After winning the best-of-7 series against the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, the Carolina Hurricanes advanced to play the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup Semifinals. The Islanders, led by former Capitals Stanley Cup winning head coach Barry Trotz, many were to say the Islanders would give the Canes trouble because of their coach and veteran leadership.
It was all but that. The first two games were relatively competitive. The Islanders had home-ice advantage for the entire series, but both home games were stolen by Carolina. Game was was scoreless throughout regulation, then Carolina goes on and scores the lone goal in that game, winning 1-0 in overtime. In Game 2, the game was tied for a good chunk of the way, until Carolina scores in the third period winning 2-1.
Games 3 and 4 shifted down to Raleigh, NC. If the Caps struggled because of PNC Arena's loud atmosphere, how would the Islanders take it? The answer: not so well. It honestly looked like another version of the Capitals playing down there, with loud arena fueling the players. Ironically, games 3 and 4 both ended in 5-2 victories for Carolina, which was also the same scored in Game 6 in the Capitals series.
Nevertheless, Carolina advances, sweeping the series against the Islanders 4-0 and will take on the winner of the Boston Bruins/Columbus Blue Jackets series, where the winner will be declared the Eastern Conference champion and will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
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