Laviolette’s trust paid off to get Rangers here

Posted on May 18, 2024 by Derek

When they broke camp last September, the Rangers had a different mindset going into the season. A big reason for that is head coach Peter Laviolette. His experience behind the bench has made a big difference.

Unlike his predecessor, who frequently would panic by juggling his lines, Laviolette remained patient throughout the season.

Alexis Lafreniere didn’t have the best camp. He struggled in the preseason. Despite that, he remained with Artemi Panarin and Filip Chytil on the second line.  It might feel like years ago. But Chytil was the center of that line before a concussion against Carolina on Nov. 2 changed the plan.

It was in the Rangers’ first game of the season that Lafreniere scored the first goal. That was a good omen. He would form great chemistry with Panarin and eventually Vincent Trocheck, who replaced Chytil on the big line. The trio became one of the league’s best lines.

All three players set career highs in points. Panarin led the way with 49 goals, 71 assists, and 120 points. The second most points in franchise history, trailing only Jaromir Jagr, who had 123 in 2005-06.

Trocheck totaled 77 points (25-52-77) to surpass his previous best of 75. He became one of the league’s best on faceoffs by winning 58.7 percent. If the Rangers need a big draw won, they turn to Trocheck. He’s become the most important center on the team. Laviolette plays him big minutes, including on the penalty kill where he’s excelled with Barclay Goodrow.

Lafreniere had a breakout season by setting personal bests in goals (28), assists (29), and points (57). He did it without playing on the top power play unit. Most of the damage came at even strength. Of the 28 goals he scored, 26 were at even strength. Fifty-one of his 57 points also were at even strength.

In the recent second round series victory over the Hurricanes, Lafreniere had four goals. They all were at five-on-five. He was a key factor in the six-game win that sent the Rangers to the Conference Finals. Lafreniere finished with six points.

Linemates Panarin and Trocheck each tied for the team lead in the series with eight points. After a couple of quiet games, Panarin set up two goals in the Rangers’ 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes in Game 6. Trocheck made the key pass for a Panarin shot that Game 6 hero Chris Kreider redirected in to tie the score on the power play. Kreider would complete a natural hat trick with 4:19 left in the third period to stun the Canes.

The Rangers had trailed the Hurricanes 3-1 prior to the third. After Trocheck redirected a Panarin shot to pull them within one, Sebastian Aho converted on a breakaway to restore a two-goal lead halfway through the contest.

Jordan Martinook’s diving save prevented a Ryan Lindgren goal with over six minutes left. Jack Drury hit a goalpost.

Despite not getting much done during their shifts, the Rangers’ first line was kept together. That included Jack Roslovic. A key pickup by Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury at the trade deadline from Columbus, he’d cooled off following a good start to his first postseason.

Roslovic was a culprit on the Canes’ tying goal scored by Jordan Staal in the third period of Game 5. He did a blow by in the neutral zone that led to Dmitry Orlov catching Mika Zibanejad in a change to send Staal past Braden Schneider for a backhand finish that set the wheels in motion for a storm surge. The Canes scored four straight goals to take Game 5 by a score of 4-1.

In the first two periods of Game 6, the Zibanejad line wasn’t a factor. Roslovic didn’t do much. To be honest, I felt that maybe he should be taken off the line. Instead, Laviolette remained patient. He didn’t break up any of his lines. With his team staring at possibly blowing a 3-0 series lead, the coach thought better of making any changes.

After the Canes hit another goalpost, Roslovic made a great hustle play to slip the puck to Zibanejad. He did a good job retrieving it and made a strong move. With Frederik Andersen a bit shaky, Zibanejad wisely threw a sharp angle shot at his feet that he gave up a rebound on. Kreider was able to stuff home a backhand that put the Rangers within 3-2.

That goal changed everything. Although the Hurricanes had a couple of more great chances to restore order, they weren’t the same team defensively. Jake Guentzel hit another goalpost. Then, Jordan Staal was robbed by Igor Shesterkin.

Staal would later get called for a dubious cross-checking minor when he shoved Zibanejad from behind. It was more boarding than a cross-check. Whatever the case, Kreider wound up tipping in a good Panarin shot to tie the score on the power play.

Once the game was tied, the Rangers dominated the play. They were more aggressive on the forecheck. It felt like a matter of time before they went ahead.

On a great shift from the Zibanejad line, they had the puck in the Hurricanes’ zone. They pinned in the Aho line with Orlov and Jalen Chatfield. Following a nice setup for a Zibanejad shot that just missed over the top, Roslovic retrieved the puck and then made a nice drop pass for a pinching Lindgren. He then came around the net and made a perfect pass for an easy put away from Kreider that completed his hat trick.

It was a great play by everyone involved. Roslovic made the key pass that led to the series clincher. He picked up two assists in the come from behind win that was sealed by a Barclay Goodrow empty netter.

Roslovic was effective in the first five games of the playoffs, recording a point in each win. After going without a point in four straight games, he came up big in the clutch. He’s up to two goals with five assists for seven points in the postseason.

Laviolette’s patience paid off. He never panicked. That approach has been a key factor in many of the Rangers’ comeback wins. It allows players to feel confident. He played all four lines in the biggest period of the season. It worked.

The Rangers know who their next opponent will be. The Panthers edged the Bruins 2-1 on a late goal from Gustav Forsling to defeat Boston in six games.

Florida is a very good team that features Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and a strong defense core led by Aaron Ekblad. Sergei Bobrovsky is a better goalie than what the Blueshirts faced in the first two rounds.

The Eastern Conference Finals begin next Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. That gives the Rangers time to prepare. It should be an exciting series.

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Rangers Come Back to Stun Hurricanes: Kreider’s natural hat trick in third period sends Blueshirts to Eastern Conference Finals

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Derek

It didn’t look good after two periods. Facing the prospect of a Game 7 after leading the series three games to none, the Rangers stood up to the pressure by rallying for a stirring 5-3 comeback win to stun the Hurricanes and their fans at PNC Arena.

They were led by Chris Kreider, who put together a memorable performance in Game 6 to send the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals. Kreider’s natural hat trick in the third period turned the game around. Barclay Goodrow added an empty netter to seal the come from behind victory that eliminated the Hurricanes.

It’s still hard to believe. They trailed throughout the game. In fact, it was hard for the Rangers to get any shots through on a shaky Frederik Andersen early. Despite spending more time in the Hurricanes’ zone, they were only credited with three shots in a back and forth first period.

Even though the second line of Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin, and Alexis Lafreniere had some good zone time against the Hurricanes, they couldn’t get much done against a stingy defense that protected Andersen. To their credit, Carolina blocked a dozen shots in the first period.

Most interesting is that unlike most of the series, the Rangers out-attempted the Hurricanes 25-21 in the opening period. However, they were outshot 8-3. The home team bent, but it didn’t break.

In a continuing trend, the Canes used their speed to get into transition and create chances. Unlike what happened in the third period of Game 5, the Rangers were able to limit them. Carolina had eight shots in the first.

There weren’t many glaring mistakes made. But on one late shift with the third line out and top pair, the Blueshirts gave up a late goal to Martin Necas. After Igor Shesterkin let a wide shot go that he could’ve gloved, the Hurricanes went to work.

Necas finished a check on Ryan Lindgren in the corner. A good Dmitry Orlov pinch moved the puck to Jordan Martinook behind the net. Adam Fox chased him. That allowed Martinook to center for a vacated Necas in front for an easy finish to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with 1:22 left.

On the goal, several things went wrong. Fox vacated the front to go after Martinook, who was no threat behind the net. Lindgren lost a battle on a good check from Necas. He then immediately cut to the front where Martinook found him for his third goal in two games.

Both Kaapo Kakko and Alex Wennberg were out of the picture. Wennberg made the mistake of having his head turned the wrong way. He left the net front open for Necas to beat Shesterkin.

With the Caniacs in a frenzy, Shesterkin made a key save on Teuvo Teravainen before the conclusion of the first.

In the second period, the Rangers started better. Fox tested Andersen early. A couple of shifts later, on a faceoff in the neutral zone, Martinook high-sticked Kakko to put the Rangers on the power play.

Outside of a Kreider tip-in that missed wide, it wasn’t good. Following a Panarin turnover, the Hurricanes came with speed shorthanded, forcing Kreider to take a cross-checking penalty on Seth Jarvis. That ended the power play and eventually put the Canes on one.

Following an abbreviated four-on-four, the Hurricanes made the most of their power play. After Shesterkin denied Aho in tight, he retrieved the puck and got it up top for Andrei Svechnikov. Svechnikov was given plenty of time to take a shot that Aho deflected in front. The loose puck came right to Seth Jarvis, who beat Mika Zibanejad to the spot to slam home the rebound.

The four Rangers’ penalty killers were too passive. They didn’t apply much pressure, making it easy for Svechnikov to shoot the puck and create a rebound for Jarvis to score on. Nobody helped Zibanejad, either. Fox was in the wrong position.

With the fans still buzzing, the Blueshirts responded less than a minute later to get back in it. On some sustained pressure from the Trocheck line, Panarin had a wrist shot stopped by Andersen. But Orlov turned the puck over. That gave Panarin another try. This time, Trocheck was able to tip in the shot past an off balance Andersen,to make it 2-1 with 14:31 left.

Kreider got a shot right on Andersen and then had a deflection stopped. Both Jacob Trouba and Zibanejad had trouble with the Hurricanes’ pressure. Eventually, Shesterkin came up with a good stop on Jack Drury.

The Rangers got a good shift from the fourth line. The trio of Barclay Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey, and Jonny Brodzinski spent some time on the forecheck in the Canes’ end. Towards the end of it, K’Andre Miller went for an aggressive pinch on Svechnikov along the wall. Svechnikov was able to chip the puck by him, leading directly to Aho breaking away from Vesey for a goal that made it 3-1 with 10:37 remaining.

Miller thought he could seal Svechnikov off to keep the puck in. At the time, the Rangers were searching for offense. The problem was that Vesey wasn’t in a good spot to cover for him. Once the puck got to Aho, he pulled away and caught Shesterkin down to fire a laser high glove into the top of the net.

Aho had a great series. He finished with two goals and seven assists for nine points. He really did everything he could to try to lead the Hurricanes past the Rangers.

The Rangers came oh so close to cutting it to one. On a drop pass from Kreider, Lindgren moved in and had his shot trickle through Andersen. With the puck about to cross the goal line, a diving Martinook saved a goal at the last split second. It was a great hustle play.

A bit later, Shesterkin made a key save on Jake Guentzel. Despite not being at his best, he turned it around at a crucial time. His biggest saves would come in the pivotal third period. He also had a bit of luck.

With less than four minutes left in the second, Drury skated in and got a great scoring chance that hit the goalpost. One more goal might’ve done it. It never happened.

Entering the third, the Rangers trailed by two on the scoreboard. At that point, they were being outshot 20-14. They were better in the second. But the Hurricanes continued to do a good job in front to make life easier on Andersen. Anyone could tell that he was fighting the puck. That would play out in the final period.

At the start of the third, it was all Hurricanes. They looked to find the next goal that would likely have forced a deciding seventh game.

It was the more desperate Canes who were hard on the puck and in attack mode. They didn’t sit back. The Rangers were on their heels.

On a bad shift for Alex Wennberg, who struggled throughout, the Hurricanes nearly made it a three-goal game. Instead, Martinook hit the crossbar. His line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Necas dominated most of the night. He was a bit unlucky.

The Canes continued to apply the pressure. But Shesterkin had the answer on Jalen Chatfield and Stefan Noesen. He’d deliver big saves in the third. He made 16 saves in the third. Without them, the Rangers would be facing a Game 7 after having led 3-0 in the series.

On another great opportunity, Jordan Staal was robbed point blank by Shesterkin. He continued to make the clutch stops. There also would be another goalpost hit. This time by Guentzel, who had his snapshot, go off the near post. Sometimes, it really is a game of inches. They were that close to being a game away from making possible history.

On what seemed like a nothing play from Jack Roslovic, he was able to slip the puck to Zibanejad. Zibanejad then saw Andersen a bit off his near goalpost. Similar to Lafreniere back in Game 4, when he banked in the tying goal in the third, Zibanejad shot the puck off Andersen. That created a rebound that Kreider was able to stuff in on the backhand to suddenly cut it to 3-2 with 13:17 remaining.

There were a couple of close calls afterward that could’ve spoiled the comeback. On a mistake by the Rangers, Aho made another bid to score. But he ran out of real estate, sending his backhand wide.

On a Jaccob Slavin rebound, Staal again had a great chance to score, only to be denied by an aggressive Shesterkin. Once he made that money stop, the Rangers took over.

With 9:02 left in regulation, Staal shoved Zibanejad from behind into the boards. He received two minutes for cross-checking. Was it the right call? No. But anytime a player shoves an opposing player into the boards face first, it’s usually a penalty.

Having gone ice cold on the man-advantage, the Rangers had to pick themselves up. Aho had a faceoff win that forced the Rangers’ top unit to go back and reset. If there was a bad break for the Canes, it came on a Brent Burns clear that went into the bench. That led to a key offensive draw that Trocheck won.

Following the Trocheck win, the Rangers were forced to move the puck quickly due to the aggressiveness of the Canes’ penalty killers. They were applying heavy pressure on the points. Both Fox and Zibanejad had no time. However, they didn’t panic.

Eventually, the puck came to Trocheck on the boards. He found an isolated Panarin in the middle at the top. Without any hesitation, Panarin let go of a shot pass that Kreider tipped in for his second straight goal. His power-play goal tied it with 8:06 left.

The next time his line was out at even strength, Kreider almost got the hat trick. He just missed wide in the slot. He’d later come close on a tip-in.

On the same shift, Zibanejad had a wrist shot miss over the top. With the Hurricanes suddenly pinned in their zone, Roslovic dropped the puck for a pinching Lindgren. He made a great play going around the net to find a wide open Kreider for his third consecutive goal. That gave him a natural hat trick. Most importantly, it gave the Rangers a 4-3 lead with 4:19 left in regulation.

It was incredible. The dramatic turnaround was hard to believe. At one point, the Rangers looked dead in the water. However, like they have most of the year, they picked themselves up.

Kreider became just the third Rangers player to ever record a third period hat trick in the postseason. He joined Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky. I’m not going to add anything else about it. We know what Messier did 30 years ago. That was even more pressure packed.

What Kreider delivered was a great performance. It isn’t comparable. Like he said in his very calm demeanor during the postgame press conference, it means they get to play more hockey. There’s still a tough opponent coming in the Conference Finals. The Rangers still have a lot of work ahead of them. They know that.

As expected, the Hurricanes applied pressure once Andersen was on the bench for a six-on-five. On an Aho faceoff win over Trocheck, the puck came to Svechnikov in front after Will Cuylle vacated the area.

One on one with Shesterkin, Svechnikov was stoned. There would be no game-tying goal this time. He’d follow that up by making a strong stop on Brady Skjei off another Aho faceoff win.

For some reason, the Rangers kept icing the puck. They iced it four straight times. That led to more defensive draws taken exclusively by Trocheck. Once it got to 1:37 left, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour took his timeout to set up a play. It didn’t matter.

The Rangers defended so well that the Hurricanes never got a sniff. They cleared pucks out and made it difficult. The work from Trocheck, Zibanejad, Kreider, Trouba and Lindgren was outstanding. When Goodrow, Vesey, Roslovic, Miller, and Fox replaced them, they sealed the victory.

Miller got the puck over to Goodrow, who turned around and sent it down the ice for an empty netter that clinched the series win with 49 seconds remaining.

It was very satisfying. They had to work very hard to earn that all-important fourth win. Credit goes out to the Hurricanes for never giving up. They believed they could come back from a 3-0 series deficit. They were so close to forcing Game 7. Fortunately, it never got there.

The Rangers defeated a very good team. They know they were in a battle. The Canes pushed them.

Carolina really put up a great fight without one of their best players. Brett Pesce was never able to return. Now, it’s uncertain if he’ll stay in Carolina. With many unrestricted free agents this summer, including Guentzel, the Canes could look very different next season. Brind’Amour is also available. If they don’t keep him, a number of teams will be interested.

When asked by reporters following the game, if he indeed told teammates that he’d get one during the second intermission, a humble Kreider wouldn’t take the bait. Instead, he gave the team credit for how they played.

It wasn’t until a grinning Trocheck replied that he did that both laughed. What did he tell Kreider? He hoped so to chuckles. Kreider will go down as an all-time Ranger for the many goals he’s scored. It’s when he delivers under the spotlight that it means the most.

Kreider gave a Hurricanes fan his stick after the game. He definitely earned respect. During the handshakes, former teammate Tony DeAngelo said something nice to him. It was cool.

It really was a great win. Considering how bleak things looked early in the third period, the Rangers showed a lot of resolve. They proved that they have tremendous heart and character.

It would’ve been easy to say that it’s not their day. They didn’t chance going to a do or die seventh game. Instead, they dug deep and found a way to get it done.

Now, they’ll await the winner between the Bruins and Panthers. Florida leads the series 3-2. Game 6 is Friday night in Boston.

For at least a day, they can enjoy the victory. Then, they’ll start preparing for the next round. There’s more excitement in store.

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Laviolette remains quiet about tonight’s lineup, double shift Lafreniere

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Derek

At practice yesterday, the Rangers prepared for Game 6. Tonight, they’ll have a third opportunity to close out the Hurricanes. They’ll have to get it done in enemy territory.

Coach Peter Laviolette hinted at some possible lineup changes. One could be to the defense. Following a rough Game 5 in which Jordan Staal beat him for the tying goal early in the third period, Braden Schneider was back on the third pair with Erik Gustafsson.

Jacob Trouba was back with K’Andre Miller on the second pair. The Rangers captain hasn’t played with Miller since Apr. 11. It was the third to last game of the regular season. He and Miller went a combined minus-5 in a 4-1 loss to the Flyers.

After seeing them struggle for a while following Trouba’s return on Mar. 30, Laviolette decided to make a switch to the blue line. Schneider moved up to work with Miller while Trouba moved down to play with Gustafsson.

The Rangers had more success after those changes. They won their final two games on the schedule and went 7-0 against the Capitals and Hurricanes in the playoffs. However, with the Canes rallying to take the last two games, Laviolette looks like he’s seriously considering going back to his original defensive pairings.

If that’s how they line up, it better work out. The last thing they need is a bad game from Miller and Trouba. Miller has been the most consistent Rangers’ defenseman in the postseason. He’s played with more physicality and done a good job in his end. There hasn’t been as much hesitation to his game.

Aside from the possibility of a different look on the back end, Laviolette also might make a change up front. Following Game 5, Jonny Brodzinski took line rushes with Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey. With Matt Rempe being managed carefully by Laviolette, Brodzinski could return to the lineup. He played 8:49 in Game 4 on the fourth line.

To be honest, inserting Brodzinski for Rempe is a minor change. Sure. He’ll get a few more shifts. But what kind of impact will it have?

It feels like the Rangers are hiding something with Filip Chytil. He played in Game 3 and hasn’t been seen since. If he can’t absorb hits without needing time to recover, then what’s the point of bringing him back?

A fully healthy Chytil could help the lineup. He’s a dramatic upgrade on the third line. But, the organization won’t answer any questions regarding his status. He again skated with the extras in Carolina. There’s no indication that he’ll play tonight.

In Game 5, Alexis Lafreniere took 19 shifts. He only played 14:36. While it’s true that it was the one game that he wasn’t as effective, Lafreniere was more noticeable than Artemi Panarin.

Even though he doesn’t play on the top power play unit, Laviolette needs to find a way to get Lafreniere more ice time. He’s got younger legs and is strong. He’s tough to knock off the puck on the forecheck.

What’s wrong with double shifting him on the fourth line? I’d rather see him getting extra shifts than a banged up Chris Kreider. After taking a maintenance day, Kreider declared himself good to go for Game 6.

Lafreniere is one of the best Rangers at five-on-five. He has performed well all season long. If they are to advance to the next round, he’ll be a part of it. If Jack Roslovic struggles early, Laviolette should consider moving up Lafreniere for a few shifts. He can handle the extra ice time.

It’ll be interesting to see how both Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren look. Fox clearly hasn’t been himself in this series. With just two assists, he’s been hindered by whatever is ailing him. Nick Jensen’s leg on leg hit has had an effect. Fox’s skating hasn’t been as good. He’s gotten beaten by numerous Hurricanes defensively.

As for Lindgren, he didn’t play as much last game. Whether it was due to the Hurricanes’ offensive explosion in the third period or him possibly being banged up, he saw the fewest minutes (14:11) at even strength by a Rangers defenseman.

Lindgren had four hits and blocked four shots. Maybe the coaching staff decided to rest him in preparation for Game 6. He’s a gamer. He’ll be ready to go.

Regardless of what the lineup is, they must do a much better job against the Hurricanes. They’ve gained momentum by being more aggressive on the forecheck. The Rangers have been guilty of giving the Canes too much time to set things up. They’ll need to tighten up defensively.

The best way to counter the Hurricanes’ attack is to chip pucks out and catch their defensemen pinching. The Canes love to jump in offensively. That mindset is how they play. Smart reads by the Blueshirts and subtle defensive plays can create odd man rushes.

Obviously, they need to play more in the Carolina end. There hasn’t been enough forecheck pressure from the top two lines. Whether it’s skating the puck in or getting it deep and recovering it in a corner, those will be keys to getting a win.

The more they can play in the offensive zone, the better chance they’ll have. The Canes have done a better job killing penalties. The Rangers haven’t scored a power-play goal since Game 2. Both Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck capitalized in a 4-3 double overtime win.

Will there be an adjustment to it? Laviolette prefers quick puck movement to set up shots. We’ll see if they can do a better job.

Igor Shesterkin has allowed 7 goals on 58 shots over the last two games. The third period collapse wasn’t his fault. The Rangers sat back and paid for it. However, he gave up a bad rebound on the Evgeny Kuznetsov winner that saw him beat Panarin for the goal. He also got caught too far back on the Jordan Staal tying goal where the Hurricanes captain went around Schneider.

Shesterkin can’t cover for every Rangers mistake. He was superb in the first period, making some clutch stops on dangerous Canes’ chances. However, he can be better than the last two games. He gives them the biggest edge. The Rangers must take advantage of that if they want to avoid a Game 7.

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Blueshirts can learn something from the Knicks

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Derek

It’s rare that both MSG tenants are playing at the same time during the spring. In recent memory, there haven’t been many moments when the Rangers and Knicks were in the second round with a real chance to reach the Conference Finals .

A year ago, the Rangers fell apart in a crushing first round loss to the Devils. Meanwhile, the Knicks took out the Cavaliers to advance to the second round. They were eliminated by the Heat.

Before 2023-24, the last time both the Knicks and Rangers played in the second round together was in 2012-13. The Knicks ousted the Celtics and took on the Pacers. Irony of ironies. The Rangers took out the Capitals to face the Bruins. Neither team made it out of the second round. The Rangers were no match for the Bruins. The Knicks lost in disappointing fashion to the Pacers.

Eleven years later, here we are again. This time, thanks to a dominant Knicks 121-91 win over the Pacers in Game 5 at a raucous MSG last night, both Garden teams are a win away from the Conference Finals.

It came on the heels of a 32-point blowout loss at Indiana this past Sunday. The Pacers humiliated the Knicks. It’s already known as the Mother’s Day massacre. They looked sluggish. Jalen Brunson struggled on his bad foot. The only Knick who played well was Alec Burks. They got dominated by the younger Pacers.

Two days later, the Knicks flipped the script. After falling behind 16-9 early, they responded by outscoring the Pacers 29-16 to take a six-point lead at the end of the first quarter.

Everyone contributed. Brunson had 10 points. Josh Hart had 10 points and grabbed five rebounds. Isaiah Hartenstein had five offensive rebounds and two put backs. He was instrumental in tying Charles Oakley for the Knicks’ franchise playoff record with 12 offensive rebounds in a game. Deuce McBride had nine points while locking up Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton.

Donte DiVicenzo didn’t score much but played tenacious defense throughout the game. It was during the second half that a relentless DiVicenzo came out of nowhere and slammed home a rebound that got the crowd in a frenzy. He then got into it with Myles Turner after he set a dirty screen. Turner put DiVicenzo in a headlock. After getting in each other’s faces, cooler heads prevailed.

How dominant were the Knicks in the biggest game of their season? After Turner sank three consecutive three’s to cut a 16-point lead to seven early in the third quarter, the Knicks went on a 17-0 run. Burks hit a big corner trey to answer back. He came off the bench and had 18 points, including five three’s. Brunson made a three. So did McBride.

If there was a noticeable difference, it was the Knicks’ effort that shined brightly under the spotlight. They outhustled the Pacers by dominating the game on the glass. They outrebounded Indiana 53-29. That included 20-5 on the offensive glass. Hartenstein paced them with 17 boards.

Hart again grabbed double digits with 11. Listed at only six-foot four, you wouldn’t know it. Hart plays like a junkyard dog. He takes the ball hard to the rim and finishes. When he’s on, he puts together games like the 18 and 11 he had on Tuesday night at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Brunson only went for 44 points while adding seven assists and four rebounds. No Pacer defender slowed him down. He only had two three’s. He was much more aggressive and finished inside the paint. The people’s MVP posted his fifth 40-point game of the playoffs. He’s reached Bernard King territory. Not even Carmelo Anthony ever dominated like this. Patrick Ewing wasn’t as explosive.

Brunson plays every possession like it’s his last. The Rangers should take notice. Considering how lackluster they were in a dreadful third period that saw the much hungrier Hurricanes score four times to take Game 5 on Monday night, they must play with a lot more intensity tomorrow night at Carolina.

Since Artemi Panarin scored a between the legs overtime winner in Game 3 to put the Rangers up three games to none on the Hurricanes, he’s been invisible. The only time you noticed him was on a couple of lousy defensive sequences in which he failed to backcheck on a pair of Carolina goals. That included Evgeny Kuznetsov’s game-winner in Game 5.

Panarin had been getting it done previously. He had four goals and five assists for nine points in the Rangers’ first seven games. All four goals were game-winners. In the last two games (both losses), he only totaled two shots. Hardly enough for a player who had a dominant regular season with a career high 49 goals and 120 points.

The Bread Man has been on for five goals against over the last two games. Vincent Trocheck hasn’t been any better. Despite continuing to win faceoffs, he wasn’t effective either. With the exception of Alexis Lafreniere scoring a tying goal in Game 4 when he was out with Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers’ best line has been quiet since the Canes got back in the series.

There needs to be more urgency. If the Knicks can go from getting blown out to again rising up to the challenge at MSG, then the Blueshirts sure can. They earned home ice with the league’s best record. Now, it’s all about giving their best effort on the road tomorrow to avoid facing elimination this weekend. It was a scenario that didn’t seem likely a few days ago.

Unlike the Knicks, whose best player is playing hurt and is shorthanded, the Rangers are healthy. Even if Adam Fox is also playing hobbled, there’s no excuses. Brunson didn’t make any following Sunday’s embarrassment. He then backed it up with another great performance.

If it’s true that Panarin and Fox haven’t been factors over the last two games, the same can be echoed for Trocheck, Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider. They’re the five best skaters who coach Peter Laviolette has leaned on. Especially on the power play, which hasn’t scored since Game 2.

The Blueshirts have more talent than the Knicks. But the Knicks play with more grit and determination.

That isn’t a knock on the bottom six. Will Cuylle, Alex Wennberg, Kaapo Kakko, Barclay Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey, and Matt Rempe bring plenty of energy. Jonny Brodzinski likely will replace Rempe tomorrow unless Filip Chytil can return. They chip pucks in and win board battles. There isn’t much offense from the sandpaper guys.

It’s up to the Rangers’ best players to bring it. It can’t be a shooting gallery on Igor Shesterkin for the Hurricanes in Game 6. They outskated and outplayed the Blueshirts badly on Monday. There can’t be a repeat.

There hasn’t been enough of a consistent forecheck from the top two lines. Laviolette isn’t going to toss names into a hat like his predecessor. The bottom line is that they need to be harder on pucks. They never pressured a shaky Frederik Andersen. It was as if he was on a cruise.

The battle level must rise significantly. Look at how much the Knicks hustle. There needs to be that kind of desperation from the Rangers.

Laviolette spoke yesterday about how this team has responded well following bad losses. He’s correct. There was a similar meltdown in a loss at home to the Maple Leafs on Dec. 12. They turned the page by winning the next three, including at Boston and Toronto a week later.

There’s no panic in the locker room. That’s fine. When the puck is dropped tomorrow night in Raleigh, it becomes about the performance. It’s time to back up the talk.

They must show heart. The Knicks showed them how it’s done. Now, it’s their turn.

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Extra day to prepare for Game 6 should help Blueshirts

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Derek

What happened in the third period last night happened. It’s over and done with. There’s nothing the Rangers can do about how putrid they were in giving up four consecutive goals to the Hurricanes in a 4-1 loss to drop Game 5 at a stunned Madison Square Garden.

All they can do is move forward. What once was a 3-0 series lead is now down to 3-2. The best of seven series returns to Carolina on Thursday. That’s two days away.

Having an extra day to prepare should help the Blueshirts. They looked like they could use it. Aside from the second period, when Jacob Trouba made a great individual effort to score a shorthanded goal, they were badly outplayed.

The Hurricanes literally stormed the Rangers zone with their speed and relentless forecheck. It was evident early on that they were the faster team. Despite the shots being dead even at nine apiece, Carolina generated much better chances in the first period.

It was the Canes’ transition that found holes in the Rangers’ defense. There was too much easy access. Igor Shesterkin bailed his team out by making half a dozen big saves to keep it scoreless.

Following the game, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette referenced how off his team was in the postgame.

“We weren’t sharp tonight. There was a lot of issues tonight. … It was more than the third period. … It wasn’t a reflection of who we were for the majority of the year.”

Laviolette pointed out that the Rangers have had bad periods like that before in losses. They’ve always responded. They’re facing a big test from a confident opponent who believes they can come back from a 0-3 deficit to win the series. There’s pressure.

“We’re just pumped for each other. We just need to enjoy the moment, enjoy the boost that a win gives you, but we’ve got to regroup and give everything we’ve got in Game 6,” Hurricanes goal scorer Jordan Martinook told reporters following last night’s stirring comeback.

They have belief. Captain Jordan Staal provided it when he scored the tying goal to spark his team to a four-goal third period. Staal took a Dmitry Orlov pass and blew by Braden Schneider before catching Igor Shesterkin deep in his net to tuck a backhand in.

The play never happens if Mika Zibanejad doesn’t make a bad line change. He picked the wrong time in the game to go to the Rangers bench. Orlov made a smart read. Staal did the rest.

Once the game was tied, the Canes stormed the Blueshirts’ net. Shesterkin gave up a bad rebound that led to Evgeny Kuznetsov scoring the go-ahead tally. Artemi Panarin was beaten on the goal. He really needs to be much better than his two no-shows, which resembled 2023.

After he felt pressure from Jack Drury, Trouba tried a reverse behind his net that Martin Necas picked off and set up a vacated Martinook for a crushing third goal that took the air out of the building. Mika Zibanejad puck watched. It was another example of a big game player not paying attention to detail.

Necas added an empty netter to seal the victory. The Canes outshot the Rangers 28-21, including 10-6 in the deciding third. They out-attempted them 67-52. More than that, they controlled play. In a mind-boggling statistic, the Rangers were credited with no high danger chances at five-on-five and on the power play.

Frederik Andersen didn’t have to sweat. He made 20 saves. Most were routine. Jack Roslovic got in for a good chance due to his speed. But his shot was easily stopped by Andersen.

The Hurricanes pressured the Rangers on the power play, causing them to force passes and turn over pucks. The same power play that started hot is 0 for the last 8. Carolina has allowed no power-play goals over the last three games.

A key area the Rangers must improve on is five-on-five. They only had 15 shots in Monday’s loss. There was hardly enough pressure on the Hurricanes. Neither the first or second line had a consistent forecheck. They were shut down. It’s no coincidence that in the last two losses, Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere have been limited. Zibanejad and Kreider also haven’t done much.

So, what needs to happen for the Rangers to go into Carolina and win Game 6?

Kreider’s trying not to panic. Game 5 was uncharacteristic of this team. As bad as yesterday was, the Rangers still lead the series three games to two. They’re a good enough team to win on the road. In order to avoid a do or die Game 7, they’ll need to have more killer instinct. Play with more desperation. Match the Canes’ intensity.

Laviolette has an extra day to decide if he should adjust his lineup. Matt Rempe again rode the pine in the third period with the game tied. The frustrating part is that he has a high IQ. He knows how to play, which is what makes him effective on the fourth line. But the coach doesn’t fully trust him in close games enough.

If that’s the case, it would be better if Filip Chytil could return. Nobody knows what’s going on with him. Adding a player of his skill and speed would help. It would give Laviolette more options.

If not, Jonny Brodzinski could get back in and replace Rempe on the fourth line.

It still says here that Erik Gustafsson is shaky in his end. He doesn’t help Trouba enough. The Canes know they can pressure Gustafsson into mistakes. Laviolette had Gustafsson in Washington. He trusts him. That’s the only reason he’s playing over the capable Zac Jones.

The Rangers can look at video and see what they did wrong. There should be a change to the power play. Laviolette noted that the Canes pressure at the top. The Rangers have to move the puck quickly to set up shots. They’ve been off lately. If Chytil can return, he should be on the second unit. There’s no reason to have both Gustafsson and Trouba on the points.

Establishing themselves early will be a key to Game 6. That means getting in on the forecheck. They haven’t made life tough on the Hurricanes. There’s been too much one and done. That won’t work.

They also can’t sit back once they get a lead. Play to win. Don’t rely on Shesterkin. He can’t do it alone. The 18 skaters must be on their toes. Make better puck decisions. Tighten the gaps. Make it harder on the Canes.

We’ll see what Laviolette comes up with.

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Hurricanes’ third period Storm Surge stuns Rangers to force Game 6

Posted on May 13, 2024 by Derek

For two periods, it looked like one team would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. If we’re being honest, the Rangers were fortunate to be up 1-0 on the Hurricanes after the second period.

What happened in the third period wasn’t shocking by any means. If you watched the first period, it was obvious that the Hurricanes were much faster and created more dangerous scoring chances. They were stoned by Igor Shesterkin.

Buoyed by a terrific solo effort from captain Jacob Trouba, who blocked a shot and scored shorthanded to give them a one-goal lead, the Rangers limited the Hurricanes in a better second. Instead of attacking following a successful penalty kill, they backed off.

The end result was a storm surge by the Hurricanes. They scored four goals in a dominant third to stun the Rangers 4-1 to force Game 6 on Thursday in Raleigh. It will be a madhouse when the series shifts back to Carolina.

After losing the first three games in the second round, the Hurricanes have come back strong to get back in the series. They now trail the Rangers three games to two with the next game back home. If they can win, suddenly it’ll force a seventh game. Something that didn’t seem possible.

Now, it is thanks to an inspired performance by Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes captain willed his team to a resounding third period comeback that made Madison Square Garden sound like a library. During a power play that produced exactly nothing, the Rangers heard some boos from fans who paid ridiculous prices to see Game 5. We’re talking between $500 to $1000.

The once Rangers’ strength in the series has evaporated. They’re 1 for the last 10 on the power play. The Canes have been even more aggressive, creating some opportunities shorthanded. If not for Shesterkin, they would’ve had one. He stopped Teuvo Teravainen in the first period.

Speaking of Staal, it was his highlight reel goal that tied the game with 16:27 left in the third. On a play in the neutral zone, Dmitry Orlov noticed that Mika Zibanejad was changing. He made a good lead pass for Staal, who then turned Braden Schneider into a statue before tucking a backhand past a too still Shesterkin.

It was the play of the game. Staal had a few chances earlier. But he couldn’t beat Shesterkin. The Hurricanes’ first 25 shots were stopped by the Rangers netminder.

But even after killing off the remainder of a Will Cuylle penalty, they didn’t go forward. They were content to win the game 1-0. It was eerily similar to how the Rangers played following getting an Alexis Lafreniere tying goal early in the third period in Game 4. They paid for it.

Unlike that one, the Rangers melted down tonight. They looked shell shocked. The Hurricanes kept attacking. It was similar to the first period when their transition was causing problems. Shesterkin covered up the lackluster defense by making nine saves. He didn’t get any help in the third.

On a seamless transition, Jesperi Kotkaniemi fed Game 4 hero Brady Skjei for a one-timer that Shesterkin leaked a juicy rebound on. Evgeny Kuznetsov finished it with ease to put the Hurricanes ahead for good with 13:21 remaining.

The culprit was Artemi Panarin. For the second straight game, he was a non-factor. His failure to pick up Kuznetsov was as mind-numbing as his inability to take Sebastian Aho on the Canes’ third goal in Game 4.

It’s inexplicable what’s happened to Panarin. He has only two shots in the last two Rangers’ defeats. Even worse, when they fell behind 3-1, he was hesitant to shoot the puck. On a good rush, he tried a hope pass that got intercepted by the diligent Hurricanes defense. If they want to close it out and not be forced to face playoff history, they need Panarin to be a factor in three days.

The really disappointing aspect was how little resolve they showed. They never responded after falling behind. The Canes made it three in a row over three minutes later.

Facing some pressure behind his net by Jack Drury, Trouba turned over the puck. With Mika Zibanejad vacating the front of the net to chase Martin Necas, that left Jordan Martinook all alone to bury a Necas feed to make it 3-1.

Nobody was in the right position on Martinook’s goal. Trouba panicked. Neither Zibanejad nor Jack Roslovic made good reads. Erik Gustafsson was out of the picture. It was how not to play defense.

Andrei Svechnikov took a bad penalty when he flung the puck out of play. That was a chance for the Blueshirts to get back in it. Instead, they couldn’t do anything on their third power play. It was one and done.

They make life easy on Frederik Andersen. He made stopped six shots in the third. None were high quality. For the game, Andersen finished with 19 saves. That in itself typified how poorly the Rangers played. They never made him work.

With over three and a half minutes left, Shesterkin was lifted for a six-on-five. Necas had other ideas. He sent the fans for the exits by slamming a turnaround shot in from his zone with 3:31 remaining.

The only line that came to play was the third line. Alex Wennberg missed on a wrap-around on a strong shift in the first period. He, Cuylle, and Kaapo Kakko spent some time in the Canes’ zone. They were the only constant. Kakko had three shots on goal.

Matt Rempe was fine in his return. He had one noticeable shift where he protected the puck against Skjei, leading to some sustained pressure from the fourth line. It can’t always be Barclay Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey, and whoever plays with them to generate offense on the forecheck.

The bottom six forwards gave maximum effort. They are absolved. The top six didn’t. Despite dominating on faceoffs by going 12 for 15, Zibanejad had a quiet game with only one shot. Chris Kreider was only effective shorthanded. He didn’t do much. Roslovic got one chance in the second when he split the Carolina defense but was stopped by Andersen.

Vincent Trocheck has come back to earth. He was again excellent, going 15 and 6 on faceoffs. But outside of one chance, he wasn’t that noticeable. Lafreniere tried to make something happen in the third. But even his best attempts were stifled.

Adam Fox wasn’t a factor. He got beat on a dangerous Canes’ chance in the first. He clearly isn’t right. Ever since that knee injury against the Caps, Fox hasn’t looked as explosive. He’s so crucial to what the Rangers do. If he’s hurting, that’s problematic.

Gustafsson struggled again. He isn’t helping Trouba, who’s exposed by the Hurricanes’ speed. It’s time for Peter Laviolette to seriously consider benching his favorite defenseman for Zac Jones. Jones is a much better skater who can take some of the pressure off Trouba. He’s more steady defensively. An area the Rangers are lacking as this series has evolved.

Schneider had a second straight tough night. He was walked by Staal on his game-tying goal by getting caught flat-footed. He also made a bad pinch earlier that led to Canes’ chance.

K’Andre Miller finished the game a minus-2. But he’s the only defenseman who’s played well. It wasn’t his fault that Panarin let Kuznetsov go for the game-winner. All he could do was watch Staal beat Schneider for the Canes’ first goal.

There hasn’t been enough urgency. The Rangers have to play with more desperation on Thursday. If not, they could be staring at blowing a 3-0 series lead this weekend.

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Rempe is in for Game 5

Posted on May 13, 2024 by Derek

When they line up for Game 5 tonight, the Rangers will have Matt Rempe back in the lineup.

A healthy scratch over the last two games, he’ll return to the fourth line. With coach Peter Laviolette opting for Filip Chytil in Game 3 and then Jonny Brodzinski in Game 4, Rempe sat out.

It wasn’t certain that Rempe would play for the Rangers again. In Game 2, Laviolette didn’t play Rempe over the last two periods. That included an overtime that was the longest of this year’s playoffs. Vincent Trocheck won it early in double overtime.

Chytil returned for the first time in Game 3. The Rangers won in overtime on an Artemi Panarin goal. With the center having an illness, he was replaced by Jonny Brodzinski for Game 4. The Rangers lost to the Hurricanes 4-3.

Rempe can be played differently by Laviolette at home. A point he made following Game 3 at Carolina. That means he can dictate the matchups due to having the last change.

The Rangers will look to wrap up the series for a second straight time.

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Trouba’s struggles are only part of the problem

Posted on May 12, 2024 by Derek

It was only one loss. In truth, the Rangers weren’t going to go undefeated in the playoffs.

At some point, a good opponent was gonna  respond. On Saturday night, the Hurricanes got their first win of the second round series. They earned a 4-3 victory to take Game 4 at home.

It didn’t come easy. After letting a two-goal lead evaporate, the Hurricanes needed a clutch power-play goal from Brady Skjei to avoid elimination. He delivered with left in the third period to help Carolina overcome another Rangers’ comeback.

As was documented yesterday, they took advantage of a Ryan Lindgren tripping minor that Jordan Martinook drew to pick up the hard fought victory. Lindgren had a tough night, struggling with the relentless forecheck pressure of the Canes.

Despite both Lindgren and a banged up Adam Fox (2 assists, -3 rating) having a less than ideal series, the Rangers are still in a good position. They can return home and close out the Hurricanes tomorrow night at The Garden.

Every game has been decided by one goal. You can make the argument that Carolina deserved better in Game 2. They outshot and outplayed the Blueshirts for most of the game. However, a lack of discipline cost them. Chris Kreider scored on the power play in the third period. Then, Vincent Trocheck won it with a power-play goal in double overtime.

In both games at Raleigh, the Canes were right there. Andrei Svechnikov forced sudden death late in Game 3. But a beautiful between the legs deflection by Artemi Panarin won it less than two minutes into overtime. That gave the Rangers a 3-0 series lead.

The Hurricanes never trailed in Game 4. They jumped out to a 2-0 lead early on. After Will Cuylle cut it to 2-1, Sebastian Aho made it 3-1 when he escaped the check of Panarin to bury a Jake Guentzel centering feed in front past Igor Shesterkin.

There was a lot of debate following the lackluster period. Most of it centered around Jacob Trouba. The Rangers captain has struggled mightily against the Hurricanes. Prior to helping set up the tying goal from Alexis Lafreniere early in the third period, he’d been on for six straight goals against.

His lack of foot speed has been exposed in the series. The Canes are a very fast skating team that can get in transition and generate offense off the forecheck. Trouba and defensive partner Erik Gustafsson have had trouble.

Trouba’s an easier target due to his salary. He is paid quite handsomely by the Rangers to play defense. His cap hit is $8 million and includes a modified no-trade clause through 2025-26. Some of the frustration is understandable.

However, Trouba is one player on a good team. As easy as it is to pin all three Hurricanes’ goals on him yesterday, he was far from alone.

On the Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, Gustafsson handcuffed Barclay Goodrow with a bad pass. He then turned the puck over in the neutral zone, leading to Kuznetsov scoring. While Trouba was back defending the one on one, Kuznetsov used him as a screen to beat Shesterkin short side. It was a bang bang play following the Goodrow turnover.

Trouba and Panarin were largely responsible for Stefan Noesen increasing the Canes’ lead to 2-0. Panarin failed to get the puck out. Trouba then panicked by making a bad pass in the middle that got intercepted. As play continued, Teuvo Teravainen came from behind the net and forced Shesterkin to give up a bad rebound on a turnaround shot that led to Noesen putting a backhand in.

It was a smart play by Teravainen. He surprised Shesterkin and got exactly what he wanted. Noesen then finished it to put the Rangers behind by two for the first time in the postseason.

Gustafsson was able to help the cause by moving the puck up to Kaapo Kakko. Kakko then made a great pass to lead Cuylle on a breakaway for his first career postseason goal. Kakko played his best game. He later nearly had another primary assist. But Alex Wennberg hit the goalpost.

With 4:31 left in the period, Aho was set up by Guentzel to make it 3-1. Following a Brent Burns dump in behind the net, Guentzel came out and drew attention. Trouba skated towards him, vacating the front of the net. That allowed Guentzel to thread the needle to Aho for an easy goal.

On the same play, Panarin had Aho covered in front until he let him go. That’s what caused the problem. Left unchecked, Aho was able to get his third of the postseason. Trocheck was also in the vicinity.

Despite some bad defensive breakdowns, the Blueshirts were undeterred. As usual, they responded by clawing back into the game. A better played second period saw Lafreniere and Wennberg each hit goalposts.

Eventually, a strong shift from the fourth line led to Goodrow redeeming himself by redirecting a Braden Schneider shot past Frederik Andersen to make it 3-2. Jimmy Vesey provided the work down low. He first took a shot that Andersen let out a bad rebound on. Tony DeAngelo tried a rim around that Vesey picked off. He set up Schneider’s shot that Goodrow tipped in.

Early in the third period, Trouba made a good pass to lead Mika Zibanejad into the Hurricanes’ zone. He then passed across for Lafreniere, who patiently waited before banking a shot off Andersen and in for his fourth goal of the series. That tied the score.

If there was an area they could’ve been better at, it was attacking the Canes more. The Rangers only had four more shots on a shaky Andersen in the third. Part of it was due to the desperation Carolina played with. However, it’s not a good enough excuse for why they sat back.

Eventually, the Canes kept attacking and finally scored their first power-play play goal of the series. It only took 17 attempts. Trouba was on for the Skjei game-winner. He and Fox were defending down low when Teravainen set up Skjei for a rocket past Shesterkin with Seth Jarvis camped in front.

It’s easy to critique Trouba for again being on for a goal against. But the Canes finally executed the strategy that coach Rod Brind’Amour wanted to see. The Rangers’ penalty killers couldn’t get it done. The forwards were the reliable Trocheck and Goodrow. It happens.

If it’s true that both the top pair and third pair haven’t had good series, then the second pair has been just the opposite. Both Schneider and K’Andre Miller have been steady for coach Peter Laviolette. Miller has continued to play with more of an edge while doing a good job carrying the puck out. He’s been their best defenseman.

At times, Schneider looks confused when he’s battling Guentzel behind his own net. However, he’s done a solid job. He picked up the primary helper on Goodrow’s goal. If there’s one thing he can do more of, it’s take the body. Miller’s done it more since the playoffs began. He’s continued to look more comfortable playing with Schneider.

Undoubtedly, the Rangers will need a more consistent effort out of everyone tomorrow night if they want to close out the Hurricanes. That means Panarin can’t no show. He’s been much better so far. Expect him to bounce back.

Miller and Schneider need help. Lindgren can play a lot better. Fox knows what the challenge is. They were right there on Saturday despite falling behind.

It remains to be seen if Trouba and Gustafsson can improve their play at even strength. They’re up against a much tougher opponent. While it’s unrealistic for Laviolette to sit Trouba, at what point does he consider inserting Zac Jones for Gustafsson? He makes too many mistakes. Whether it’s getting caught pinching or making a poor decision in his end, Gustafsson is scary.

With the Rangers still leading the series 3-1, don’t expect Laviolette to make any changes to the blue line. However, it sounds like Filip Chytil is a possibility for tomorrow. He was feeling better today. If he is back in, it’ll be for Jonny Brodzinski.

Chytil would go back on the third line. You wonder if Laviolette liked what he saw from Cuylle. He scored and was very noticeable along with Kakko. Wennberg was effective, too. We’ll see what Laviolette decides.

The Rangers must play their best game to eliminate the Hurricanes. That means getting off to a faster start and playing from in front.

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Skjei’s power-play goal forces Game 5: Hurricanes edge Rangers to stay alive

Posted on May 12, 2024 by Derek

They had battled back from a two-goal deficit. Alexis Lafreniere banked in the tying goal early in the third period.

But with a chance to end this second round series, the Rangers weren’t good enough. They only totaled five shots against a shaky Frederik Andersen. Instead, it was the more desperate Hurricanes who got a Brady Skjei power-play goal with 3:11 left in regulation to pull out a 4-3 win in Game 4 at PNC Arena.

The Hurricanes then locked it down to stay  alive. There’ll be a Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. They only allowed one shot down the stretch to make life easier on Andersen. He needed it after allowing a bad goal to Lafreniere over two minutes in that quieted the Caniacs.

There was a nervous energy in the building. Instead of applying pressure, the Rangers backed off too much. They were unable to establish any consistency. Much of that was due to a disappointing game from Artemi Panarin. He wasn’t alone. Neither he nor Vincent Trocheck had much of an impact. Aside from a tough hit, Chris Kreider wasn’t noticeable. Mika Zibanejad was okay.

When their best players aren’t their best, the Rangers will struggle to win games. Panarin was caught on for all three Hurricanes’ goals in a bad first period that saw the Rangers fall behind 3-1. He didn’t have it. He was held to one shot.

One of the biggest differences was the Canes staying out of the penalty box. They only put the Rangers on one power play. There were just three in the whole game. It was an aggressive Carolina forecheck that forced Ryan Lindgren into a turnover and bad penalty with 3:43 left in regulation.

Lindgren struggled mightily. The Canes pressured him every chance they got. He finally took down Jordan Martinook to put the Rangers shorthanded. Unlike most of the series, the penalty kill was unable to get it done.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour adjusted both his units. He went with more left-handed shots on one. It paid dividends in crunch time. Andrei Svechnikov retrieved a loose puck and got it over to Teuvo Teravainen. He then set up Skjei for a one-timer that beat Igor Shesterkin with Seth Jarvis parked in front.

A poor start cost the Rangers. Before the game was two minutes old, they fell behind. Barclay Goodrow had trouble handling a tough pass from Erik Gustafsson. He then turned the puck over  to Evgeny Kuznetsov, who used Jacob Trouba as a screen to sneak a wrist shot past Shesterkin high blocker at 1:51.

Before they found their footing, the Rangers went down by two. The Hurricanes’ second line put together a good shift against the Trocheck line. Following a couple of misses, Teuvo Teravainen took a Tony DeAngelo pass down low and shot low on Shesterkin for a rebound that came right to Stefan Noesen. His backhand made it 2-0 with 13:27 left in the first period.

Noesen came off the bench and beat Trocheck to the rebound. Both Panarin and Trouba failed to get the puck out. First, Panarin turned it over at the blue line. Then, Trouba’s pass up the middle was intercepted by Teravainen. DeAngelo sent the puck in deep for a Teravainen turnaround shot that Shesterkin mishandled. That allowed Noesen to make it a two-goal game.

Following his goal, Shesterkin made two stops on Jake Guentzel. That seemed to settle down his team. They built some momentum on a good shift from the  Zibanejad line. Andersen made a couple of saves to keep them off the scoreboard.

After a hit from Erik Gustafsson on DeAngelo, he moved the puck up to Kaapo Kakko. He then made a great lead pass to send Will Cuylle in on a breakaway. Cuylle beat Andersen by going high glove for his first career postseason goal. That cut the deficit to one with under 12 minutes left.

Suddenly, with the momentum, the Rangers came close to tying it. Lafreniere missed wide on a backhand attempt. A bit later, Kreider went wide in the slot. The best opportunity came when the third line had the Hurricanes pinned in. However, Cuylle sent a shot from the middle high and over the top. The Canes survived.

Carolina re-took a two-goal lead thanks to Sebastian Aho. On a Brent Burns dump in behind the Rangers’ net, Guentzel found an open Aho in front for an easy one-timer that made it 3-1 with 4:31 remaining.

On the goal, Panarin let Aho go. Trouba chased Guentzel, which allowed him to make the pass in front. Trocheck was also in the vicinity. There were too many breakdowns. At that point, Panarin and Trouba were both minus-3. Trocheck and Lafreniere were minus-2.

Trailing by two, it was the play of the third line that continued to generate offense. Kakko was stopped by Andersen on a chance. The line centered by Alex Wennberg had a strong game. Reunited due to Jonny Brodzinski being inserted into the lineup for an ill Filip Chytil, they were superb on the forecheck, and made things happen.

With two and a half minutes left, Aho took Zibanejad down to send the Rangers on the power play. Unlike the previous three games in the series, they couldn’t do anything. The Canes were more aggressive on the penalty kill.

In the second period, Carolina made a push early. Following a couple of Shesterkin stops on Guentzel, Lafreniere came very close to scoring. His shot hit the goalpost. The Rangers had that happen again later.

With the Canes still leading by two, Zibanejad went off for holding the stick of Svechnikov. Their top penalty killing forward was lost for two minutes. Fortunately, the rest of the penalty killers picked him up. That included Wennberg and Jimmy Vesey, who came on after Trocheck and Goodrow.

The best chance was created by the Rangers. Lindgren found himself open on a back pass. His high shot was stopped by a sprawling Andersen.

With the power play set to expire, Noesen came close on a wrap-around. It hit the outside of the goalpost. Shesterkin then stopped Kuznetsov.

Back at even strength, Lafreniere continued to get chances. Following one Andersen save, he sent another shot wide. He was the most dangerous Ranger in the game. In fact, Lafreniere has been the best forward in the series.

With the offense struggling, Peter Laviolette flipped Lafreniere and Jack Roslovic. He even tried Panarin and Lafreniere with Zibanejad. It almost worked.

A little later, a heads-up stretch pass from Shesterkin up to Kakko almost led to a goal. After receiving the pass at the Canes’ blue line with Carolina caught in a line change, Kakko passed across for a Wennberg shot that hit the right goalpost.

Even though they were ahead by two, the Hurricanes were guilty of some sloppy turnovers. For the game, they had 22 giveaways. The Rangers didn’t make them pay for it.

With under eight minutes remaining, the fourth line delivered a big goal. Andersen gave up a rebound on a Vesey shot. Instead of covering it up, he let DeAngelo throw the puck away around the boards. Vesey intercepted it and fed Braden Schneider for a wrist shot at the point that Goodrow tipped in with 7:17 left to make it 3-2.

The Hurricanes tried to go back ahead by two. But Shesterkin made key saves on Svechnikov. Jaccob Slavin missed wide on a rebound.

On the opposite end, Lafreniere sent a dangerous shot over the net. He was very good the entire night.

With only 14 seconds left in the period, Shesterkin stopped Guentzel. What followed was interesting. Lafreniere exchanged words with Aho. He had a hold of him as the refs interjected. Trocheck and Burns exchanged blows. Both earned two minutes for roughing. The four-on-four carried over to the third period.

Following a tentative start, Lafreniere finally got rewarded for his hard work. After taking a Trouba feed, Zibanejad sent a pass across for Lafreniere. As he was going behind the net, he noticed that Andersen was off his goalpost. Lafreniere wisely banked the puck off Andersen and in to tie the score.

Lafreniere now has four goals in the9j series. He’s been on fire. Over the last five games dating back to Game 4 against the Capitals, he has a five-game point streak (4-3-7). Six of those seven points have come against the Hurricanes. They’ve had no answer for him. Lafreniere is up to 10 points (4-6-10) in the postseason.

If there was a disappointing part of the comeback, the Rangers took their foot off the accelerator. They backed off. It was the Canes who played with more urgency. They were facing elimination. They knew that the next goal probably meant their season. They played like it.

Carolina didn’t have a lot of good chances. But they controlled play at five-on-five. The Rangers spent too much time defending instead of attacking. They can’t do that again if they’re in a similar position on Monday.

Shesterkin made a save on a Dmitry Orlov backhand. He also stopped Martin Necas from distance. It was more cautiously played. Maybe that worked in the Canes’ favorite. They also backed up when they led by two.

For the period, the shots were 8-5 Hurricanes. There wasn’t enough attack time from the Rangers. It was almost like they played for overtime. It never got there.

Every time Lindgren was out for a defensive shift, he was pressured. He had issues handling the Canes’ forecheck. When he backed himself into a corner and lost the puck, it was troublesome. The Rangers escaped.

However, Lindgren later lost a battle to Martinook. He took down Martinook with 3:43 remaining. This time, the Hurricanes found the winning formula on the power play.

After taking a pass from Svechnikov, Teravainen and Skjei played catch. Then,  Teravainen laid a perfect pass for Skjei to blast past Shesterkin for the game-winner.

Trailing by one late, the Rangers could only muster a long Panarin shot that Andersen easily handled. With Shesterkin on the bench for an extra attacker, they never got anything through. The Canes got in the lanes and blocked shots to earn the victory.

Now, it’s onto Game 5.

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Chytil misses practice, game-time decision for Game 4

Posted on May 11, 2024 by Derek

Following a thrilling Rangers’ 3-2 win in overtime over the Hurricanes, Filip Chytil expressed excitement over finally returning to the lineup.

It had been six months since the 24-year-old center had played in a game. He suffered a concussion on Nov. 2 against the Hurricanes when he collided with Jesper Fast. In January, with him back skating at the Rangers practice facility, he had a setback due to falling on the ice.

At the time, it looked like his season was over. But Chytil started to feel better in April. He got cleared to practice without a no contact jersey. As he drew nearer to a comeback, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette handled him with caution. He didn’t play in the team’s first round sweep of the Capitals.

Facing a better opponent in the second round, the Rangers stuck with the same lineup for the first two games. They won each, including Game 2 on Vincent Trocheck’s power-play goal in double overtime.

After Laviolette decided not to play Matt Rempe in the third period or overtime, he made the move to bring Chytil back for Game 3 on Thursday night.

Following a tentative start, Chytil grew more comfortable as the game went on. He nearly had a goal that could’ve finished off the Hurricanes in regulation. He made a great move to get in on Pyotr Kochetkov, whose poke check denied his bid to make it 3-1.

The Canes would force overtime on an Andrei Svechnikov goal with 1:36 left in regulation.

But in sudden death, an Alexis Lafreniere dump in behind the Carolina net led to Trocheck coming out and feeding Panarin for a between the legs deflection past Kochetkov for the overtime winner at 61:43.

That gave the Rangers a commanding three games to none series lead. Chytil was very happy to return.

He took 17 shifts and recorded one shot in 12:02 of ice time. The way he sounded, it felt like the beginning of something special. Chytil wants to be a part of it.

The Rangers are a very close-knit group with great chemistry. Seeing Blake Wheeler celebrate Panarin’s goal by the glass was great. There’s a lot of excitement.

A win away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers might look different later. After feeling great, Chytil woke up and didn’t feel well.

Chytil went to the team meal. He missed the morning skate. Laviolette indicated that Chytil is a game-time decision. Hopefully, that means his illness isn’t related to a concussion.

Jonny Brodzinski skated on the fourth line. Will Cuylle was back on the third line. There’s a good chance Brodzinski plays tonight.

There’s no reason for Chytil to play. The Rangers are in the driver’s seat. They can wrap up the second round by sweeping a very good team. Expect the Hurricanes to be desperate. They’ve been in every game.

Igor Shesterkin has been the difference. He’s making the clutch saves. Along with a dominant special teams, that’s why the Rangers are a win away from the Conference Finals.

We’ll see if they have the killer instinct.

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