The New York Islanders took Game 1 of their first round matchup against the Washington Capitals on the road, and while that may not all be that surprising, the players who keyed the win might be.

As noted by the Associated Press' Howard Fendrich, before Game 1 21-year-old Ryan Strome, 23-year-old brock Nelson, and 25-year-old Josh Bailey had combined career playoff numbers of seven games, and zero goals. That changed big time Wednesday as Nelson scored twice, while Strome and Bailey added a goal apiece as New York gained home ice advantage in the series opener.

"I liked their composure, the way they held their emotions in check, and they came up big for us tonight. They skated, and you know, they played with confidence and poise. And they've done that all year," said Islanders coach Jack Capuano.

Bailey, a first round pick back in 2008, spoke of the trio's self-belief: "There might have been question marks outside of the dressing room. I think us guys in here believe in one another, believe in what we have, and I think that tonight was an example of that."

If the Capitals are to rebound Friday, they are going to need a better performance from three-time NHL MVP Alex Ovechkin, who led the league with 53 goals this season. In Game 1, Ovechkin had all eight of his shots turned away.

Although, Ovechkin's struggles may have more to do with Jaroslav Halak's play. He had 24 saves in Game 1, and appears to have carrid over his dominance of Ovechkin from when he led the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens in upsetting the Capitals back in 2010.

"Any time they were able to get some quality chances, (Halak) was there to shut the door," Bailey said of his goalie's splendid play.

Game 2 is on Friday at 7:00 pm, catch the action via live stream here.