Hurricanes Didn't Waste Any Time Showing Why Special Teams Are Key Against Islanders

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially underway, and if you're a fan of lamp-lighting, this was a pretty cool afternoon for you because the Carolina Hurricanes didn't waste any time scoring the first goal of the postseason.

The New York Islanders had a stellar end to the regular season that saw them snag the third seed in the crowded Metropolitan Division. But what did they get for their troubles? A date with the Carolina Hurricanes, a team a lot of people (*raises hand) think could go all the way and hoist the Stanley Cup come mid-June.

One of the big stories coming into this series was special teams. That's always a big deal, but when you consider that the Islanders have the 32nd-ranked penalty kill in the NHL and the Hurricanes have the second-best powerplay in the league, it's an extra big deal.

And we got a taste of it just one minute and twenty-two seconds into Game 1.

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Islanders captain Anders Lee got the gate for holding Hurricanes D-man, Brady Skjei. It was questionable at best, but it gave us our first chance to see this special teams dynamic between the two clubs.

Just thirteen seconds into the ensuing powerplay, Carolina acquisition Evgeny Kuznetsov blistered a wrist shot right over Isles netminder Semyon Varlomov's shoulder and under the crossbar

Ew. That was just gross in the best way. It was also the Hurricanes' first shot of the game.

And it goes to show what an impact special teams could have on this series, especially if the Isles have trouble staying out of the box.

Fortunately for them, they did even the score a bit later in the first period when Kyle MacLean buried one after a scramble in front of Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen.

The Islanders and Hurricanes met in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and this rematch already looks like it could get interesting.