The New York Islanders had the Carolina Hurricanes right where they wanted them. Patrick Roy and his team had a 3-2 lead over Carolina in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a little over two minutes remaining. However, New York simply fell apart. And Carolina skated away with a 5-3 victory in Game 2.
This loss is especially bonkers when you take into account how the Hurricanes lined up. Carolina lost veteran defenseman Brett Pesce during the contest. He did not return, and his status for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is in the air. Carolina had just five defensemen available, giving the Islanders an opportunity to close the game.
However, it just didn't happen. The Islanders will certainly hear an earful from Roy in the locker room. But they also received a ton of heat from fans on social media. A ton of reactions have flooded in after the Hurricanes took the lead late in the third period.
Islanders collapse in Stanley Cup Playoffs
If you are wondering how Islanders fans have taken this development, it's not pretty. A video from Barstool Gambling shows a group of New York fans looking rather forlorn after the Hurricanes made their comeback. Some fans didn't even stick around to see the end of the game.
Another fan compared the Islanders to the Washington Capitals. Washington made the Stanley Cup Playoffs as one of the worst offensive teams in the NHL. In this fan's eyes, New York doesn't match up favorably with the Caps. “The islanders might be more embarrassing than the capitals and that’s really saying something,” the fan wrote.
Another fan took umbrage with the Islanders reacting to the Hurricanes scoring an empty net goal. Carolina star Jake Guentzel scored an empty net goal to make it 5-3. After the goal, New York veteran Kyle Palmieri pushed Guentzel, sparking a bit of a skirmish. “How were the Islanders mad after that empty netter? How are you allowed to score an empty net goal these days” the fan questioned.
Other fans took the opportunity to crack jokes at the collapse itself. NHL on TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette even called the Islanders' performance an “all-time collapse” and “pathetic.” He released a video with his full thoughts on the matter as the game neared its end.
Hurricanes take commanding 2-0 lead
The Hurricanes were down 3-0 in this game, as Bissonnette pointed out in his reaction. And, as mentioned earlier, they lost defenseman Brett Pesce during Game 2. However, they were able to steal Game 2 from the Islanders and put themselves in great position to move on in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
A major talking point from the Islanders after Game 1 was that they played a solid game. They had confidence that their gameplan could work if they kept getting chances. In Game 2, they did. They had the majority of the chances on Monday night, but fell apart when it mattered most.
Whether the Islanders adjust their approach remains to be seen. However, they are certainly on the back foot heading into Game 3. New York will have the crowd behind them for these next two games, though. Game 3 sees the Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup shift to UBS Arena on Long Island with the puck dropping on Thursday night.
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