 Boyle had punched Senators' star defenseman Erik Karlsson in the face during Game 1, and Carkner's actions were viewed as retribution.On July 1, 2012, Carkner signed a three-year contract with the New York Islanders.He played with the team during the next two seasons, but a back surgery in the 2014 offseason left him sidelined for the first 56 games of the 2014–15 season.