Game 3 Hurricanes vs Islanders Betting Preview: Series Shifts to Long Island
New York hoping to protect home ice, avoid huge hole with win against Carolina in Game 3
The Carolina Hurricanes can push the New York Islanders to the brink of elimination with a win in Game 3 of the Eastern First Round at UBS Arena on Thursday.
Carolina roared back for five unanswered goals, scoring four times in the third period of its come-from-behind 5-3 victory in Game 2 in Raleigh. Sebastian Aho and Jordan Martinook scored nine seconds apart, with Martinook’s serving as the game-winner for the Hurricanes, who took a 2-0 edge in the best-of-7 series.
Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee each scored, and New York goalie Semyon Varlamov made 34 saves. The Isles managed just five shots after the first period and were outshot 17-1 in the third.
Consider the following for Hurricanes vs Islanders betting for Game 3.
Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Islanders 
Day/Time:
Location: UBS Arena
Streaming: ESPN2, MSG, Bally Sports South
Scene Shift
The Hurricanes continued their dominant run on home ice under coach Rod Brind’Amour. Carolina is 14-4 at home over the past three postseasons and boast a 22-9 playoff record in games at PNC Arena since Brind’Amour took over in 2018.
So the Islanders are in desperate need of home cooking after failing to cover the puck line in each of their first two games. Despite being tied after two periods in Game 1, and holding a 3-0 advantage in Game 2, New York fell to 1-6 all-time in the playoffs in Raleigh and has failed to even cover the puck line in four of those seven games.
New York is 1-2 all-time in the playoffs at UBS Arena, with all postseason games played against Carolina a season ago. Still, the Isles went home in an 0-2 hole and blasted the Hurricanes 5-1 in Game 3, and they and their raucous fan base are undoubtedly hoping for more of the same results as this series shifts.
New York went 21-20 against the moneyline on home ice during the regular season but picked up at least one point in 31 of the 41 games there. Still, if you’re participating in Hurricanes vs Islanders betting you know teams don’t get points for OT losses in the postseason.
But the Isles were a far-superior team on home ice, producing a plus-1 goal differential in their games at UBS Arena, contrasted with their minus-14 differential away from Long Island.
Plus, the Hurricanes have really struggled away from Raleighwood in the playoffs. Carolina is 8-18 in non-bubble road playoff games under Brind’Amour.
Change Coming?
The Islanders rode the hot hand with Semyon Varlamov in goal, but this NHL expert picks a shift coming in the New York net.
Ilya Sorokin should get the nod in Game 3, even though Varlamov held his own over the first two games. Varlamov has a .905 save percentage and 3.03 goals-against average but got caught looking the wrong direction on Martinook’s game-winner.
Varlamov may have carried New York to the playoffs by going 8-1-1 with a .930 save percentage down the stretch, but Sorokin is arguably the best goalie in hockey and gives New York the best opportunity to rally in this series. The shift in net should also give the Islanders, and their fans, a much-needed spark after they appeared shellshocked in the third period of Game 2.
Despite his uncharacteristically down season, where he went just 25-19-12 with a 3.01 goals-against average and .908 save percentage, Sorokin was far superior on home ice. He went 15-7-8 with a 2.81 goals-against average and .913 save percentage that contrasts his 3.25 GAA and .903 save percentage in away games.
Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen allowed three goals on 12 shots — thoroughly damaging his postseason save percentage. But he’s likely to get the nod in net for the Canes in Game 3.
Lineup Changes
New York got NHL injured players Noah Dobson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau back in each of the series’ first two games, but don’t be surprised if Islanders coach Patrick Roy starts tinkering further with his starting lineup.
Expect Roy to go back to Hudson Fasching on his forward group since the right wing had two shots on goal in Game 1 before exiting for Pageau’s return. New York needs to generate more against the Carolina defense since the Isles have only four goals in the series and have only put 25 shots on Andersen over the past four periods.
Coaches typically subscribe to the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mindset when they get positive NHL results in the playoffs. So don’t be surprised if Brind’Amour sticks with the same lineup and goaltending that got his team ahead 2-0, barring some unforeseen injury.
Prediction
I wouldn’t predict a sweep if I were Hurricanes vs Islanders betting. So look for home-ice to continue being an advantage for at least one more game.
Islanders 3, Hurricanes 2
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