NEW YORK _ The Carolina Hurricanes' playoff run took a painful turn Sunday.
First, defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk was hurt. Later, goalie Petr Mrazek.
But the Canes, while stunned by more injuries, wouldn't allow it to keep them from winning Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series against the New York Islanders.
In came goalie Curtis McElhinney for Mrazek in the second period. Warren Foegele and Nino Niederreiter scored early in the third. It ended with the Canes taking a 2-1 victory, giving the Canes 2-0 lead in the series heading back to Raleigh, N.C., for Games 3 and 4.
Foegele and Niederreiter scored 48 seconds apart early in the third period as the Canes jumped into the lead. Foegele ripped a shot from the right circle past goalie Robin Lehner and Niederreiter then tipped a Teuvo Teravainen shot past Lehner at 1:05 of the third.
The Islanders nearly tied it with 7:32 left in regulation. Jordan Eberle hit the crossbar with a shot, the puck dropping behind McElhinney before Justin Williams knocked it out of the crease. Williams then blocked an Anders Lee shot with his skate.
The sight of van Riemsdyk being crunched into the boards on the first shift of the game, then Mrazek suddenly departing the game at 6:27 of the second period was worrisome for the Canes.
Mrazek was sensational in Game 1, owning the net, turning back 31 shots, leading the Canes to a 1-0 overtime victory. He had started all nine playoff games and was one of the least of Canes coach Rod Brind'Amour's concerns.
Now, it could be Brind'Amour's chief concern.
McElhinney teamed with Mrazek to help the Canes reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009. He has been consistent, a calming type in net. But Mrazek became the hot goalie down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.
Mrazek appeared to suffer the lower-body injury as he slid across the crease. But at the next stoppage in play, he skated to the bench, then slammed his paddle down in frustration as he left the ice for the locker room.
The playoffs have become matter of player attrition for the Canes. Rookie forward Andrei Svechnikov has been out with a concussion since his fight with Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their first-round series. Forward Micheal Ferland also was injured in that game, leaving after a collision with the Caps' Tom Wilson.
Forward Jordan Martinook gamely played with a lower-body injury during the Caps series but sat out the first two games of the Islanders series_going through the pregame warmup Sunday but unable to go.
The Islanders had 10 days off after a first-round sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins and were not sharp in Game 1 against the Canes. Other than Lehner, that is. He was terrific before allowing the game-winner to Jordan Staal in overtime.
On Sunday, the Islanders took a 1-0 lead and the goal credited to center Mathew Barzal but the puck was put in the net by the Canes' Jaccob Slavin. On a first-period power play, Barzal was passing across the top of the crease when Slavin stuck in his stick to make a play, only to have the puck deflect into the net.
That ended a scoreless streak of 135:04 for Mrazek, the second-longest in franchise history.
Devon Toews had Islanders fans roaring last in the second when the puck went off the heel of his skate and got past McElhinney at the post. But it was quickly waved off for a distinct kicking motion.
Van Riemsdyk was hit by Cal Clutterbuck behind the Canes net, leaving the ice clutching a shoulder. That left the Canes with five defensemen and could have Haydn Fleury in the lineup for Game 3.
Canes forward Saku Maenalanen also left Sunday's game with an upper-body injury.
Special teams were a problem for the Canes. A first-period power play produced little, and the Canes then had 1:26 of a 5-on-3 advantage in the second period after slashing calls against the Isles' Jordan Eberle and then Scott Mayfield.
Teravainen was wide of the net on a shot. Williams was wide. Sebastian Aho had a shot go over the top of the net. Teravainen and Williams each had shots on goal but the Islanders penalty killers and Lehner got through the shorthanded time.
