Islanders Stay Alive With Inspired Road Effort

Good morning and happy Wednesday, April 26th.

Honestly, we’re getting sick of telling you, but seriously, be the hero of your beer league or youth team and enter to win up to 20 FREE hockey sticks thanks to our partnership with ProStockHockey.com. 👇

Home may be where the heart is. But the road is where the wins are in this year’s NHL postseason.

The New York Islanders upended the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in Raleigh, N.C. Tuesday to become the 16th team in these playoffs to win at least one game on the road. The only other time in NHL history when every team won at least once on the road occurred in 2012 when road teams won a NHL-record 47 out of 86 games (54.6%).

The Islanders still trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven series with Game 6 scheduled for Friday in New York.

Pierre Engvall and Brock Nelson each registered a goal and an assist for New York in its strong road effort. Nelson is a player who can be counted on when the season is on the line: He has three goals and three assists in his career in elimination games on the road.

But goalie Ilya Sorokin was the star on Tuesday, making 34 saves to preserve the win.

“He’s special,” Mathew Barzal said.. “He really is. He’s been our backbone all year. You look at the most important players in the league to their teams, I think he’s in the top three or five players in the league.”

But New York’s total team effort cannot be overlooked. The Hurricanes, with Brent Burns and Jaccub Slavin leading the defense, are known for their ability to shut down the opposition. But on Tuesday, it was the New York defense that found the spotlight.

The Islanders blocked 22 shots in the contest, compared to four for the Hurricanes.

⭐️ Roope Hintz produced his third three-point game of the series and Jake Oettinger earned his first career playoff shutout to lead the Dallas Stars to a 4-0 win against the Minnesota Wild. The Stars now have a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series heading into Friday’s Game 6. Hintz leads the NHL this postseason with 11 points (four goals, seven assists). He passed Mike Modano, Sergei Zubov and Jamie Benn for most points in a playoff series since the Stars relocated to Dallas for the 1993-94 season. The Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise record is 13 (Dennis Maruk, Minnesota North Stars, 1986 Division Semifinal).

✌️ Connor McDavid’s two assists extended his point-scoring streak to five games and helped the Edmonton Oilers down the Los Angeles Kings 6-3. Nick Bjugstad, acquired near the NHL trade deadline to provide supplemental scoring, added a pair of goals, The Oilers now boast a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven series. The Oilers have a 12-1 record in their history when leading 3-2 in a series. McDavid’s two assists give him 40 in 42 career playoff games. He is the sixth fastest in league history to reach 40. Those who reached 40 faster: Wayne Gretzky (27), Ken Linseman (35), Mario Lemieux (36), Leon Draisaitl (37) and Peter Stastny (38).

How many total Stanley Cups have the Boston Bruins won? Bonus: name the years.

• Islanders hold off Hurricanes in Game 5, stay alive in East 1st Round

• Bjugstad, Oilers beat Kings to take 3-2 series lead

• Colorado Avalanche top D-man Cale Makar suspended 1 game for hit

• What should the Maple Leafs do with Michael Bunting?

• Winnipeg Jets hopeful injured Mark Scheifele will play Game 5

• Bergeron expected back for Bruins against Panthers in Game 5

• Visiting teams win 11 playoff games in a row to set NHL record

• The Kraken & Devils show signs of long term success

• Horvat, Barkov among NHL stars struggling early in playoffs

• Flames, City of Calgary, province, Stampede teaming up for new arena

• ⚾️ Brock Nelson bats puck out of mid-air for the goal

• 🚗 Adrian Kempe drives to the net and tucks it under the bar

• 🤕 Zach Hyman deflects Evan Bouchard's shot off his face for a goal

• 🎯 Sebastian Aho snipes high glove for his 3rd of the playoffs

• 🚨 Jason Robertson’s wrister through a power play screen

• 🔫 Mathew Barzal LASER on the 2-on-1

• 🦵 Marcus Foligno assessed a major & game misconduct for kneeing Faksa

• How to tips pucks from Tyler Kennedy

• Double fake shot from the point drill

TRIVIA ANSWER

The Boston Bruins have won a total of 6 Stanley Cups (1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, and 2011)… as an original-six franchise, is anyone else surprised this Stanley Cup total isn’t higher??