After dropping the first two games of their playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes, the New York Islanders are hoping that home ice advantage can help them turn things around in Game 3 at UBS Arena. The Islanders have a history of struggling in the playoffs at home, but they believe that the support of their fans can make a difference.
“When you have the crowd behind you and that energy, it puts a little extra step in your game,” said Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock. “And as the visiting team, you have to try to fight that and get that back. I think we’re gonna be excited come Game 3. I think our building will be lively, just like theirs was, and we can feed off that energy.”
The Islanders will need to find a way to match the intensity of the Carolina crowd, which was a major factor in the Hurricanes’ Game 2 victory. The Hurricanes scored two goals in the final five minutes of regulation to tie the game and then won it in overtime.
“The crowd was definitely a factor,” said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour. “They were really into it and they gave us a lot of energy. It’s always tough to play on the road in the playoffs, but our crowd really helped us out tonight.”
The Islanders will need to find a way to generate more offense in Game 3. They have only scored two goals in the first two games of the series.
“We need to find a way to get more pucks to the net,” said Islanders coach Barry Trotz. “We’re not getting enough shots on goal and we’re not creating enough scoring chances. We need to be better in that area.”
The Islanders will also need to be better defensively. They have allowed five goals in the first two games of the series.
“We need to be harder to play against,” Trotz said. “We’re giving up too many Grade-A scoring chances. We need to be better in our own zone.”
The Islanders will have an extra day to prepare for Game 3. They will practice on Wednesday and then have a morning skate on Thursday.
“We need to use this extra day to rest and recover,” Trotz said. “We also need to use this time to make some adjustments. We need to be better in all areas of the game if we want to win Game 3.”
The Islanders are facing a must-win situation in Game 3. If they lose, they will be down 3-0 in the series and on the verge of elimination.
“We know what’s at stake,” Pulock said. “We need to come out and play our best game of the series. We need to win Game 3.”
