The New York Islanders can't have expected to find themselves in the position they're in on Friday, as they look to avoid being swept by the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes, who went seven games Round 1 while the Islanders swept the Penguins, have looked nothing short of spectacular this series, landing a crushing blow in a 5-2 Game 3 win after two spectacular outings from the Islanders' Robin Lehner where he wound up the hard luck loser.
Sebastian Aho got on the board for the Hurricanes in Game 3, while Teuvo Teravainen notched two goals himself. The result was a dominant win for the Hurricanes, in a strong performance between the pipes from Curtis McElhinney, who took over for an injured Petr Mrazek in Game 2 and started Game 3.
In the West, the Stars and Blues play on Friday in a pivotal Game 5, with the series is tied at 2-2 as it moves back to St. Louis. The Blues struggled in Game 4, giving up four goals, so they'll look to mend their defense. The Stars, meanwhile, have also been up and down this series on the defensive end, so they'll look for some consistency in front of Ben Bishop.
All Stanley Cup playoff games on NBC, NBCSN and USA can be streamed via fuboTV (Try for free).
Stanley Cup playoffs for Friday, May 3
Game 4: Islanders vs. Hurricanes (CAR leads, 3-0) 7 p.m. ET -- TV: NBCSN [Preview]Game 5: Stars vs. Blues (Series tied, 2-2) 9:30 p.m. ET -- TV: NBCSN [Preview]
