Carolina Hurricanes: Takeaways from Round 2 SWEEP of New York Islanders

2nd Period:

The Carolina Hurricanes absolutely demolished the Islanders in the 2nd Period from start to finish. The Hurricanes came firing on all cylinders right of the gates, outskating, outshooting, and outscoring the Islanders at every step.

The Hurricanes seemed to beat the Islanders to almost every loose puck, and the Islanders began to stumble. Their once highly-touted game of ‘rope-a-dope’ that helped them sweep the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1 was being shoved right back in their faces, and they had absolutely no answer for it.

Both Teuvo Teravainen and Greg McKegg would score earlier on in the period. McKegg’s goal was not only his first of the playoffs, but would go on to be the game-winning goal, and was a brilliant unassisted play right in front of the net to dish it past Robin Lehner.

Having made 8 saves on 11 shots in the game, Islanders’ Head Coach Barry Trotz made the decision to pull Lehner in favor of Thomas Greiss, who previously had the Hurricanes’ number in the regular season.

Justin Williams would make sure Greiss experienced Carolina Hockey as he skillfully notched his 100th career playoff point on a pass from Jordan Staal to bring the score to 4-1 in favor of the Hurricanes. The shot totals would swing back into the Hurricanes’ favor, ending at 11-6 for the period.

By this point, the Islanders were too deep in the hole and the rout was on.