Islanders top Hurricanes, trim first-round series deficit to 3-2

RALEIGH, N.C. — The New York Islanders were ready to capitalize, both on a bizarre bounce of the puck and mistakes by the Carolina Hurricanes. That was enough to keep them alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Brock Nelson scored by knocking in an airborne puck that had bounced off the face of Carolina’s Sebastian Aho, and the Islanders added two goals following turnovers to beat the Hurricanes 3-2 on Tuesday night and extend their first-round playoff series.

The Islanders trailed 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, but staved off elimination by scoring the game’s first two goals and never trailing while playing in front of a rowdy crowd eager to see the Hurricanes become the first team to advance to this year’s second round.

“We believe in one another, we believe in this group and what we can do and how we can play,” Islanders captain Anders Lee said. “That was no different coming into this evening. … We came in tonight and played a very solid hockey game and put everything on the line.”

Mathew Barzal had the winner, taking a turnover by Martin Necas the other way to beat Antti Raanta late in the second period for a 3-1 lead. Carolina closed to within one midway through the third, but Ilya Sorokin and the Islanders tenaciously held that lead as the Hurricanes ran extended zone time with an empty-net attacker desperately seeking a late equalizer.

Instead, New York sent the series back to UBS Arena for Friday’s Game 6.

Pierre Engvall got the Islanders a lead midway through the first period after getting a 1-on-1 shot at Raanta off Carolina’s failed clear, while Sorokin finished with 34 saves to lead the Islanders.

Aho — who exited briefly after Nelson’s goal — and Paul Stastny scored for the Hurricanes, who were coming off a 5-2 win that ended an eight-game postseason road losing streak dating to 2021.

The Hurricanes certainly would’ve preferred to close this one out Tuesday considering how they’re grinding forward with an injury-depleted group of forwards — including top names like Andrei Svechnikov (season-ending knee injury) and Teuvo Teravainen (broken hand suffered in Game 2).

Aho’s score off a behind-the-net feed from Seth Jarvis cut the deficit to 3-2 midway through the third period. But the Hurricanes came up short on a night that included the Islanders successfully challenging a first-period put-away on Stefan Noesen’s one-timer for coming on an uncalled offsides as Carolina pushed into the zone with the man advantage.

Raanta finished with 19 saves, while Aho and defenseman Brent Burns both rang the post on a frustrating night for the Hurricanes. And now, they’ll have to win on the road again to avoid a Game 7 at home Sunday.

“I like the way we played, played hard,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We had a couple of mistakes that cost us, but there wasn’t a ton of those. It’s just the bounces didn’t go our way. It’s very simple.”

STARS 4, WILD 0: Tyler Seguin and Jason Robertson each scored on the power play, Roope Hintz had three assists for the second straight game, and host Dallas took the series lead over Minnesota for the first time with a Game 5 win.

Jake Oettinger made 27 saves for his second career playoff shutout. The 24-year-old Stars goaltender stopping nine shots when the Wild had back-to-back power plays in the second period.

Mason Marchment scored early in the second period and Ty Dellandrea added an empty-netter with 3:57 left for Dallas.

OILERS 6, KINGS 3: Nick Bjugstad scored twice as Edmonton beat visiting Los Angeles to take a 3-2 lead in its first-round series.

Leon Draisaitl, Evander Kane, Zach Hyman and Brett Kulak also scored for the Oilers. Connor McDavid and defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Darnell Nurse had two assists each.

Hyman’s goal came when he was hit in the face on a shot by Evan Bouchard and the puck deflected past Kings goalie Pheonix Copley for Edmonton’s fifth goal of the game. Hyman stayed in the game.

Stuart Skinner was back in the net for the Oilers after he was swapped out for Jack Campbell one period into Edmonton’s Game 4 overtime win on Sunday. The 24-year-old Skinner made 25 saves.