Kyle Palmieri and Matt Martin scored within 44 seconds of each other late in the third quarter and the New York Islanders beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 on Friday to cut their first-round series deficit to 2-1.
Casey Cizikas, Scott Mayfield and Anders Lee also scored as New York got four goals in a span of 2:18 late, the fastest four goals in Stanley Cup playoff history, to pull away. Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 shots for the Islanders, who suffered a pair of one-goal losses in their first two games in Carolina.
Jesper Fast scored for the Hurricanes and Antti Raanta finished with 32 saves.
Game 4 is back at UBS Arena on Sunday.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
The New York Islanders celebrate a third period goal by Kyle Palmieri #21 against the Carolina Hurricanes during game three of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at UBS Arena on April 21, 2023 in Elmont, New York . The Islanders defeated the Hurricanes 5-1. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Islanders had two of their four power plays in the third period, but couldn’t handle many scoring chances. Raanta then denied a close attempt by Bo Horvat with 6 1/2 minutes remaining to keep the score level. The Hurricanes keeper then made a sliding save on an attempt by Noah Dobson about 40 seconds later.
With 1 second remaining on another Islanders power play, defenseman Sebastian Aho fired a shot from the right that Palmieri deflected airborne past Raanta with 3:51 remaining.
Martin then made it 3-1 just 44 seconds later when he received a pass from Pamieri and quickly beat Raanta from the left circle.
The Hurricanes pulled Raanta for an extra skater with about 2 1/2 minutes remaining and Mayfield hit a long empty net with 1:49 left. With the goaltender back, Lee increased the lead 16 seconds later and the Islanders made playoff history with a four-goal explosion.
Carolina had three power plays in an 11 1/2-minute stretch from the last minute of the first period to the middle of the second, but managed just three shots on goal during the leads.
Cizikas then gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead when he received a pass from Ryan Pulock after the defenseman kept the puck in the offensive zone and beat Raanta down the right side with 7:11 remaining in the second.
New York Islanders fans celebrate an Islanders goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period of Game 3 in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first round playoff series on Friday, April 21, 2023, in Elmont , NY (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)
RANGERS USE POWER PLAY TO DOMINATE DEVILS IN GAME 2 AS SERIES MOVES TO NEW YORK
The Hurricanes tied it on a short-handed goal with 3:04 remaining in a 2-on-1 run when Jordan Staal fed Fast on the right side and redirected him to Sorokin. The puck was at the crease rolling toward the goal line when Islanders forward Brock Nelson came up to tip the puck inside. It was Fast’s second of the series after getting the overtime winner in Game 2.
The Hurricanes outscored the Islanders 14-7 in a physical, scoreless first period.
The raucous home crowd made noise as the puck dropped in the first postseason game at sophomore UBS Arena. The crowd erupted in a roar as Carolina’s Shayne Gostisbehere was whistled for hooking 7:50 into the game to put the Islanders on their first power play since late in the third period of Game 1. New York, who managed two shots to gate during the game. lead, had no power plays in Game 2 as the Hurricanes went 1 for 6.
Sorokin stifled a Jesperi Kotkaniemi attempt on the left goal in the 4th minute and had a save kick on a Martin Necas shot from the left side with 8:12 left in the first. Sorokin also made a couple of big saves on Brent Burns early on Carolina’s power play with about 30 seconds left in the first period.
INJURED REFEREE
Referee TJ Luxmore left the game early in the second period after Hurricanes skate Brady Skjei sliced off his left leg, as defensemen slid toward him along the end boards. Substitute referee Wes McCauley briefly replaced Luxmore until he returned several minutes later.
New York Islanders fans celebrate after center Kyle Palmieri scored against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of Game 3 in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first round playoff series on Friday, April 21, 2023 in Elmont, NY (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
LINE UP
The Islanders had defenseman Alexander Romanov back in the lineup for the first time since April 1 due to an upper body injury. Romanov skated with the team in the morning and was listed as a gametime decision. He had two goals and 20 assists in 76 games this season.