RALEIGH, N.C. — Before Tuesday, Pierre Engvall had played 17 career playoff games.
He would joke afterwards that he didn’t know how many shots he had, but he surely knew how many goals: zero.
The 26-year-old Swede, acquired by the Islanders a few days before the trade deadline, finally broke the ice on Tuesday, though — and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Engvall notched a first-period goal and a second-period assist (his fifth-career playoff assist) to help key the Islanders to a 3-2 Game 5 victory over Carolina with their season on the line.
“I think I felt good,” he said. “I think our line worked really hard. Created some chances but also played solid defensively. I think it was a team effort, I think everyone worked really hard and did what it took to win the game today.”
Engvall’s goal came at an unlikely time, amid a first period in which the Islanders spent shifts at a time hemmed into their zone and relied heavily on Ilya Sorokin. But during a rare offensive-zone sequence, the puck squirted out to Engvall in the middle of the ice, with no defenders around him. The sort of bounce that can get a player out of a slump.
“Had to reach long for the puck,” Engvall said. “I think I saw [Carolina goaltender Antti Raanta] come out a little bit, so I think the only chance I had was to go five hole.”
The Islanders’ second line of Engvall, Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri has been their best in the series, but it was Engvall who had largely failed to impact proceedings prior to Tuesday. With the season on the line, though, he was suddenly all over the place, his 6-foot-5 frame notorious on the PNC Arena ice.
“I thought he was flying,” Nelson said. “He’s a big body and he moves extremely well, obviously. Protects the puck, he makes a lot of nice little plays. Tonight, he did a pretty good job hounding it, finding himself in nice little spots and generating chances by himself with his speed.
“That was huge. Got a couple goals off that.”
Coach Lane Lambert switched Bo Horvat and Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s slots in the lineup midway through Tuesday’s game — playing Horvat on the third line with Zach Parise and Hudson Fasching while Pageau centered Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee.
The result jammed up Carolina’s matchup game, as Rod Brind’Amour was forced to pick which of the Islanders’ high-powered offensive players to use Jordan Staal’s checking line against, ultimately going with Horvat.
“They’ve been doing a good job with matchups, so kinda relieved a little bit of that tension with Bo and me and Leesy,” Barzal said. “I felt it was something that maybe needed to happen.”
Lambert successfully challenged a Carolina goal for offside at 17:49 of the first, with Stefan Noesen entering the zone early before scoring on the power play. It was his third challenge of the season, all of which have been successful.
Power Plays
First star: Ilya Sorokin
The Islanders needed Sorokin to steal one for them, and steal one he did, finishing with 34 stops and earning his team a Game 6.
Second star: Pierre Engvall
Engvall had yet to get on the board in this series, but finally did with a goal and assist on Tuesday.
Third star: Brock Nelson
Engvall’s linemate Nelson also finished with two points, assisting the Isles’ first goal and scoring a bizarre goal after the puck went off Sebastian Aho’s face.
Key moment
Sorokin’s second-period stop on Seth Jarvis at the backdoor was his best — and biggest — of the playoffs.
Quote of the Day
“Right now, this win feels good but tomorrow we’ll have to wipe it and refocus.” — Brock Nelson
