Hurricanes roll to 5-2 win, take 3-1 series lead over Isles

Hurricanes roll to 5-2 win, take 3-1 series lead over Isles

NEW YORK (AP) — Seth Jarvis scored twice and the Carolina Hurricanes snapped an eight-game postseason road losing streak with a 5-2 victory over New York on Sunday, pushing the Islanders to the brink of elimination.

Sebastian Aho added a goal and two assists and Antti Raanta made 27 saves in helping the Canes win on the road in the playoffs for the first time since the second round in 2021.

Aho’s goal was his record-setting 20th in the postseason with Carolina, breaking the franchise record he shared with Eric Staal.

Martin Necas and Mackenzie MacEachern also scored and Stefan Noesen had the primary assist on two power-play goals for the Hurricanes. They can wrap up the best-of-seven series in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Defenseman Adam Pelech and forward Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders, who trailed 4-0 early in the third period. Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves , but he had little help on the goals.

New York, which gave its fans hope with a 5-1 win here on Friday night, showed very little and took a couple of bad penalties. Despite frantic game-long chants of “Let’s Go Islanders” they struggled as they were booed off the ice trailing 3-0 after two periods.

Jarvis extended the lead to 4-0 early in the third, scoring on a 2-on-1 break with Aho.

Carolina got an early two-man advantage and didn’t waste it as Jarvis scored 4:05 after the opening faceoff. Brett Burns got his fifth assist of the series, taking a shot from the inside of the right circle. Noesen slid the rebound to Jarvis for a shot into an open net.

A roughing penalty against Matt Martin put Carolina on the power play to start the second period and Necas scored from in close.

Aho’s record-setting goal came on a 2-on-1 break with MacEachern, who was recalled from the minors after Teuvo Tervainen broke his hand in Game 2.

Pelech scored a couple of minutes after Jarvis got his second and Horvat tallied late on a breakaway.

NOTES: Islanders fans belted out most of the national anthem. Singer Jonathan Wibben started them off and let them take over until the end. … Canes D Jaccob Slavin played in his 46th playoff game with Carolina, eighth most in franchise history. … The loss at home was the Islanders fourth in their past 11 home playoff games. … MacEachern’s goal and an assist were his first playoff points in six postseason games.

Carolina Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho (20) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders, Sunday, April 23, 2023, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)