Get ready for a good old-fashioned goalie battle.
The Hurricanes and Islanders are set to square off in the first round of the 2023 NHL playoffs, featuring two of the best defensive teams in the league.
The last time these two teams met in the playoffs, was a quick second-round series in 2019. The Hurricanes swept the Islanders in four games to advance to the Eastern Conference Final, where they lost to the Bruins.
Carolina earned the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, narrowly edging out New Jersey. It's the fifth-straight season that the Hurricanes have made the postseason, however, the team hasn't gotten to the conference finals since 2019.
For New York, the club is back in the postseason after missing out on the playoffs last year. The Islanders made back-to-back runs to the Eastern Conference Final in 2020 and 2021 but lost both years to the Lightning.
NHL PLAYOFF PICTURE: Updated standings, bracket, matchups & key dates for 2022-23 season
Here's what you need to know about the series between the Hurricanes and Islanders.
Key storyline: Which offense can break through in the series?
If you're looking for a series featuring a ton of offense and goals, you've come to the wrong first-round matchup.
The Hurricanes and Islanders are both built on defense. Carolina's 2.53 goals-against average only trails Boston for the best in the NHL, and New York's mark of 2.65 is not much further, sitting in fourth in the league.
Carolina relies on its defensive system, with Frederik Andersen leading the way in net. The same can be said about New York, which is constantly carried on the shoulders of Ilya Sorokin.
On the flip side, offensively, both teams are in the middle of the pack. The Hurricanes averaged 3.16 goals per game, tied for 17th in the NHL. The Islanders come in at 22nd, scoring at a rate of 2.95 goals per game. It's the two lowest-scoring offenses out of the eight playoff teams in the East.
All it is going to take is one defense bending a bit more than the other.
Hurricanes vs. Islanders playoff schedule, TV channels
| Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV/Result |
| Mon., April 17 | at Carolina | FINAL | Hurricanes 2, Islanders 1 |
| Wed., April 19 | at Carolina | FINAL | Hurricanes 4, Islanders 3 (OT) |
| Fri., April 21 | at New York | FINAL | Islanders 5, Hurricanes 1 |
| Sun., April 23 | at New York | FINAL | Hurricanes 5, Islanders 2 |
| Tue., April 25 | at Carolina | 7 p.m. | ESPN, SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS |
| *Fri., April 28 | at New York | TBD | TBD |
| *Sun., April 30 | at Carolina | TBD | TBD |
* If necessary
Hurricanes vs. Islanders odds
According to Sports Interaction, the Hurricanes are the favorite to win the series against the Islanders.
Hurricanes: -208
Islanders: +184
Odds provided by Sports Interaction
In the U.S., Bet 365 also has the Hurricanes as the betting favorite to win the first-round series over the Islanders.
Hurricanes: -220
Islanders: +180
Odds provided by Bet 365
Hurricanes vs. Islanders prediction
Both sides of this series have the ability to steal a game with the play of their goaltender. The Islanders have made recent deep playoff runs by using that strategy, and the Hurricanes are going to rely on it even more without forwards Max Pacioretty and Andrei Svechnikov.
With that said, I give the Hurricanes an edge in offense, which is going to be the difference-maker in the series. I think ultimately Carolina takes care of business and Andersen is just slightly better than Sorokin to secure a first-round win.
Prediction: Hurricanes in six.
