Goaltending could be the difference in Carolina Hurricanes-New York Islanders series 

The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders will meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight season. 

In 2023, the Hurricanes got the last laugh, winning Game 6 in overtime and taking the series 4-2. 

While the team rosters may look similar to last season, this series should be different. The Islanders limped into the postseason last year, but finished this season on an 8-1-1 run. Carolina was also hot down the stretch, going 7-3-1 in their last 10. 

One area that should be similar though, is in between the pipes. In last year’s series, the teams battled to four one-goal games, two in overtime. That is when goaltending becomes even more vital. 

Goaltending is always crucial to the success of the Islanders. While Ilya Sorokin did not have the same stellar season as he did in 2023, he is still a Vezina-caliber guy and luckily for New York, Semyon Varlamov is one of the hottest goalies in the NHL right now. 

On the other side, Carolina’s Frederik Andersen returned in March after missing 50 games with a blood clotting issue. He has been lights out, going 13-2-0 with a .932 save percentage and a 1.84 goals-against average in 16 starts. 

But both teams have used multiple goaltenders all season, with Varlamov and Sorokin on Long Island, Pyotr Kochetkov taking the reigns in Andersen’s absence when Antti Raanta struggled, and even Spencer Martin getting time in Carolina. 

So, there is no telling what is to come. 

Colby Cohen: Is this a series where you potentially could see four goaltenders play? 

Steven Ellis: Absolutely. Maybe with Carolina, we see three goalies on just the one team. Who knows at this point? With the Islanders, a huge reason they made the playoffs with that late-season push was the play of Varlamov. If he is your Game 1 starter, and I truly believe he should be, the fact that you’ve got Sorokin as a backup is huge. You can afford to have a short leash because your ‘backup’ goalie is very impressive.”

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