Islanders Rally, Then Fall Late to Hurricanes

Carolina scored twice in the opening four minutes, putting the Islanders under pressure early. New York responded with a stronger second period, but its comeback was not enough to prevent a second straight regulation loss. The Islanders have not beaten the Hurricanes in 22 months.

Mitchell Chaffee tipped in a shot created by Matthew Schaefer to get New York on the board. Brayden Schenn tied the game with a wraparound early in the second, and Victor Eklund made it 3-3 late in the period with a one-timer set up by Schenn.

Goaltender Semyon Varlamov recovered after allowing two goals on Carolina’s first three shots. He stopped 34 shots, including a diving save late in the second period that helped preserve the tie. The Islanders’ second line scored twice, while their third line created several rush chances.

New York could not carry that momentum into the final period. Its power play went 0-for-4, with poor entries limiting chances, and the Islanders struggled to move the puck out of their zone. William Carrier put Carolina ahead with 5:08 remaining, and Jalen Chatfield added an empty-net goal in the final minute. Defensive breakdowns contributed to Carolina’s early scoring and a second-period goal.