RALEIGH, N.C. — If the Islanders are looking for an offensive spark — and they are after a 5-2 home defeat in Game 4 against the Hurricanes — then the dirty areas in front of the net might be a good place to start.
As the first round heads back to Carolina with the Islanders facing elimination in a 3-1 hole, they have yet to score off a rebound in the series.
They’ve scored a couple of tip-in goals, with Kyle Palmieri’s power-play tally late in Game 3, which was soon followed by an Anders Lee deflection.
But that is where the count ends.
Not so coincidentally, Palmieri’s is the only power-play goal the Islanders have scored in the series, which has seen Lee, Bo Horvat, Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal all light the lamp just once apiece.
“They have great sticks,” said defenseman Sebastian Aho, who has assisted the only two power-play goals scored by the Islanders in the month of April, both with point shots that were deflected in. “They’re in the lane and doing a good job of trying to push us to the outside. So I feel like we just gotta take our battle lines up a little bit and get inside and put pucks in.”
In a series where offense has been at a premium for either side, winning battles up front and pouncing on rebounds could be a way for the Islanders to start scoring. But that’s easier said than done.
“They’re just doing a good job at boxing us out, so we have to fight even harder to get in there, and their goalie has made big saves at key moments also,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. “I think in the game, there’s some little rebounds here and there. Sometimes it bounces over your stick.
“Guys are trying really hard right now, trying everything to score.”
Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock said he felt Carolina’s Jack Drury turned into the hit that ended Drury’s Game 4 early and led to a Carolina five-on-three via a Pulock boarding penalty, which gave the Hurricanes an early lead.
“We basically looked at each other and I was trying to play hard and finish him,” Pulock said. “And I felt that when I tried to finish him, he kinda turned. Unfortunate situation, you don’t want to see a guy get hurt and I thought I couldn’t really control my actions after a turn, it happened so fast.
“I guess there was concern, there’s always concern in that situation. Don’t want to get kicked out of the game. Don’t want to be that type of player. I’ve never really been that type of player in my career.”
Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said it’s possible Drury could play on Tuesday, while also leaving the door open to goaltender Frederik Andersen dressing to back up Antti Raanta.