It was a game that lived up to expectations. Playing for a second straight night, the Rangers dug deep to go into enemy territory and play a perfect road game. The end result was a defensive clinic that produced a 1-0 shutout over the Hurricanes at PNC Arena.

The victory increased their lead for the Metropolitan Division to six points. It was all hands on deck for the Blueshirts.

There wasn’t a single player who didn’t contribute to the big win over the second place Hurricanes. All 18 skaters played well. Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves to post  his third shutout of the season. He also blanked the Blues on Mar. 9.

It was arguably the best game Adam Fox’s played this season. The former Norris winner scored the only goal while dominating in every facet. He was terrific defensively. So, too, was defense partner Ryan Lindgren. He broke up plays and assisted on Fox’s goal, which came with eight seconds remaining in the first period.

K’Andre Miller was stellar throughout by being more forceful and decisive. He made a couple of key blocks, including a diving one, to deny Sebastian Aho’s pass when the Canes were pressing with Pyotr Kochetkov on the bench for an extra attacker. Miller looks more comfortable playing with Braden Schneider, who stepped up defensively in Jacob Trouba’s absence.

The third pair of Zac Jones and Erik Gustafsson were steady when called upon. Jones has proven he can jump into the lineup and be reliable. Gustafsson’s biggest impact was a hit on Andrei Svechnikov, who lost his cool by taking an interference minor penalty for going back at the Rangers defenseman.

All four lines were effective. Mika Zibanejad played with more confidence. Maybe scoring a five-on-five goal against the Devils on Monday was just what the doctor ordered. He looked more like himself. That bodes well moving forward.

It was the top line that generated some good scoring chances thanks to the strong forecheck of Jack Roslovic. He continues to play well with Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. It was his hard work down low that kept a play alive for the game’s only goal.

After that, Lindgren and Kreider combibed to get the puck over to Fox for a shot that took a good bounce off Brady Skjei past Kochetkov at 19:52 of the first period.

The Rangers were the better team in the opening period. But they couldn’t beat Kochetkov, who played well for the Hurricanes. Although he had five fewer saves (23) than Shesterkin, Kochetkov made some key stops to give his team a chance. His biggest came when he dove across to rob Vincent Trocheck on a two on none rush with Artemi Panarin.

Despite playing well in the third period, the Rangers couldn’t find that insurance goal. Kochetkov was a big reason why. After surviving a second period that saw the Canes outshoot them 11-5, the Rangers were better down the stretch.

The first part of the third was like a race track. Both sides traded chances. There were some wild sequences. Both goalies did their part to keep the score 1-0.

However, things changed in the second part of the final period. It was the Rangers who took away time and space from the Hurricanes. They found it difficult to get through the neutral zone and make plays. When they did gain the Rangers’ zone, good defensive plays were made. The guys in the white sweaters were very disciplined. Both the forwards and defense came back.

The new third line had another good game. Alex Wennberg played well. He, Will Cuylle, and Kaapo Kakko spent some extended shifts in the Canes’ zone. They were very effective on the walls and made plays. On one good defensive read by Kakko, he led Cuylle for a chance. But Kochetkov made the glove save to deny him.

As expected, Jonny Brodzinski returned to the lineup with Matt Rempe serving his four-game suspension. Brodzinski fit in nicely with Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey on the checking line. They were good.

If there’s a big difference between last week and now, the Rangers have better balance. The additions of Wennberg and Roslovic are working. They are solid players who make things happen. So far, so good.

It was a rare night when Panarin didn’t register a shot. The Canes killed off two penalties. They were very aggressive, attacking the Rangers power play. There wasn’t any time to make a play.

On the Canes’ lone man-advantage, Shesterkin stopped a long one-timer from Teuvo Teravainen. In his Hurricanes debut, Jake Guentzel wasn’t a factor. It looked like he was still trying to find his timing.

Evgeny Kuznetsov got one of the best chances in the third. On a play in front, he got to a loose puck and tried to stuff it in. However, an aggressive Shesterkin challenged to make a big right pad save.

Even the newest Canes couldn’t make a dent on Shesterkin. He stopped a dozen shots in the third to pick up the win.

It was a well played game that had a playoff intensity. The Rangers were just a little better. They shut down the Hurricanes late. Even following a Miller icing with six seconds left, Trocheck won a faceoff back. One final clear sealed it.

There were lots of smiles after the buzzer. The Rangers got a big win.