3 reasons fans can still be optimistic about the Islanders in Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs

The Islanders played the Hurricanes better than the numbers suggest

Those numbers from Game 2 were awful, and nobody will disagree with that. Still, the Isles managed to go up by three goals on Monday night, and they also didn’t play a bad game on Saturday. For the first 40 minutes in both contests, the Isles either held a lead or they kept the game even heading into the third frame. 

The problem is that the final 20 minutes of each contest has haunted this team, with the Canes outscoring the Isles 6-0 combined in both matchups. But the upside is clear: The Islanders have played the Eastern Conference’s second-best team points-wise well despite the advanced numbers. 

New York has outscored Carolina 4-2 in the first two periods of both games, showing us that they only need to find a way to avoid a third period breakdown and close out games. In Game 1, you can argue they were outplaying the Hurricanes. And regardless of analytics (sorry if I’m repeating myself), the Isles led in the only stat that matters when it comes to wins and losses. 

Had the Isles held on to win on Monday night, all the Corsi Fors, shots on goal, and high-danger chances wouldn’t mean much to the Hurricanes, who would have lost. Head coach Patrick Roy only needs to figure out how to keep this team upbeat in the final frame.