NHL Playoffs 2019: Takeaways From Sunday's Scores and Bracket Results

The success of the wild-card teams continues to be the top story of the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

The Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche picked up road wins Sunday to keep the remarkable run for lower seeds going. 

Carolina leads the New York Islanders 2-0 in the series that is headed back to PNC Arena, while Colorado heads home after a split at SAP Center with the San Jose Sharks. 

In fact, all four wild-card teams picked up at least one road win in the first two games of the conference semifinal round. 

Sunday NHL Playoff Scores

Carolina 2, New York Islanders 1

Colorado 4, San Jose 3

Updated Bracket

Eastern Conference

Carolina leads New York Islanders 2-0

Columbus and Boston tied 1-1

Western Conference

Colorado and San Jose tied 1-1

Dallas and St. Louis tied 1-1

Sunday Takeaways

Hurricanes Display Resiliency In Come-From-Behind Win

The Hurricanes could have been slowed down by a lower-body injury to goalie Petr Mrazek in Sunday's Game 2 win over the Islanders. 

But instead of displaying fear without its top goalie, Carolina kept plugging thanks to the play of 35-year-old Curtis McElhinney. 

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Carolina rookie Warren Foegele was quick to point out his team's resiliency after the victory, per NHL.com's Shawn P. Roarke. 

"This is a real resilient group, and we keep getting injuries each game, but someone else is stepping up, whether that's blocking shots or contributing in some way," Foegele said. "This group's real resilient, and I'm really proud of the group."

Mrazek wasn't the only Carolina player to go down with an injury Sunday, as Saku Maenalanen and Trevor van Riemsdyk also suffered injuries. 

According to Luke DeCock of the News and Observer, Maenalanen is out to 10-14 days, Van Riemsdyk is out indefinitely and Mrazek is day-to-day. 

The injury buildup isn't great for the Hurricanes, especially the one suffered by Mrazek, but they still found a way to win thanks to two third-period goals. 

In addition to losing those three players, the Hurricanes were without Jordan Martinook, Andrei Svechnikov and Michael Ferland for Game 2. 

Head coach Rod Brind'Amour noted the expectations to win don't waver with new players out on the ice, per Michael Smith of the team's official website. 

"It is a war of attrition a lot of the time in the playoffs," Brind'Amour said. "We expect to win, and our leaders don't let whoever is going out there next take a breath."

It is hard to see anything getting in the way of the Hurricanes at the moment, and with two games upcoming at home, they could clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals as early as Friday.

Colorado Picks Up Rare Road Win In San Jose 

Colorado leveled its series with San Jose by earning the franchise's first win at the SAP Center since December 28, 2015.

According to NHL Public Relations, the win was just the third by the Avalanche in the last 10 years in San Jose. 

Colorado took the lead in the second period and withstood a late barrage of scoring chances from the Sharks in the third period to head home with the opportunity to take the series lead. 

Josie Lepe/Associated Press

Tyson Barrie was the offensive catalyst for the Avs, as he scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and assisted on tallies from Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Nieto. 

Colorado head coach Jared Bednar was more than impressed with the offensive effort of the defenseman, per Ron Knabenbauer of the team's official website. 

"Elite players, they find a way to generate offense even when the checking is tough, and that is what he did tonight," Bednar said. 

In addition to Barrie stepping up in Game 2, the Avalanche continued to receive strong play from Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, who both extended their playoff point streaks to six games.

MacKinnon and Rantanen are the first Colorado teammates to have simultaneous six-game point streaks in the playoffs since Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg in 2004, per NHL PR.

Colorado put itself in terrific position to take a 3-1 series lead at home over the next two games, but it will be a difficult task against an experienced San Jose team that won its last playoff road game in Game 6 against Vegas in the first round.

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