Game 5 Preview: The NY Islanders Look to Avoid Elimination vs Carolina Hurricanes

The NY Islanders are looking to take the momentum from game 4's 2OT win into tonight's matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes won both of their games at home to start the series, and the Isles will have to not only weather the Canes but their rowdy home crowd in order to take home the win.

LAST GAME

The barn was absolutely rocking for game 4 as the Islanders were on the brink of being the first team eliminated from the NHL Playoffs. The previous 3 games were quite evenly matched between the Isles and Canes, but the Canes were able to come away with the win in all 3. To avoid a sweep, the Isles had to force their game onto the Hurricanes and control the pace and the physicality of the game.

Carolina struck first in the first period with Seth Jarvis' second goal of the post season which came on the power play. Mat Barzal tied the game with the loan goal of the second period and his first of the game. Barzy tipped a shot off the right post that trickled past Frederik Anderson and over the goal line. JG Pageau gave the Isles the lead to start the third period with a power play goal. The Isles couldn't hold on to the lead as Stefan Noesen tied the game with the Canes second power play goal of the game. The anxiety was palpable in UBS Arena as the potential last game of the season for the Isles went into the dreaded sudden death overtime. Semyon Varlamov stood tall in net and as the Canes outshot the Isles 17-9 in the first OT period. The Islanders fended off the Canes' lethal offense as the clock struck 0:00 and a second OT period had to be played. Luckily, this one didn't last as long, with the Isles getting quick posession and sustained time in the offensive zone. Robert Bortuzzo, the unsung hero of this series for the Islanders, sent a wicked slapshot towards the net. The crowd went absolutely wild as Barzal tipped the puck in and sent the series to 5. The Islanders closed out the game with a solute to the crowd as their return to UBS may not be until September.

HISTORICAL MATCHUP

Per Eric Hornick, the Islanders are the best team in NHL history when facing elimination.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Simon Holmstrom will slot in for an injured Matt Martin on the 4th line at left wing. Per head coach Patrick Roy, he is looking for Holmstrom to "...be good in his 1-on-1 battles, awareness with the puck, make good decisions but basically play a simple game. And when he has to be physical, then be physical." Varlamov has been great this series, keeping the Islanders in games and in periods despite being horrifically outshot and outplayed by the Hurricanes. Playoffs included, Varlamov is 7-6-4 with a 2.36 GAA and .924 SV% against the Hurrican

Noesen has two goals this series for the Hurricanes, and they've all come in clutch. The first came in game 1 as the game-winning goal, and the second was the game tying goal in game 4. Jake Guentzel has been a quiet point-per-game in this series. Despite being held off the scoresheet in game 1, he had a goal and an assist in game 2, and an assist in both subsequent games.

PROJECTED LINEUP

ISLANDERS

Casey Cizikas- Bo Horvat- Mathew Barzal Hudson Fasching- Brock Nelson- Kyle Palmieri Anders Lee- JG Pageau- Pierre Engvall Simon Holmstrom- Kyle MacLean- Cal Clutterbuck

Adam Pelech- Ryan Pulock Alexander Romanov- Noah Dobson Mike Reilly- Robert Bortuzzo

Semyon Varlamov Ilya Sorokin

CAROLINA

Jake Guentzel- Sebastian Aho- Andrei Svechnikov Teuvo Teravainen- Jordan Staal- Seth Jarvis Jordan Martinook- Jack Drury- Martin Necas Jasperi Kotkaniemi- Evgeny Kuznetsov- Stefan Noesen

Jaccob Slavin- Brent Burns Brady Skjei- Tony DeAngelo Dmitry Orlov- Jalen Chatfield

Fredrik Andersen Pyotr Kotchetkov