In Game 4 of the NHL playoffs, the New York Islanders stunned the Carolina Hurricanes with a 3-2 victory, extending the series and preventing a sweep. With his second goal of the match just 1:24 into the second overtime period, Mathew Barzal proved to be the game’s hero.
The Islanders were driven to victory by Barzal’s clutch play, Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s goal, and Semyon Varlamov’s superb goaltending. To help his side avoid elimination, Varlamov produced an incredible 42 saves, including 18 in the overtime periods.
Seth Jarvis and Stefan Noesen’s goals helped the Hurricanes mount a valiant defense against the Islanders’ tenacity. Although Carolina’s goalie Frederik Andersen made 33 stops, it wasn’t enough to seal the victory.
Both sides are preparing for Game 5 in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the Islanders will try to maintain their momentum and force a Game 6 with the series currently 3-1 in favor of the Hurricanes.
There were several physical altercations and near misses throughout overtime in this furious game. Nevertheless, Barzal’s game-winning goal helped the Islanders prevail in the end.
The fact that the Islanders didn’t give up easily and persevered throughout the game was evidence of their tenacity and resolve. Both sides will be trying to grab the upper hand and guarantee their place in the following round of the playoffs as the series moves into Game 5.