This evening, the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes play Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I’m excited to see what kind of fireworks there will be in this rematch of last year’s first-round series because the teams are largely the same—even the players Carolina added the Isles have seen a couple of times already in divisional playoff matches with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. If there’s one thing these two teams have, it’s familiarity.
Yet they certainly look a bit different than last season. Carolina has added a bit of a rush game and an elite power play, while the Islanders play a new style of defense under Patrick Roy.