Canes score four unanswered to down Islanders in New York

By AIDAN JENSEN

[email protected]

Two nights after the New York Rangers scored a third-period goal to down the Carolina Hurricanes, Carolina was back on the ice against another New York team – the Islanders.

This has become a familiar matchup of late, with the Canes and Isles last facing off in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in April. Carolina won this first round matchup in six games, taking two at home and on the road apiece.

On Saturday night in Long Island, the Canes scored four unanswered goals and escaped UBS Arena with a 4-3, overtime victory.

Just over a minute into extra time, Aho netted his second 2023 goal by sending a low shot past Isles goalie Ilya Sorokin’s left pad. Aho skated back into the offensive zone, took a beautiful backhand pass from center Martin Nečas and sent Carolina back home with a victory.

Canes defenseman Jalen Chatfield started the comeback midway through the second period, sending a wrist shot through traffic that queakd its way past Sorokin. Another Carolina defenseman, Dmitry Orlov, netted goal number two on a one-timer later in the third period.

In the closing stages of a third-period powerplay, with just five minutes left in regulation, Jesperi Kotkaniemi tied Seth Jarvis atop the Canes goal leaderboard with his fifth tally. Andrei Svechnikov skated around the back of the next, passed it to a waiting Kotkaniemi in front of the net, then Kotkaniemi hammered it home.

This was exactly the type of signature game Carolina needed to win, as it sits at just 7-5 through its first 12 games. This is good enough for second in the Metropolitan Division, but not as strong a start compared to recent seasons.

The Canes return home for a 7 p.m. faceoff, against the Buffalo Sabres, on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Buffalo sits at 6-6 and beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 6-4, in Toronto on Saturday night.