Game 4 Hurricanes vs Islanders Odds Preview: Carolina hopes to close out New York
On the brink of elimination, Islanders hope to stay alive against Hurricanes in do-or-die Game 4
The Carolina Hurricanes will try to eliminate the New York Islanders in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round at UBS Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The Hurricanes scored twice on their first six shots and held on for a 3-2 win in Game 3 that pushed New York to the brink of elimination. Andrei Svechnikov had two assists, and Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov and Sebastian Aho each scored for Carolina, which took a 3-0 edge in the best-of-7 series.
Starting goalie Ilya Sorokin made just 11 saves on 14 shots before ceding the crease to Semyon Varlamov, who stopped all eight shots he faced.
Pierre Engvall and Brock Nelson scored for the Islanders, who lost their third straight home playoff game to Carolina dating back to last year.
If you’re interested in betting on the Hurricanes vs Islanders odds, here’s a look at what to expect for Game 4.
Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Islanders 
Day/Time:
Location: UBS Arena
Streaming: TBS, TruTV, MAX, MSG, Bally Sports South
No Controversy in Net
Although the Hurricanes are an elite possession team, the Islanders have driven play for large stretches of the series. They outshot Carolina 31-22 in Game 3, the second time in the series the Isles outshot the Canes.
But Islanders coach Patrick Roy rolled the dice by giving the goal to Sorokin, the elite yet embattled New York starter, and the move backfired. Sorokin put New York behind the 8-ball, giving up three questionable goals, two of which came in the first period, before he was pulled in favor of Varlamov.
So Varlamov, who started the first two games, will be in net again for New York in Game 4. Aside from stopping each shot faced, Varlamov has been very good in the series, boasting a .915 save percentage and 2.41 goals-against average, giving the Islanders a chance to win in each of his appearances.
Yet, Varlamov has simply been outdueled by Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen. Andersen is second in save percentage (.922) and third among playoff starters in saves (71) through three games and stopped 29 shots, including a pair of eye-popping glove saves, in Game 3.
Blue Lines Matter
Andersen’s play has been the difference so far in the series, but the Hurricanes’ blue line has done a good job of protecting Andersen, too, by keeping most of the Islanders’ shots to the outside.
Although the Isles outshot the Canes in two of the three games, Carolina holds a 112-65 scoring chance advantage in the series and has limited New York to just 27 High-Danger chances, the fewest of any team that’s played three games.
Limiting those chances alone would make a huge difference in the series. But the fact the Hurricanes defense is also producing offensively is a huge factor. Carolina has long been high on the list of NHL scoring leaders among defensemen, and this series has again proven the value of its offensive contributions from the back end.
Brady Skjei is second on the team in playoff points (3), Burns and Orlov each scored in Game 3, and depth defenseman Jalen Chatfield picked up an assist in the 3-2 victory. The Canes defense has produced three goals and seven points in the series, which is far superior to New York’s, which only has three points — all assists.
It’s another massive factor in why Carolina is one win from moving on.
Coming Up Short
If you filled out a Stanley Cup playoffs bracket, you undoubtedly picked whichever team to advance based on the assumption its stars would produce.
Getting points from top-line players is integral this time of the year, and Carolina’s stars have been out all series. Aho is leading the Hurricanes in goals (2), linemate Andrei Svechnikov leads them in points (4), and Jake Guentzel has also chipped in three points and a goal.
That contrasts New York’s top players, who have been almost invisible during this series. The Islanders’ top line of Casey Cizikas, Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal have produced just one goal and three points over three games.
Barzal led New York with 80 regular-season points yet has just an assist in the series, and defenseman Noah Dobson, who had 60 assists and 70 points in the regular season, does not have a point and has a dreadful 38.2 Scoring-Chance%, 46.8 Corsi-For% and 45.9 Expected-Goals% at 5-on-5 in the series.
Barzal does lead New York with 10 shots on goal in the series, so some of his shortcomings can be attributed to Andersen’s success in goal. But consider also that New York has drawn just five penalties in three games too, scoring only once with the man-advantage, which also has made an impact on the Isles trailing 3-0.
The Isles star players will need to break out in Game 4 if they’re going to stay alive.
Prediction
Looking at the Hurricanes vs Islanders odds, and how close the series has been, I can’t predict a sweep. Look for New York to score a narrow win on home ice and send the series back to Raleigh.
Islanders 3, Hurricanes 2
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