Hurricanes aim to end Islanders' slim playoff chances

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes followed similar paths to the last week of the season.

However, the Islanders still have a slim chance at making the playoffs, while the Hurricanes are eliminated from contention.

The teams play Thursday night at PNC Arena, where the Islanders must win in order to maintain hope.

"I'm proud for a couple of hours, but we have to get back to work," said Islanders interim coach Doug Weight, whose team has won three in a row.

With three games left, the Islanders would need three more wins in a row and some help to catch the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Ottawa Senators for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning each have 88 points, Toronto has 93 and Ottawa has 94.

The Hurricanes will play the first of three season-ending games knowing they're out of the race.

"We've got to do it right here," Carolina coach Bill Peters said. "We're going to finish hard here. We want to finish on a positive note with our effort and our attention to detail."

Carolina moved into playoff contention with a 13-game points streak. Since then, the Hurricanes lost three in a row and were ousted from contention with a 5-3 loss at Minnesota on Tuesday night.

So, with the Hurricanes no longer a direct factor in the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Islanders have one less team to compete with. But Carolina can be a factor because it takes on the Islanders in the third-to-last game for each team.

"Win (six) in a row and give yourself a chance," said Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey, who scored in overtime in Tuesday night's 2-1 victory at Nashville.

Unless the Islanders are officially eliminated, they will maintain the mindset that reaching the postseason is possible.

"Just keep going out there and laying everything on the line," New York left winger Brock Nelson said. "Just keep going out there and control what you can control. That's what we talk about, keep winning and give yourself a chance."

The Hurricanes still have a few things worth noting as the season winds down.

Left winger Bryan Bickell will be set for his first home game since October. He returned to NHL action for the Minnesota game after missing a few months following a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and then playing for the American Hockey League's Charlotte Checkers.

"Emotionally, it was good to get back out there," Bickell said. "You think about all it took to get to this point. I'm happy to be back here. You take it game by game and move on to the next one."

Bickell had played seven games for the Hurricanes prior to the interruption of this season. He is anxious to see how he handles the final week.

"Physically, it was OK," Bickell said of the first game back.

Carolina's Jeff Skinner has notched a career-best 35 goals this season, and he is aiming to add to that total.

"He has goal-scoring instincts," Peters said.

The Hurricanes are 3-0-1 against the Islanders this season, outscoring New York 22-15 in a high-scoring series.