafs fans for advice on goaltending.

Or much else really

 

[Tob]

Grow a pair and win a game.

 

[hangman005]

GDT is up

GDT: - ECQF Game 4 | New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes | 2:00 PM

NEW YORK ISLANDERS VS CAROLINA HURRICANES GAME 4 | CAR LEADS BEST OF SEVEN SERIES 3-0 2 PM | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS WATCH: MSGSN, MSG+, TBS, TRUTV, MAX LISTEN: 88.7FM, 103.9FM, 1050AM The New York Islanders will look to keep their season alive when they host the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4...

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