from Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post,

This wasn’t a guarantee, or even a moment of braggadocio. It was just a testament to how confident the Islanders felt as they took a 2-0 deficit in their best-of-seven, second-round series with the Hurricanes south for a pivotal Game 3 Wednesday night.

“It’s not a big deal. We’re just going to go down there and win,” goalie Robin Lehner told The Post after Tuesday’s practice on Long Island. “It’s a pretty simple game plan. We’re going to score one goal more than they do next game, then go from there and win another one.”

The confidence has not wavered for these plucky Islanders despite the fact they scored just one goal — on a deflected pass — during the first two contests at Barclays Center. Lehner has been solid in only allowing three goals, picking right up where he left off in the first-round sweep of the Penguins.

But it hasn’t been enough. They went into overtime in Game 1 without a goal being scored by either team, and they lost Game 2 when they allowed a 1-0 lead turn into a 2-1 deficit in the span of 48 seconds at the start of the third period. So, no, they haven’t exactly played poorly. They just haven’t done enough to win yet.

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