The Carolina Hurricanes enter the 2024 NHL Playoffs as one of the deeper teams in the field, and their 111 points were second in the conference only to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers. This will make them one of the more favored teams in the postseason, especially if they can easily get the best of their Round 1 opponents.
If you’re pulling for the Hurricanes to win it all this season, or if you’ve been a fan for a while and would like to see them win their first Stanley Cup since 2006, this article will give you a rundown on all you need to know about who their First Round opponents are and how you can watch.
Who will the Carolina Hurricanes face in Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs?
The Hurricanes played in what was a weak Metropolitan Division, and they will play a team that at one point looked like they were going nowhere in the New York Islanders. But the Isles have gotten hot lately, and they were good enough to land the third seed in the Metro despite their minus-17 goal differential.
This is a physical team that may not fare exceptionally well in the regular season, but the Isles are that group built to excel in “playoff hockey.” Although the Hurricanes finished with substantially more points, it would be wrong to underestimate what could be a sneaky Islanders team.
What dates and times will the Hurricanes play in Round 1?
The Hurricanes and Islanders will faceoff for Game 1 on Saturday, April 20th at 5 PM, and the next three to six games are scheduled for:
- Game 2: Monday, April 22nd at 7:30 PM
- Game 3: Thursday, April 25th at 7:30 PM
- Game 4: Saturday, April 27th at 2 PM
- Game 5: Tuesday, April 30th TBD (if necessary)
- Game 6: Thursday, May 2nd TBD (if necessary)
- Game 7: Saturday, May 4th TBD (if necessary)
How to watch the Hurricanes in Round 1?
Check out Game 1 on TVAS, SN360, SNP, SNW, or SNE if in Canada or if you’re in the U.S., truTV, MAX, and TBS will cover everything. As for Games 2 through 7 (if necessary), they’ll be on:
- Game 2: TVAS, SN360, ESPN2
- Game 3: TVAS, SN360, ESPN2
- Game 4: TVAS, SN, MAX, truTV, TBS
- Game 5: (TBD)
- Game 6: (TBD)
- Game 7 (TBD)
Streaming the game is also an option, and fuboTV will give you every matchup in the postseason.
“fuboTV has live NHL games on ESPN, which you can stream from your phone, television, and all your favorite devices. This is a service that broadcasts live TV over the internet, no cable is required. Watch your favorite teams, network shows, news, and movies on over 100+ channels. Plus on-demand entertainment including full TV series. fuboTV is currently available in the United States, Canada, and Spain.”
What to watch for in the Hurricanes First Round matchup
The Hurricanes can’t take the Islanders lightly, even if they finished the season series with a 2-1-1 record against their Metro Division rival. This gave them five out of a possible eight points, but let’s not forget that they only outscored New York by two goals.
Physical teams like the Islanders can be among the most frustrating to play against when the puck drops in the postseason, so the Hurricanes must be ready for some hard-hitting contests. The Isles also have one of the league’s best goaltenders in Ilya Sorokin. Even if he didn’t enjoy a remarkable season, he can still get hot at any time.
(Season data provided by Hockey-Reference)