Takeaways From NY Islanders Loss to Carolina Hurricanes

The New York Islanders suffered a 5-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes and their matchup provided some key takeaways.

Nov 5, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (40) defends against a shot on goal attempt from Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) in the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders displayed some of their biggest flaws in their 5-3 loss against the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday evening. Their struggles ultimately were too much to get past one of the premier teams like Carolina.

One of the issues that haunted the Islanders was the lack of defensive pressure. The Hurricanes dominated in the defensive zone, putting up a total of 39 shots-on-net against Semyon Varlamov.

While New York's goaltender was sharp given the amount of shots he had to face, it continues to prove unsustainable, especially for a backup goalie who has made four starts after dealing with injuries over the past two seasons. Varlamov was able to finish the game with 34 saves overall.

The Islanders had some trouble when it came to keeping control of the puck, and Carolina made sure to take advantage, specifically when they took a 1-0 lead off a turnover by defenseman Tony DeAngelo 57 seconds into the first period.

Sloppy play put Islanders in early hole against Hurricanes

The Islanders played the first-place Hurricanes tough but fell to Carolina 5-3 https://t.co/0O8PQRcD6c

— SNY Islanders (@SNY_Islanders) November 6, 2026

Through the first 15 games of this season, New York sits 15th in the NHL in terms of giveaways at 14.50 per game. While they have proved to be in the middle of the pack, head coach Pete DeBoer must evaluate and come up with strategies for his players to be more cautious with the puck.

The biggest issue that the Islanders displayed was their struggles on the power play. During their matchup, New York went 0-for-4 on the man advantage, bringing them to 15.9% (7-for-44) for the year.

The power play has been a constant struggle over the last few years and continues to be a main reason why the Islanders are often unable to close out games. Injuries certainly don't help with Mathew Barzal, Calum Ritchie and Matias Maccelli all sidelined.

After everything New York struggled with in their matchup against Carolina, they were able to stay in the game until the end. After falling behind 2-0 early, a pair of goals scored by forwards Mitchell Chaffee and Brayden Schenn tied the game in the second period. Victor Eklund was able to retie the game at 3-3 near the end of the second, giving him another signature moment during the start of his young career.

The Islanders were unable to find the equalizer after a goal scored by Hurricanes forward William Carrier with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. Coach DeBoer will have his team regroup and develop a plan to clean up their mistakes ahead of their next matchup against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday evening.