In the wake of a disappointing Game 2 loss, New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy is urging his team to revisit the strategies that proved successful in their Game 1 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. Roy believes the Islanders outplayed Carolina in the series opener and attributes the Game 2 defeat to their opponents’ superior performance. The team has spent a significant portion of practice focusing on breakouts and regrouping, aiming to improve their puck possession and limit Carolina’s offensive opportunities.
Forward Bo Horvat emphasized the need to limit Carolina’s time and space in their defensive zone and create foot races by breaking pucks out effectively. Lineup changes are expected as Hudson Fasching is likely to return to the lineup, while Simon Holmstrom will sit out. Matt Martin remains day-to-day with maintenance, and Ruslan Iskhakov is a potential replacement if Martin is unable to play.
Carolina will be without defenseman Brett Pesce for the remainder of the series due to an injury, with Tony DeAngelo expected to take his place. Jesper Fast remains sidelined for Carolina and will likely miss Game 3 as well.
