Hurricanes notch comeback for the ages in Game 2 against Islanders

In the span of nine seconds, the Carolina Hurricanes went from losing game 2 and home ice advantage to taking a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Center Sebastian Aho tied it with just over two minutes left in the game and right wing Jordan Martinook buried the game-winner the very next shift to overcome a 3-0 deficit with five unanswered goals. With the spirit of 2006 in the air, the Hurricanes are now 10-0 in game 2s after winning game 1 since that fateful year and cemented their 10th win memorably.

“It was a special night for sure,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “It’s one of those games that we’ll probably look back on for a long time.”

Game 2 was one of those “Where were you on April, 22nd, 2024” kind of games. Only 18,905 can claim they were at PNC Arena when they saw left-wing Stefan Noesen drop the gloves twice, two goals in nine seconds and nine game misconducts in the final minute.

The New York Islanders took a 3-0 lead with just under four minutes into the second period, but that didn’t faze the Carolina Hurricanes. After that goal, the Islanders only recorded three more shots on goal, allowing the Canes' offense to go to work.

Despite facing a daunting deficit, the veteran players on the Canes’ bench encouraged the team it could come back.

“We have guys like [Martinook], I think [center Evgeny Kuznetsov] was huge for us, just talking all night keeping us calm and composed,” said center Seth Jarvis. “Just older guys that don’t let us get too flustered … ultimately I think [that’s] what really sparked that comeback.”

Left wing Teuvo Teravainen got the Canes on the board in the second period with a power play goal and center Seth Jarvis got Carolina within one just over halfway through the third.

One could argue that any of the five goals scored by the Canes was the spark. Teravainen’s power-play goal in the second showed they could score, Jarvis’ goal made everyone believe, Aho’s game-tying goal rewarded the hard work, Martinook’s goal sealed the deal and center Jake Guentzel’s empty-netter caused chaos.

In the opening 11 minutes, the Canes didn’t allow a shot on goal and looked to have carried their momentum from the third period of Game 1 right over into the start of Game 2. As quickly as Carolina achieved a better start, things began to unravel.

Two missed defensive assignments from the Canes gave Islanders centers Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat their first goals of the 2024 playoffs and the team a 2-0 lead through the first 20 minutes. Carolina got to their physical game quickly; Noesen’s first fight and a massive hit from center Jesperi Kotkaniemi got the Caniacs on their feet.

Because defenseman Dmitry Orlov was sent to the box for holding the stick, New York took advantage of the man advantage early in the second period. Gambling to collect a loose puck, Teravainen left Islanders left wing Anders Lee in front of the net alone for an easy goal, extending the lead to three.

For a brief moment, you could hear a pin drop in the “loudest house in the NHL” as all the life was seemingly taken out of the arena. That didn’t hinder the Hurricanes' determination as they continued to put up dominant shifts repeatedly.

For 33 minutes, every Hurricanes fan had déjà vu as it looked like the Canes would suffer another agonizing loss in which the scoring didn’t reflect what was happening on the ice. Then in the next 27 minutes, things quickly changed direction.

Carolina dominated puck possession and seemed destined to get a goal. But the Canes kept coming up short, either hitting the post or getting blocked by an Islanders defender. Redeeming himself, Teravainen cashed in on the power play it was only a matter of time before the Canes completed the comeback.

“That power-play goal was huge,” Martinook said. “And then I think the last eight minutes in the second period, we were in their zone and it just felt like we’re starting to take over the game and then in the third period obviously you ride that momentum you built in the second and just try to keep it going.”

The Canes rode that momentum for the final 34:56 of the game where they gave up just a single shot on goal. Everything was tilted the Canes’ way except the scoring. At the second intermission, it wasn’t a matter of if but a matter of when.

In the back half of the third, the Canes scored four goals starting with Jarvis’ wrister to cut the lead to one. Keeping the puck in the zone, defenseman Brady Skjei found center Jordan Staal who slotted it to Jarvis, who put it in the back of the net.

Before his goal, Aho struggled to make an impact on this series. He had hit a few posts but only registered two shots on goal with zero points. Redirecting a shot from right wing Andrei Svechnikov, Aho tipped it past Islanders netminder Semyon Varlamov to tie the game.

As the Islanders were left shell-shocked giving up a three-goal lead, Martinook stunned them again. Nine seconds after Aho’s goal, Martinook shot the puck from below the goal line to hit the back of Varlamov’s pads and go in. The Canes, the Islanders and spectators alike sat in disbelief at the sudden goal.-

Guentzel’s empty net goal sealed the win and started multiple scrums. Islanders players were thrown out left and right, letting their frustration boil over.

Now, the Canes will travel to Long Island for Game 3 but without defenseman Brett Pesce, who went down in the second period. Brind’Amour said things don’t look good for Pesce’s status moving forward. Game 3 is set for Thursday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m.