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The Stanley Cup Playoffs are here. In the Eastern Conference, the New York Islanders take on the Carolina Hurricanes for the second straight season.
In 2023, the Hurricanes outlasted the Islanders in six games, but the series was tight, with three one-goal games and two that went to overtime. This year, the seeding is different, with Carolina and New York finishing second and third in the Metropolitan Divison, but the rosters look pretty similar.
Let's look at three key player matchups that could make a huge difference.
Three player matchups that could be key in Islanders-Hurricanes playoff series
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#1 The goaltending battle
There's no telling which goaltenders we will see in this series. Both teams have used multiple goalies this season.
Carolina lost Frederik Andersen for 50 games with a blood clotting issue and was forced to lean on Pyotr Kochetkov and Spencer Martin in his absence. But Andersen is back and ended the season on a 13-2-0 run with a .932 save percentage and a 1.84 goals-against average in 16 starts.
For the Islanders, it's a classic case of too many goalies for one crease. Ilya Sorokin was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie last season. This year, he has not been as good, though. So, in comes Semyon Varlamov, who may be the hottest goalie going into the playoffs.
Which goalies will we see? Who will get the edge? This is going to be a massive storyline all series.
#2 Jake Guentzel vs Mathew Barzal
Jake Guentzel was the big addition for the Hurricanes this season, and the forward has thrived. Guentzel has settled in on the Hurricanes' top line and has 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 17 games.
Guentzel is also an elite playoff performer. During the back-to-back Stanley Cup runs with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017 and 2018, he racked up 42 points (23 goals, 19 assists), including 21 points in only 12 games in 2018. In his last playoff appearance, he had 10 points (eight goals, two assists) in seven games in 2021-22.
Mathew Barzal is the Islanders' best player. He led all skaters with 80 points (23 goals, 57 assists) this season and is usually the first to shine in the biggest spotlight.
In last year's series against Carolina, Barzal only had two goals in six games, so the 26-year-old will be motivated to make a bigger difference this time.
#3 Andrei Svechnikov vs Noah Dobson
This is a bit of an odd one, but these two players could be key to this series. Andrei Svechnikov didn't play for the Hurricanes in the 2023 playoffs after having surgery on his knee.
He's a super-skilled player and can make things happen out of nowhere. He ended the season with 52 points (19 goals, 33 assists) in 59 games.
Noah Dobson is in the middle of a breakout career-high season for the Islanders. The 24-year-old has 70 points (10 goals, 60 assists) in 79 games, ranking seventh in the NHL among defensemen. He missed the final three regular-season games with an upper-body injury.
Welcome to the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
