NEW YORK — Winning a playoff game on the road for the first time in nearly two years meant very little to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The important thing was they won and moved closer to advancing in their first-round series with the New York Islanders.
Seth Jarvis scored twice and the Canes snapped an eight-game postseason road losing streak with a 5-2 victory Sunday, pushing the Islanders to the brink of elimination.
“It means we got a win and we’re up 3-1 in the series,” said Canes star forward Sebastian Aho, who added a goal and two assists. “We’re just trying to advance to the next round obviously. It takes four wins and we got one more to go and today was the big one.”
The Hurricanes can wrap up the best-of-seven series in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Raleigh, North Carolina. This was the first game in the series which was not close. Even the Islanders’ 5-1 win on Friday was tied 1-1 late.
Jarvis said the feeling of winning on the road was unbelievable.
“It’s nice to win one not on home ice,” said the 21-year-old who joined the team last year and didn’t win an away contest. “It only helps us. It’s not good when you can’t win on the road and we win at home. It’s nice to take one here and we can go home to Carolina and hopefully end it.”
Antti Raanta made 27 saves in helping the Canes post their first postseason road victory since the second round in 2021. Martin Necas and Mackenzie MacEachern also scored and Stefan Noesen had the primary assist on two power-play goals for the Hurricanes.
“I think it’s the first time we scored more than two goals in the streak,” Raanta added.
Aho’s goal was his record-setting 20th in the postseason with Carolina, breaking the franchise record he shared with Eric Staal.
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 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.
“It’s easy to play with a guy like that,” Jarvis said.
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.
“We had a good start,” Islanders veteran forward Zach Parise said. “They had the five-on-three right away and they capitalized. It’s deflating.”
A roughing penalty against Matt Martin put Carolina on the power play to start the second period and Necas scored from in close.
Coach Lane Lambert said the Islanders approach will not change.
“Same mindset as we always have,” said Lambert, who was not thrilled with some of his team’s undisciplined penalties as well as some calls by the officials. “Same as you say after every game, win or lose. Get ready for the next game.”
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: Carolina played most of the game without Jack Drury, who sustained an upper-body injury early on a boarding call against Islanders D Ryan Pulock. Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour did not have any word on his condition after the game. … 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. He found out he was playing when he arrived at the arena Sunday morning.
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