Paul Stastny scored 6:00 into overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference First Round series at the UBS Arena.

Sebastian Aho scored Carolina's other goal and Frederik Andersen made 33 saves in his first start of the playoffs. The Hurricanes advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals where they will face either the New York Rangers or New Jersey Devils.

Andersen missed the playoffs last year with a torn MCL and an illness and undisclosed injury made him unavailable for Games 2-4 of this series. Antti Raanta started the first five games.

"Obviously, it's been a while since I played in the playoffs (three years)", he said. "That was something I was very excited about."

Cal Clutterbuck scored New York's only goal and Ilya Sorokin stopped 39 shots as the Islanders were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round 

"It [stinks]", Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield said. "It's not what we expected. Look at that series, and I think all but maybe one game could have gone either way.

"It's a couple percentages; 1-, 2-, 3- percent difference there, and they ended up on top. It's tough. Tough pill to swallow for sure."

Hurricanes win low-scoring Game 6 to eliminate Islanders

Clutterbuck caught Carolina on a line change and took advantage as he skated into the right faceoff circle and his wrist shot beat Andersen to make it 1-0 and give him his first point of the series.

Sorokin kept the Islanders in front, gloving Brady Skjei's wrist shot from the point that was changing direction on its way to the net.

Andersen came up with a big save of his own, stopping Brock Nelson with the Hurricanes trying to kill off a power play.

"We had our opportunities", said New York center Bo Horvat. "We had our chances. [We] could have been up two or three goals."

Jesperi Kotkaniemi nearly tied the game for Carolina as his shot hit the crossbar after being left alone in front.

The Islanders outshot the Hurricanes 18-10 in the second period.

"I thought we had some really good chances to make it 2 - and even 3-(0)", New York head coach Lane Lambert said. "But we didn't. Their goaltender made some saves, and that's just the way it goes."

New York carried the lead all the way into the third period, but with 10:36 remaining, Aho tied it up as after a scramble in front, he backhanded a shot past Sorokin.

"Sometimes it takes a goal like that to win a hockey game", he said.

In overtime, Stastny won it, scoring from a sharp angle near the goal line following a turnover by Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech.

"I just went in on the forecheck and he kind of flubbed it a little bit", Stastny said. "I know [Derek Stepan] would give it to me [and] i'd try to attack.

"I was thinking I would have a 2-on-1. Once [Jesse Puljujarvi] started coming towards me instead of wide, then I figured i'm just going to shoot without looking.

"I've done it in practice before. I've seen guys [like] Alex Steen do it all the time. It's just the element of surprise. You get lucky sometimes."