Though the numbers won’t reflect kindly on their performance, the New York Islanders got their first win of the season and first win under new head coach Barry Trotz on opening night. The Carolina Hurricanes outshot the Islanders 46-20, and sustained the majority of the offensive pressure. But what counts is what’s on the scoresheet, and goals from Valtteri Filppula and Josh Bailey earned the Isles the overtime victory.
It’s hard to judge a lot about the Islanders in just their first game against a Hurricanes team that’s been poised to make the leap into contender for the past three seasons, but few players stood out.