The New York Islanders got off to an energetic start as they sought to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. But as happens so often in elimination games where the trailing team is down by multiple games in the series, things steadily decayed to a point that soon left no doubt.
So it happened in Game 4, with Carolina’s notching its first-ever sweep by dispatching the Islanders, 5-2 in Raleigh.
After sweeping their first-round opponent, the Isles are out in four. A most unexpected season comes to an unexpected swift end.