The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll break down each day’s matchups with the all-important television and live streaming information included.
Anyone expecting the Storm Surge to lose some of its wind speed heading into Round 2 would have been sadly mistaken.
This ‘bunch of jerks’ seem right at home, likely a by-product of a tough Round 1 series against the Washington Capitals where they needed double overtime to move on to face the New York Islanders. They’re battle-hardened.
To be fair, both teams battled to a 0-0 draw until Jordan Staal’s goal in the first overtime period of Game 1. Both Petr Mrazek and Robin Lehner came as advertised, both making 31 saves in the game.
Mrazek has been nothing short of sensational in his past six outings, going 5-1 with a .929 save percentage and two shutouts. You can’t ask for much more in the playoffs.
“Petey was definitely our best player by far tonight, no question,” Staal said following Game 1. “He’s got that gamer attitude, that gamer feel. When the team and the boys need a big save he’s kind of been there to bail us out.”
It would be unfair to say the Islanders need a bounce-back performance. They played well in Game 1 but couldn’t find the back of the net. Perhaps it’s just the plight of a team that had 10 days of rest. The Columbus Blue Jackets dropped Game 1 of their respective Round 2 series against the Boston Bruins but rebounded for a double overtime win on Saturday.
“We’re coming into this series 10 [days] removed from highly competitive games,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “Physically, we’re fine. We’ve got to get back to that mental state that they’re in. It takes some time; it might take a period, it might take a couple of periods or a game, and then you get to that state where you’re fully invested. It’s not necessarily a physical rust; it’s sometimes a mental rust. You double clutch, you take a look, that extra second that you didn’t take maybe a little earlier. Those go away and you get better. I’m confident we’ll be better in the series.”
The team that gets their power play clicking could get a massive advantage.
Carolina is 0-for-16 over their past five games with the Islanders at 0-for-9 in this past three.
Game 2 of Hurricanes-Islanders is Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC (Live stream).
[NBC 2019 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
Game 2: Colorado Avalanche at San Jose Sharks, 7:30 p.m. ET. (Sharks lead 1-0)
The Sharks have found their stride, Martin Jones has found his game and it’s equated now to four straight wins for San Jose. Since Game 5 of their Round 1 series against Vegas, Jones is 4-0 with a .943 save percentage and a 1.89 goals-against average. For Colorado, getting their top line rolling (one that had Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Alexander Kerfoot in Game 1) is paramount. MacKinnon and Rantanen were lights out against the Calgary Flames in Round 1 but combined for just a single point in Game 1 of this series. (NBCSN; Live stream)
SATURDAY’S SCORES
Stars 4, Blues 2
Blue Jackets 3, Bruins 2 (2OT)
PHT’s Round 2 previews
• Round 2 schedule, TV info
• Questions for the final eight teams
• PHT Roundtable
• Blue Jackets vs. Bruins
• Hurricanes vs. Islanders
• Blues vs. Stars
• Avalanche vs. Sharks
Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck