Carolina Hurricanes seek 2-game lead against New York Islanders in 1st round of Stanley Cup Playoffs

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Wednesday, April 19, 2023 2:25PM

Power-play goals propel Hurricanes to 2-1 Game 1 win vs. Islanders

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The Carolina Hurricanes look to take a 2-0 lead Wednesday night in the first round of the NHL Playoffs.

The Canes will again host the New York Islanders at PNC Arena, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. If you’re unable to attend, the game will air on ESPN2.

In the first game of the series, the Canes rode power-play goal success to a 2-1 victory. Sebastian Aho and Stefan Noesen scored both of the Canes’ goals during power plays, and goalie Antti Raanta denied the Islanders any goals during their power play opportunities.

SEE ALSO | Carolina Hurricanes fans optimistic about Stanley Cup chances after NHL playoffs win

Carolina finished the season with one of the best records in the NHL. However, a big question mark for the playoffs arose when star forward Andrei Svechnikov injured his right knee March 11 during a home loss and had to have season-ending knee surgery.

Svechnikov cheered on his teammates and even sounded the pregame “storm warning” siren before game one.

“Right now, you’re watching and you just want to go out there and play hockey,” he said Monday night. “It’s been tough. It’s part of our life and my life as well. You’ve just got to stay patient. I’m going to have lots of time.”

Svechnikov, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft who signed an eight-year deal with the team in August 2021, has been a fixture for the Hurricanes’ current five-year playoff run. He’s a physical forward bringing size and scoring punch as a top-line performer, and he’s shown flair with lacrosse-style goals by scooping up the puck from behind the net and wrapping around the pipes to jam it past the goalie.

Losing him is a big blow considering he scored 30 regular-season goals last season and had 23 in 64 games this season. It comes amid concerns about the team’s lack of overall scoring depth that has factored into earlier-than-expected postseason exits the past two years.

Wednesday night, Svechnikov will continue to have to find a way to help his team from the sideline.

The next game in the series will be held in New York on April 21 at 7 p.m. airing on TBS.

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