4 Islanders’ Bright Spots Through 4 Games vs. the Hurricanes

Barzal scored the first goal in Game 4 and he also added an assist in the Game 2 loss. With three points, he’s tied with Bo Horvat for second-most on the Islanders in series which says a lot, mostly that the Hurricanes have a great defense and there isn’t much offense outside of the top line. This season proved that Barzal is a complete player who can score in multiple ways and if the Islanders are going to make this a close series and pull off the upset, the offense will run through him.

Semyon Varlamov

Goaltending is a hot topic with the Islanders these days, and it should be considering Patrick Roy knows the position better than most if not all head coaches in the NHL. Semyon Varlamov willed the team to the playoffs with strong starts down the stretch and started the first two games. Then came the Game 2 collapse where he allowed four goals in the final two periods of play to result in a 5-3 loss. After that, Ilya Sorokin took over and had a Game 3 to forget so Varlamov was back in the net.

Varlamov has been far from perfect and has had plenty of rough moments in this series. That said, he’s made plenty of the games close. With a .930 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.08 goals-against average (GAA) on 115 shots, he’s kept the Islanders in this series and gives them a chance to pull off the upset. Varlamov proved in the second half of the season that he’s more than a backup. He’s the type of goaltender who can carry the Islanders when needed and now, they need him to do just that.

Anders Lee

Anders Lee has done a lot, surprisingly enough, in this series. Usually, he’s just a finisher who waits for scoring chances near the net and takes advantage of them. In the first round, he’s also helped open up the offense with quick passes to skaters near the net. He found the back of the net in the Game 2 loss but also has three assists, including two in the last two games, making him the leader in points in this series for the Islanders.

Last season, Lee was one of the many skaters who disappeared in the first round. He epitomized the Islanders’ issues as a one-trick pony skater who couldn’t do much else aside from finishing scoring chances and the Hurricanes took advantage to win the series in six games. Lee is now one of the players keeping the team from losing the series and is someone who can lead the series comeback if he continues to both create and finish scoring chances.

Kyle MacLean

Kyle MacLean isn’t the first or even the fourth player to come to mind when it comes to bright spots (usually for articles like these, the skater with the most points makes the cut, in this case, Horvat and his three points). However, he’s been a key part of the fourth line and someone who has rounded out the forward unit. MacLean hasn’t scored since Game 1 but has stepped up on the defensive end of the ice as the fourth-line center and provided a burst of speed to the line in the process. If he can find that spark on the offensive end of the ice again, the Islanders will have a chance to take over this series.

Game 4 As a Promising Sign

The Islanders are far from a reverse sweep and this series is still a one-sided one despite the recent victory. Yet, the Game 4 performance showed what can happen if the entire team steps up. The defense finally shut down the Hurricanes’ potent offense, while the offense got the job done in the end to allow them to come out on top. The Islanders will need more of it if they hope to have a reverse sweep and advance to the second round.

Game 4 was the first time all series that the Islanders showed they can go toe-to-toe with the Hurricanes. For the next three games, they have the show they can do it consistently and if the Islanders have struggled with anything this season, it’s been consistency.