Yes, the Washington Capitals were on the second night of a back-to-back against the Carolina Hurricanes. Yes, they had played almost 125 minutes of hockey on consecutive nights when the Hurricanes scored late in OT. But Carolina defeating the Capitals perfectly highlights the struggles the New York Islanders will likely face for the majority of this season.
The Hurricanes simply have the scoring punch that the Islanders don’t. Just like the Islanders on Friday, the Hurricanes kept the Caps scoring in check for most of the night. But unlike the Islanders, Carolina didn’t flounder offensively when trailing.