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Carolina Hurricanes Game Day Thoughts: It’s Like the Islanders had a Weight Lifted Off of Them

ByMatthew Barlowe|
Mar 26, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defensemen Noah Hanifin (5) gets ready to take a shot next to New York Islanders forward Josh Bailey (12) at PNC Arena. The New York Islanders defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in the overtime. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defensemen Noah Hanifin (5) gets ready to take a shot next to New York Islanders forward Josh Bailey (12) at PNC Arena. The New York Islanders defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in the overtime. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

The Carolina Hurricanes face the New York Islanders tonight in the first game of a back to back

Remember back in December when the Carolina Hurricanes were pushing for a playoff spot and the New York Islanders sat at the bottom of the Eastern Conference?  Well, now the positions are completely reversed.  Carolina sits next to last in the Metropolitan division and the Islanders are one point back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the last wild card spot.

That means these are four points the Islanders desperately need to keep their playoff hopes alive.  Can the Hurricanes play spoilers?  They couldn’t Saturday night against the Leafs despite a strong effort that saw the Canes dominate most of the game.

Related Story: Hurricanes Call up Lucas Wallmark

Other than pride, the Carolina Hurricanes don’t have much to play for given their current spot in the standings.  In fact, most would argue that losses serve the team better than wins.  In our last Game Day Thoughts, we reported the Canes needed to go 14-4 to reach the playoffs that now becomes 14-3.

Game Day Thoughts

The last two

meetings

between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders were

offensive clinics

.  The teams scored a combined 20 goals in two games.  Two Games!  Will fans be treated to another goal spectacle?  Most likely not.  With points at a premium, the

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Islanders will stick to the defensive first mindset that sucks all the fun and offense out of the game.

Although one good thing for the Islanders is that they won’t have to face their nemesis Ron Hainsey.  Hainsey scored two goals in the last game including the OT game winning goal.  Without their secret weapon, will the Hurricanes be able to keep up with the Islanders?

  • The Islanders fired their head coach Jack Capuano in January and replaced him with Doug Weight.  Hurricanes fans may remember Weight as a member of the 2006 team that brought the Stanley Cup home to Raleigh.  Weight was a key depth addition to the team and one of the few times that J.R. actually made a good trade for the Hurricanes
  • Since Weight took over behind the bench, the Islanders are tied for the third best record during that span.  A 15-7-3 mark for 33 points along with the collapses of the Hurricanes and the Philadelphia Flyers have them one point out of a playoff spot.
  • With the injury of Valentin Zykov, Lucas Wallmark is the next Carolina Hurricanes prospect to make the trip to Raleigh.  Zykov’s goal and +7 5v5 Corsi differential will be a tough act to follow for the Swede.  Another good performance by Wallmark will go a long way to bringing hope about the forward prospect pool.

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    • As of writing this article still no word on the return of Phil Di Giuseppe and Brock McGinn.  It can’t be soon given first Zykov’s and then Wallmark’s call up to Raleigh.  The Canes haven’t even issued a press release yet on Zykov’s injury as well other than to say he suffered the ever vague Upper Body Injury.
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