Islanders 4, Hurricanes 3: Somehow.
“Don’t count that — I was interfered with!” — Pyotr Smails | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
The Islanders finally deliver the effort they needed, at least within their modest capabilities. Hockey is a funny game, and humans are a funny species.
After hitting their lowest point of a frustrating season in a listless 5-2 loss to the Kraken on Thursday, the Islanders faced their frequent nemesis, the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday evening and somehow came away with a spirited effort and 4-3 victory.
Not that it was easy. Things started the way they too often do, with a shot barrage and eventually a power play goal conceded. J-G Pageau then tied it at 1-1 in the second period only to have the Hurricanes retake the lead within minutes, again converting against the Islanders’ hapless penalty kill.
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But this time, the Islanders responded right away — Oliver Wahlstrom scoring(!) just 43 seconds later to tie the game after creating a turnover and burying his shot low.
Stranger still, that was the first of four Islanders goals in the second period while the Hurricanes only mustered one more shot on goal. Max Tsyplakov scored a pretty one, kicking his own rebound up to his stick, and Bo Horvat even broke his borderline-epic 13-game scoring slump on a nice feed from Pageau, with that new trio having itself a big period.
How about the skate-to-stick move from Maxim Tsyplakov?! pic.twitter.com/t0A8EBej8E— NHL (@NHL) December 7, 2024
BO HORVAT HAS SCORED! Finally! #Isles pic.twitter.com/3xeylTV538— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) December 7, 2024
I don’t know who lit the fire, but it was well overdue.
Of course, not all was well. The Islanders entered the third with their dreaded two-goal lead that they’ve blown many times. And this time, it wasn’t the paltry Buffalo Sabres who were trying to chip away at it. They were outshot heavily in the period — 19-2 by the end — but Ilya Sorokin barred the door until the Hurricanes scored at 6-on-5 with 49 seconds left, two full minutes after they pulled Pyotr Kochetkov for a sixth attacker.
Miraculously though, they held on. This cannot be any kind of corner turned but it at least stanches the bleeding for one night, and flips Thursday’s home crowd boos to a more appropriately entertaining Saturday night.
How Can Refs Be This Bad?
Anders Lee had himself a You’ve Got to be F-ing Kidding Me kind of night with the men in stripes. A second period “high sticking” call was, well, bullshit — and yes, Carolina converted on that power play.
But the chef’s kiss call was this, with 7 minutes left in regulation and which defies explanation:
Definitely a scary incident as Kochetkov loses his mask on the play. Luckily he stayed in the game and hopefully feeling play. Lee and himself both get interference penalties with a hot mic F-Bomb thrown in after. #RaiseUp pic.twitter.com/qbsIRXDxs8— Zachary Martin (@OneTrueZach) December 8, 2024
Yep, Lee was called for interference on that. To make amends and prevent worse damage, the refs then belatedly gave an interference penalty to Kochetkov, too, putting the teams at 4-on-4. But there shouldn’t have been anything. You can protect goalies in their crease but you should not protect them from their own stupidity.
The late punch from Kochetkov on Scott Mayfield, which Thomas Hickey noted, could’ve been a penalty in itself, if you’re really trying to be an arbiter.
Asked Roy about double interference call (Lee, Kochetkov) in third period. Long silence and then Roy gets up to end press conference. I rein him in with a question about Wahlstrom (he liked his game). To be fair, #Isles have to get on their charter to Ottawa.— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) December 8, 2024
Up Next
It would behoove the Islanders to continue this positive start to this back-to-back weekend Sunda in Ottawa, where the Senators hosted the Predators in a game that was entering the second period as the Islanders game ended....
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