Hurricanes Now -170 Favorites to Win Series vs Islanders After Taking Game 1

• Oddsmakers now list the Carolina Hurricanes as favorites to win their Stanley Cup playoff series from the New York Islanders following their Game 1 victory
• The Islanders were favored entering the series
• Carolina has reached the final four the last three times the team qualified for postseason play

When it comes to the Stanley Cup, the Carolina Hurricanes are kind of like that most interesting man in the world fellow from those Dos Equis ads. They don’t always make the playoffs, but when they do, they do it very well.

With Friday’s 1-0 shutout of the New York Islanders, the Hurricanes have taken the first step toward making it four-for-four.

Hurricanes vs Islanders Series Odds

*Odds taken on 04/27/19

They’ve also moved into the driver’s seat when it comes to the series outcome, according to the odds on offer. The sportsbook now favors Carolina to win the series.

At the outset of this series, oddsmakers pegged the Islanders as the -125 chalk to win the series.

This team is special. pic.twitter.com/oPGVsT3fpS

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 27, 2019

You could say that they stay thirsty to drink from Lord Stanley’s mug.

This is just the fourth time since the 2001-02 NHL season that the Hurricanes have found themselves in the Stanley Cup tournament. In each of their three previous visits, Carolina reached the Stanley Cup final four.

Frame it. pic.twitter.com/3zCEa7NdvH

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 27, 2019

Category Final Four Hurricanes

This is Carolina’s first trip to the playoffs since 2008-09, when they lost the Eastern Conference final to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

This is what leadership looks like. pic.twitter.com/D5TLkbxuOv

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 25, 2019

In 2005-06, Carolina won the first and so far only Stanley Cup in franchise history, topping the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.

Four seasons earlier, the Hurricanes made it to the Stanley Cup final for the first time ever, losing in five games to the Detroit Red Wings.

Jordan Staal netted his first career postseason overtime goal 13 years to the day after his older brother Eric ended Game 3 of the 2006 CQF vs. MTL in the same fashion with the @NHLCanes. #StanleyCup

More #NHLStats: https://t.co/ToHFIrLRLF pic.twitter.com/DJCK201zuo

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 27, 2019

The good news if you’re an Islanders backer is that the last three times Carolina was in the playoffs, either the Hurricanes won the Cup or the team that eliminated them did.

On the other hand, the Isles have lost the last nine series in which they’ve fallen behind.

Home-Ice Disadvantage?

The Islanders have split this season utilizing two venues as home ice. They played 20 regular-season games in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, going 12-8 and 21 games on Long Island at the Nassau County Coliseum, posting a 12-9 slate.

Jordan Staal put an end to this one! pic.twitter.com/8cjlSg7shN

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 27, 2019

In the opening round sweep of Pittsburgh, both of New York’s home wins were at the Coliseum. They’ll be at the Barclays Center for the remainder of postseason play and are already 0-1 there.

Home teams are 28-22 so far in the playoffs. The only series where home ice came heavily to the fore was the Carolina-Washington set. The home team won the first six games.

But when it mattered most in Game 7, the Hurricanes defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals right in their own backyard.

If they can do that, they’ll have no problem disposing of the Islanders.