ELMONT, N.Y. — The New York Islanders were undisciplined in their crushing 5-2 Game 4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at home Sunday. But when they weren't earning their trips to the penalty box, they felt the officials were finding reasons to send them there anyway.
The Islanders took four first-period penalties, while the Hurricanes had three. Coach Lane Lambert disputed two of them, both critical.
At 2:41 of the first period, forward Zach Parise was called for goalie interference after falling on Carolina's Antti Raanta (27 saves). Replays showed Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield might have shoved Parise into Raanta.
«I thought he got pushed into the goaltender,» Lambert said. «Sometimes that happens.»
The penalty preceded a boarding call against defenseman Ryan Pulock. The Hurricanes scored a 5-on-3 power-play goal by Seth Jarvis for the 1-0 lead.
«I mean, you got an excited building, you try to feed off that energy, and all of a sudden you find yourself killing a 5-on-3 right away and they bury one,» said Parise, who said he felt he was pushed into Raanta. «It's a little deflating. You've got to overcome different things, whether it's calls you don't like or bounces that don't go your way.»
It appeared the Islanders might get a 5-on-3 of their own moments later. With Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the penalty box, defenseman Brent Burns cross-checked the Islanders' Mathew Barzal against the boards. The on-ice officials whistled a penalty on Burns but added a minor penalty to Barzal for what they felt was a dive.
«He got embellishment and I don't understand that,» Lambert said.
Those calls and others led to a disjointed first period that did the Islanders no favors.
«We created some good momentum, but tonight we were
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