Islanders finish comeback from early hole to beat Hurricanes in OT

Field Level Media|published: Sat 25th January, 22:57 2025

Jan 25, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) takes a shot against Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (52) and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (4) during the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Brock Nelson scored 2:03 into overtime Saturday night for the New York Islanders, who earned a dramatic and unlikely 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Elmont, N.Y.

The Islanders trailed 2-0 fewer than seven minutes into the game and lost goalie Marcus Hogberg to an injury after regulation but still won their season-high fourth straight game to improve to 4-2-0 on a season-long seven-game homestand.

Ilya Sorokin replaced Hogberg and stopped Seth Jarvis at the 1:27 mark. Seconds later, New York's Kyle Palmieri picked off a pass by Hurricanes right winger Andrei Svechnikov that was headed toward the Islanders' crease. The center dished to Nelson to begin a 2-on-1 that ended with Nelson firing a shot into the far corner of the net from the right faceoff circle.

Alexander Romanov scored in the first and Anders Lee scored in the third for the Islanders, who are six points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets in the race for the Eastern Conference's two wild-card berths. Hogberg made 24 saves.

Jack Roslovic and Sebastian Aho scored early for the Hurricanes, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov recorded 23 saves.

Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall, acquired in the blockbuster three-way trade with the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks, each made their Hurricanes debuts. Rantanen was a plus-one in 18:54, while Hall played 11:36.

The Hurricanes raced out to a 2-0 lead when Roslovic and Aho scored in a 72-second span early in the first. Roslovic fired a shot from the right faceoff circle off the far post at the 5:18 mark, and Aho's pass from behind the net intended for Rantanen glanced off the stick of New York defenseman Isaiah George and fluttered past Hogberg.

Romanov scored with 2:07 left in the period when his shot glanced off the stick of a kneeling Roslovic and went under the glove of Kochetkov. Lee tied the score 6:26 into the third by flicking home the rebound of Bo Horvat's shot in the slot.

--Field Level Media

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