RALEIGH, N.C. — Did enough happen in this Game 1 loss to the Hurricanes for the Islanders to leave PNC Arena feeling like they had the blueprint to win a series?
Well, they certainly thought so.
“Of course,” Kyle Palmieri said after Saturday night’s 3-1 loss in the playoff opener. “I think we found a way that we could be successful. We thought of a way that we could limit their potential.”
That was essentially the feeling prevailing in the Islanders’ dressing room.
They played well enough to win, hitting two posts on their two best chances in the third period, but lost.
There isn’t much room for hope in a best-of-seven series, and the Islanders know that all too well.
But if Carolina continues to play defense like it did Saturday, which held them to just 26 shots on net throughout the series, I think they have a chance.
“There was a lot to take from this game. We did well,” Noah Dobson said. “At the end of the day, it was a tough game. We didn’t take advantage of the chances we got. They did. But we’re not going to hang our heads here.”
It’s similar to a year ago when the Islanders lost a similarly close Game 1 on Stefan Noesen’s game-winning goal, but Noesen’s goal 3:44 into the third was the difference here. After that was proven, it became clear.
The Islanders had every chance to take home ice in this series, but Scott Mayfield claimed he missed a high stick and lost Game 2 in overtime, resulting in Jesper Fast’s game-winner.
They never led that series and lost in six games.
This is a great example of how close individual games don’t mean much in a best-of-seven series.
And if the Islanders lose Game 2 on Monday, no matter how good they are, the encouragement they got from Game 1 will be for naught.
But what if they were able to take just one game down south and reach Long Island on even footing?
Well, it’s a completely different series.
And if they can put up this type of defensive effort again, I expect that scenario to work.
“We’ve been playing well defensively for a while now,” coach Patrick Roy said. “Obviously if you play well defensively you have a chance to win every game and that’s what our players have done.”
