The Upshot: Canes prevail 4-3 in OT over Islanders after missed high sticking call

HOW IT HAPPENED

Jesper Fast scored 5:03 of overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 win over the NY Islanders and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Hurricanes jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Paul Stastny's deflection 5:49 into the first period and took a 2-0 lead when the Isles' Sebastian Aho batted a puck backward, and it bounced off the ice and past Ilya Sorokin, who had 33 saves.

The Islanders responded and tied the game at 2-2 heading into the third period on goals from Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal in the final seconds of the period. Brock Nelson gave New York their first lead of the series midway through the third, but Jaccob Slavin tied the game at 12:19 when his sharp-angled shot deflected off Sorokin's mask and in. Antii Raanta made 23 saves for Carolina.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

The Islanders had just about everything break against them midway through this game, but down 2-0, Kyle Palmieri broke through with a back-hand goal to pull within one. Given how things had gone, the Isles could have been content, but Mathew Barzal took an Adam Pelech pass, rushed up the middle, and beat Raanta with just over 20 seconds remaining to tie the game at 2-2 heading into the third.

Barzal ties the game in the dying seconds of the second period 👀 pic.twitter.com/5LDI0z4eQf
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 20, 2023

WHAT WENT WRONG

Moments before Jesper Fast's GWG, Scott Mayfield was hit with a flailing high stick from Jordan Martinook, but with the linesman and referee looking in that direction, no call was made, play continued and eventually Fast's shot beat Sorokin who was caught deep in his net.

If only there was a ref, a linesman, or both to see this #Isles pic.twitter.com/RwHzm0C33F
— 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐱 (@IslesFix) April 20, 2023

STATS OF THE GAME

Per NHL PR, Kyle Palmieri scored his eighth playoff goal with the Islanders – the most among all New York players since he joined the franchise in 2020-21.

Kyle Palmieri's backhand finds Raanta's 5-hole to get the #Isles on the board 🚨 pic.twitter.com/zpsLBKMHsn
— x - Isles on MSGSN (@IslesMSGN) April 20, 2023

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMENT OF THE GAME

In the Sebastian Aho vs. Sebastian Aho series, there was an own call from Sebastian Aho. The Isles’ Aho swatted the puck backward, and it bounded awkwardly in front of Sorokin, who hadn’t tracked the puck, and it kicked in the net for a power-play goal, and a 2-0 Hurricanes lead.

Both guys named Sebastian Aho have now scored on the Islanders pic.twitter.com/90Say3RJ87
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 20, 2023

WHAT'S NEXT

The Islanders - Hurricanes series heads to Long Island for Game 3 and the first home game in UBS Arena history on Friday night in Elmont, NY.

The puck drops at 7:00 PM.