NHL

HURRICANES BLOW OUT ISLES

A week off, a weak performance. This wasn’t hockey last night as much as the Islanders just hoping the final score wouldn’t be too embarrassing.

On that front, mission unfulfilled. The Hurricane winds never subsided as Carolina throttled the Islanders, 8-3, at the Nassau Coliseum.

The Islanders, playing their first game since beating the Devils eight days ago, were a mess defensively, surrendering eight goals for the second time in five games. Coach Ted Nolan’s team has a four-day layoff to prepare for Tampa Bay.

“A lot of guys would rather play [today] and bounce back and get things rolling again,” Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro said.

It was Law Enforcement Appreciation Night here, and the police officers honored should have led away DiPietro in handcuffs after he surrendered six goals on 13 shots and was yanked midway through the second period.

Wade Dubielewicz was decent in relief, allowing a goal to Rod Brind’Amour with the Islanders playing at a two-man disadvantage in the third before Justin Williams added a power-play goal moments later. The Islanders entered second in the league in penalty killing at 91.1 percent, but allowed three power-play goals last night.

Brind’Amour finished with a hat trick and Williams scored two goals on a night the Islanders (5-4-0) outshot Carolina, 31-26.

“Everything went wrong for us tonight,” Nolan said. “Having a whole week off, sometimes it goes one way or the other and tonight it went the other way for us.”

After Carolina (7-2-3) had built a 4-0 lead 1:17 into the second period on Ray Whitney’s goal, the replay mercifully went in the Islanders’ favor, allowing Ruslan Fedotenko’s tip in to stand 1½ minutes later. But the positive vibes didn’t last long – Williams and Eric Staal each scored over the next five minutes, extending the Hurricanes’ lead to 6-1 and ending DiPietro’s night.

The clearest indicator this wasn’t the home team’s night came late in the first period with a 31/2-minute Islanders’ power play that failed to produce a shot on goal. The Islanders had a two-man advantage for 16 seconds during that stretch but could not make a charge at Carolina goalie John Grahame.

Brind’Amour’s goal at 2:58 in the first period got the onslaught started. Brind’Amour inflicted more damage in the first. The Hurricanes captain scored at 14:12 to make it 3-0.

“We were rusty at the start, but I don’t think it’s an excuse to lose 8-3,” Islanders center Mike Sillinger said.

mpuma@nypost.com