Mat Barzal, Islanders Disappoint NHL Fans in Playoff-Eliminating Loss vs. Hurricanes

It only took the Carolina Hurricanes five games to eliminate Mathew Barzal and the New York Islanders from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Islanders’ season ended Tuesday night with a 6-3 Game 5 loss after a third-period collapse in North Carolina.

Barzal assisted twice as the Islanders recovered from an early deficit to head into the final frame with the score tied.

The Islanders then allowed two goals in eight seconds.

The late collapse disappointed Islanders fans, especially after New York blew a three-goal lead earlier in the series while losing Game 2 to the Hurricanes:

The elimination loss was particularly painful after fans watched former Islanders captain John Tavares set up a game-winning overtime goal, keeping the Toronto Maple Leafs’ playoff hopes alive in their own series against the Boston Bruins, the same night:

To add insult to injury, the New York Knicks also lost in overtime to the Philadelphia 76ers, squandering a chance to close out their own first-round series in five games.

In addition, the New York Yankees lost 4-2 to the Baltimore Orioles.

The Islanders now face the question of how much to rebuild the current roster in the offseason after a regular season in which they only narrowly qualified for the playoffs.

Tuesday night’s collapse had some fans calling for a complete rebuild:

While the Islanders prepare for locker cleanout, the Hurricanes will advance to the second round. Next the Canes will take on the New York Rangers, fresh out of their first-round sweep of the Washington Capitals.