Islanders score 4 goals in span of 2:18, breaking playoff record

ELMONT, NY — The New York Islanders broke a 79-year-old Stanley Cup playoffs record for the fastest four goals by one team in their 5-1 Game 3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

The win cut New York's first-round Eastern Conference series deficit to 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday afternoon at UBS Arena.

Forward Kyle Palmieri's power-play goal with 3 minutes and 51 seconds left in regulation broke a 1-1 tie. The Islanders then received goals from forward Matt Martin, defenseman Scott Mayfield and forward Anders Lee in quick succession.

Those four goals in a span of 2:18 were the fastest four goals by one team in Stanley Cup playoffs history, breaking the record of 2:35 set by the Montreal Canadiens in an 11-0 semifinal-round win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 30, 1944.

Palmieri said he couldn't remember seeing so many goals scored that quickly by one team — especially after such a defensive stalemate between the Islanders and Hurricanes leading up to the offensive explosion.

«It was special,» said Palmieri. «It was an emotional night. I think we played the right way. We stuck with it and our fans stuck with it. It was a nice way to finish off Game 3.»

The Islanders' Casey Cizikas and the Hurricanes' Jesper Fast scored the game's only goals before the record-setting sequence late in the third period. Palmieri gave the Islanders the 2-1 advantage by tipping home a shot from teammate Sebastian Aho. Palmieri then hit Martin with a pass as he cut to the net, with Martin beating Hurricanes goalie Antti Raanta cleanly 44 seconds later.

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