The Rangers were fortunate to take Game 2 against the Hurricanes last night. Despite being outshot 57-39, they came out victorious thanks to hero Vincent Trocheck’s power-play goal at 87:24 of the second overtime.

Igor Shesterkin made 54 saves to lead them to the big come from behind win. He stood tall in the third period, stopping all 17 shots. A locked in Shesterkin has been the difference so far. He’s the biggest reason they lead the best of seven series two games to none. The only goals that beat him were two tip-ins and a wide open one-timer.

When the series swings to Raleigh for the next two games, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette will want his team to make some adjustments defensively. Too often, the Hurricanes were pinching a third guy high in the slot to get dangerous chances. Fortunately, Shesterkin was up to the challenge.

There were instances when the Canes were allowed easy entry into the zone due to the Rangers backing in. That’s an area that must improve. They’ll want to clean that up. Stronger play in the neutral zone and at their blue line are keys to limiting the quick Hurricanes’ transition. They can come in with a lot of speed to set up their forecheck. It caused some problems.

A player who Laviolette likes is Erik Gustafsson. Having played for him in Washington, he’s been a staple on the blue line. Part of the third pair with captain Jacob Trouba, Gustafsson’s greatest asset is his skating. He is good offensively and can jump into the play to keep pucks moving. He also quarterbacks the second half of the power play.

While he’s been okay so far in the postseason, Gustafsson struggled in Game 2. He was caught out of position on Jake Guentzel’s go-ahead goal late in the second period. He didn’t take the net front away, which allowed Guentzel to put away a Sebastian Aho feed to give the Canes a 3-2 lead.

Gustafsson got caught in no man’s land. Part of his job as a defenseman is to make sure nobody is open in front. He got lost in coverage. Chris Kreider didn’t help. He was too late on the backcheck.

That wasn’t the only issue. Later in a tie game, Gustafsson threw the puck away into the Carolina zone. Instead of getting it in deep, he passed it right to Brent Burns, who then started a play in transition. Burns nearly had Martin Necas for a goal. It’s a good thing he missed wide.

Gustafsson and Trouba had some adventurous shifts defensively. There was one in overtime when they were caught on against the Canes. Barclay Goodrow helped out to break up a play in front, clearing the zone. That was a key defensive play that got them out of trouble.

Trouba took three penalties, including one in the first overtime. His lack of foot speed has been exposed. He can make up for it with his grit and physicality. However, it’s clear that he’s not at full strength.

He also nearly decapitated Necas in sudden death, launching himself at the Hurricanes forward with his elbow out. It’s a good thing Necas moved out of the way. Trouba landed hard into the boards instead. Had he connected, it would’ve been a major penalty and likely ended the series for Trouba.

If he doesn’t come out of the lineup, it could be due to Adam Fox playing banged up. Gustafsson replaced Fox early on two power plays. That’s something to keep an eye on.

It says here that Zac Jones is a better defenseman than Gustafsson. When Gustafsson missed some time late in the regular season, Jones played well. He was solid defensively and did a good job offensively. A better skater, whose improvement overall has been noticeable, the second-year Blueshirt is a good option for Laviolette to consider.

With the Rangers now 6-0 in the playoffs, don’t expect Laviolette to make the switch for Game 3. However, if they falter, then it could be a possibility. Especially if Gustafsson and Trouba have another tough game.

Another player who’s struggled is Kaapo Kakko. A good puck possession player who’s responsible defensively, the former 2019 second pick looks lost offensively. He hasn’t been able to create much on the third line. Unlike Alex Wennberg and Will Cuylle, who were both visible on Tuesday night.

Kakko definitely looks like his confidence isn’t there. It’s a physical series. He has finished checks. However, he hasn’t been effective. The Rangers need more out of him. He can’t be a non-factor. He plays in the top nine. Laviolette limited him to 11:25 of ice time in Game 2.

Matt Rempe remains a hot topic amongst the hockey world. He only took five shifts for a total of 4:03 yesterday. His energy is something Laviolette prefers. He didn’t do anything wrong during his shifts when he played on the fourth line with Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey.

The issue was that the Rangers fell behind. Due to that, Laviolette decided to play 11 forwards. He rotated players with Goodrow and Vesey. Alex Wennberg and Kreider saw some time on the fourth line. So did Cuylle. The coach mixed and matched with his third and fourth lines.

With Rempe not seeing the ice for both the third period and overtime, it left the Rangers a man short. It isn’t as if he can’t bring something to the table. Rempe’s an effective player on the forecheck who hits hard. He knows how to play.

Perhaps Laviolette wasn’t comfortable due to how Rempe is officiated. He didn’t want to risk a penalty. However, both Trouba and Artemi Panarin put the Hurricanes on the power play. They failed to capitalize.

The question is, will Rempe stay in the lineup for tomorrow’s game? Laviolette likes sticking with the same lines when they win. He has Filip Chytil, who sounds ready to return. But is it worth the risk? The Hurricanes are playing very physical. Given Chytil’s history, who knows. The Rangers are up two games. They don’t have to make a change.

Jonny Brodzinski is the other option. He acquitted himself well this season. He’s a better skater than Rempe. If he was inserted, he could play on the fourth line. They had some success when he was with Goodrow and Vesey late in the season. However, after Andrei Svechnikov ran Shesterkin behind the Rangers’ net, there’s a reason to keep Rempe in.

It’ll be interesting to see what Laviolette decides. My guess is that he’ll stick with the same lineup. However, the team will need to be better defensively for Game 3.