The New York Islanders have repeatedly taken the path of most resistance this season.
Whether that was by choice or not, it has, at the very least, prepared them for this moment as they attempt to do something only three teams in history have accomplished in the Stanley Cup Playoffs: come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series.
The Islanders took the first step toward doing that against the Carolina Hurricanes this past Saturday when Mathew Barzal scored in double overtime in a win-or-go-home Game 4 at UBS Arena. Facing elimination once again in tonight’s Game 5 back in Raleigh, the Islanders know the road isn’t getting any less treacherous, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s a physical series,” Bo Horvat told reporters in Raleigh on Tuesday morning. “I think we’ve been doing a good job of playing physical against these guys. They have a lot of speed, and they like to skate with the puck. If we can get in front of them and get in their way as much as we can, it’s going to help us for sure.”
The Islanders have held the advantage in hits through the first four games of the series, using what they possess in size to make up for what they lack in speed against the more mobile Hurricanes. Nevertheless, for as long this series goes, victory won’t be claimed by the team that deals out the most punishment but instead by the one that can absorb the most and keep going afterward.
“It’s not so much open-ice hits, but a lot of battles in the corner and a lot of stick on puck [battles],” Alexander Romanov told reporters in Raleigh. “There’s a high level of battles every single game. It doesn’t matter what game it is. It’s the playoffs.”
The tight nature of play in this series has placed offense at a premium and momentum even more so, as it always is during the postseason.
“It’s definitely more drastic, I would say,” Horvat said of momentum swings. “Especially, either as the away team or the home team, when the crowd is buzzing, it’s infectious both ways. When you’re on the road and you have a lot of possession time, and the building is quiet, that feeds into your game too.”
Regardless of location or who controls momentum, the Islanders are still the ones trying to forge a comeback. With a win tonight, Carolina can put the series–and possibly this era in Islanders history–to rest. However, a win for the Islanders will force the pressure back on the Hurricanes, as was the case a year ago when the Islanders won Game 5
“Knowing that we did it last year gives us confidence going into tonight,” Horvat said. “But that’s in the past. We’ve got to be ready to go tonight. They’re going to be coming out flying and are going to want to end it tonight. We’re going to have to do whatever we can to stop that.”
“Our mindset is what needs to be at its best,” Islanders head coach Patrick Roy told reporters in Raleigh. “When we’re calm, when we’re positive, when we play with energy and play north and play fast, we know we’re going to have a good game. That doesn’t guarantee you a win, but we know we’re going to have a good game.”
Puck drop for Game 5 between the Islanders and Hurricanes from PNC is scheduled for just past
