It was no secret that special teams were going to play a pivotal role in the Islanders’ first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes — and the importance of it became immediately apparent.
The Hurricanes scored a pair of power-play goals while the Islanders went 0-for-4, including a lifeless man advantage with 4:59 to go in the game, to secure a 2-1 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal at PNC Arena on Monday night.
The Islanders’ power play, which ranked 30th in the NHL this season was given a lifeline late in the game when Brent Burns was called for a slash. But they mustered just one shot
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