Barzal strikes in double OT to keep Islanders alive

Mathew Barzal scored his second goal of the game on a deflection 1:24 into the second overtime and the Islanders beat the Hurricanes, 3-2, in Game 4 in New York on Saturday to avoid a sweep in their first-round playoff series.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored and Semyon Varlamov stopped 42 shots — including 18 in the overtimes — to help the Islanders stave off elimination.

“Our mindset was really good,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. “Guys were determined to find a way to fight to win this hockey game . . . . It was a team effort. It was about our D played a strong game and we were very good defensively, we were very good offensively.”

Varlamov stopped a shot by Jordan Staal in the opening minute of the second overtime. The Islanders’ Robert Bortuzzo then fired a shot from the point that deflected in off Barzal’s stick for the win.

“A great shot by Bobby to just find a lane and throw it in an area where there’s some bodies,” Barzal said. “And a lucky bounce.”

Bortuzzo said he knew the puck went in when he heard the crowd erupt.

“You didn’t hear anything and then you hear the roar,” he said. “I have not been part of a moment like this. It’s a moment I will remember.”

It was the Islanders’ first overtime goal in the playoffs since Anthony Beauvillier in Game 6 of 2021 Eastern Conference finals against Tampa Bay in the final game at the Nassau Coliseum.

“We live to see another day,” Islanders captain Anders Lee said. “We got one to go for us. Our guys worked for it for sure.”

Seth Jarvis and Stefan Noesen scored and Frederik Andersen finished with 33 saves for Carolina, which is seeking to advance to the second round for the fifth time in six years.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Raleigh, N.C.

Stamkos sparks Lightning

Steven Stamkos scored his fourth and fifth goals of the series and the Lightning avoided elimination with a 6-3 victory over the Panthers in Game 4 of their first-round playoff matchup in Tampa.

Game 5 is Monday night at Florida. Only four times in 206 tries has an NHL team rebounded from a 3-0 deficit to win a series.

Stamkos opened the scoring during the Lightning’s three-goal first period and helped ease Florida’s sustained pressure during the opening half of the third period with his goal at 9:34 that gave Tampa Bay a 5-3 lead. Nicholas Paul added a goal during a 5-on-3 power-play goal with 3:38 to go.

Brandon Hagel had two goals and an assist, and Brayden Point added a goal and two assists for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves, with Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman both getting three assists.

Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was a surprise addition to the Lightning lineup after being out since having surgery on his left leg on Feb. 8 to stabilize a broken tibia and fibula. He had an assist.

Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for Florida.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots.

Stamkos, Hagel, and Point scored

6:13 apart in the first to make it 3-0. Hagel had a short-handed goal.

Jets’ Dillon stitched up

Winnipeg defenseman Brenden Dillon

is considered day-to-day after receiving stitches in his left hand where he was apparently cut by a skate blade.

The Jets face Colorado in Game 4 on Sunday in a first-round series the Avalanche lead 2-1.

Dillon suffered the laceration after the final horn of Colorado’s 6-2 win Friday, when several players were involved in a fight. Soon after, Dillon skated toward the locker room holding his bleeding hand. There was blood on the ice and on the back of Avalanche forward Brandon Duhaime’s jersey.

“Our doctors did a fantastic job of stitching [Dillon] up. There’s no damage and that’s the most important thing,”

Jets coach Rick Bowness said. “So, we’ll keep him as day-to-day.”