Gallant comes in third for the Jack Adams, Rangers look to go up 2-0 on Lightning

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Derek

On an off day, the Rangers prepared for Game Two against the Lightning. Gerard Gallant and several players spoke to the media about the mindset entering tonight’s big game at MSG.

It’s a chance to go up two games to none against the two-time defending champion Lightning. A team that doesn’t lose two straight since they went on this run. Can the Rangers throw a wrench into the Bolts’ perfect 17-0 record following losses?

While that Gallant quote could get taken out of context, he was being matter of fact. If you saw him speak during the press conference, he didn’t dismiss the remarkable Bolts’ record. He was very tongue in cheek.

It’s interesting to note that he has a very good relationship with Lightning coach Jon Cooper. They coached together for Canada at the World Championships a few years back. That allowed Gallant to get to know Cooper.

He was quick to point out how much respect he has for Cooper. They keep up with each other via text. Obviously, during the next two weeks, friendships are put to the side. Just ask Ryan McDonagh about former teammate Chris Kreider. And vice versa. That is part of the storyline.

The last tie to the 2015 Eastern Conference Final on the Rangers’ side is McDonagh. He and Kreider were teammates during that run. McDonagh playing through a broken foot in what proved to be a heartbreaking series loss to the Lightning. Now, he’s on the opposite side.

For the Bolts, they boast more holdovers from that hard fought series. Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Alex Killorn, Victor Hedman, Andrei Vasilevskiy and injured center Brayden Point. Point has been skating, but can’t push it due to the foot injury he suffered against Toronto. His status is doubtful for the series.

While McDonagh has ties to the Rangers, Barclay Goodrow certainly does to the Lightning. He helped them win back-to-back Stanley Cups. One-third of their old third line that all departed due to salary cap issues and expansion, Goodrow is the kind of hard-nosed player who can be a factor in such a series. He gets his nose dirty and adds grit along with Tyler Motte.

Although the checking line was on for the Lightning’ first goal scored by Stamkos on a rocket in the first period, they got better as Game One evolved. Ryan Reaves was a physical presence, finishing checks and getting in on the forecheck. He also got involved late with Pat Maroon when things got nasty. He was all smiles as he stood over Maroon during a fracas. He’s certainly added that key ingredient for the Rangers.

On Thursday, it was also announced that Darryl Sutter won the Jack Adams. He did an outstanding job with the Flames guiding them to a division crown and a great regular season. However, they lost in five games to bitter Alberta rival Edmonton last round.

Gallant was up for Coach of The Year. But for some mystifying reason, he finished a distant third behind Sutter and runner-up Andrew Brunette. It is a little perplexing. Gallant didn’t come in with high expectations. He did a great job getting a younger Rangers team to buy in. That’s why they’re here.

In many ways, they take on Gallant’s cool demeanor. There’s no panic. That explains how they made NHL postseason history in becoming the first team to complete a 3-1 series comeback where they trailed in each elimination game. Their resilience also helped them rally from a 3-2 deficit to upset the Hurricanes. No small feat.

The Blueshirts have been defying the odds all year. They’ve bucked the trend in the overemphasized analytics the hockey community uses. Having a great goalie in Igor Shesterkin certainly helps. But he doesn’t score goals. They have been a comeback team who never gives up. True character.

A lot of the focus yesterday was on the success of the Kid Line. With Filip Chytil recording his second two-goal game of the postseason that gave him five goals in the last three games, they’re getting a lot of notoriety. It’s well deserved.

Alexis Lafreniere has nine points in his first playoffs at only 20. He’s been a consistent performer. The former top pick in 2020 gets involved physically. He’s effective on the walls and isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty. Good characteristics for a young player who’ll only get better.

Kaapo Kakko had one of his best games. He was noticeable throughout Game One. On The Shift, he forced Vasilevskiy into a tough save. He also set up Chytil’s first goal by making a great play behind the net. There’s no denying his ability to control the puck down low.

Entering tonight’s big Game Two, what should be expected is a much better effort from the Lightning. They showed some rust in the 6-2 loss on Wednesday night. Figure the Bolts to be harder on the puck and tighter defensively. It’ll take the Rangers’ best effort to snap that Tampa Bay win streak following losses.

If there is an area they can clean up, it’s preventing the dangerous combo of Kucherov and Stamkos to get open in the slot for great chances. They missed on some really good looks. Defending the middle is a key to victory.

It should be interesting. We’ll see if the Rangers can earn a win and put real pressure on the Lightning.

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Eastern Conference Final: Rangers thunder past Lightning 6-2 to take Game One, Chytil scores twice in  dominant second period, Special Teams a difference, Shesterkin outplays Vasilevskiy

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Derek
All smiles in the locker room for the Rangers after a 6-2 win to take Game One over the Lightning. Photo by Rangers

Shift Of The Game: The third line forecheck leads to Filip Chytil’s second goal of the second period to make it 4-2. On a great keep by Adam Fox. Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller combine to set up the game’s First Star Filip Chytil for his fifth goal over the last three games.

It’s not often you see a dominant performance in a Conference Final game. That’s what happened tonight at MSG in Game One of the Eastern Conference Final.

Playing for the first time in the third round since 2015 against the same opponent, the Rangers took the first game over the Lightning 6-2 before a raucous atmosphere at 33rd and 7th. They lead the series one game to none.

That they flat out dominated the two-time defending champion Lightning in Game One was unexpected. But that’s exactly what happened. They were far better than a Tampa Bay team that entered the game on a nine-day layoff.

The difference was a great second period. After holding off the Bolts to a 1-1 tie in a back and forth opening period, it was the Rangers who took control by outscoring the Lightning 3-1. They also had a 17-10 edge in shots, which along with a stronger forecheck helped build a two-goal lead.

Even better, it was Filip Chytil who had an outstanding game. He scored twice in the second half of the second and notched the game-winner to earn the game’s First Star. He now has five goals in the last three games including a pair in Game Six and one in the Game Seven victory over the Hurricanes.

It was remarkable. As highlighted above in the shift of the game, the young trio of Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko had a dominant shift on sustained pressure that led directly to his second goal that put the Rangers up 4-2 with 4:17 left in the second period.

The so-called Kid Line combined for five points (2-3-5) and finished with five shots, eight attempts with a combined plus-six rating. It was the splendid play of the third line that made a huge difference. Their ability to use their speed and get in on the forecheck proved to be the key to the win.

While the Lightning focused largely on the top two lines with even coach Jon Cooper changing the match-up following an early Chris Kreider goal 71 seconds in, they didn’t have an answer for the Chytil line. All three forwards were superb. They got plenty of love from The Garden crowd.

In a game they never trailed despite the Lightning coming back twice to tie it up, six different Rangers had two points. Eleven skaters registered a point.

Igor Shesterkin also outplayed Andrei Vasilevskiy in the first big meeting between the game’s best two goalies. He made 37 saves on 39 shots including some big ones early and a critical stop to deny Alex Killorn with the game still tied.

It was a tough night for Vasilevskiy, who entered play having stopped 151 of 154 shots in a sweep of the Panthers. Instead, he was rudely greeted by Kreider at 1:11 on a two-on-one feed from Mika Zibanejad. Of the six goals he allowed on 34 shots, the one the Conn Smythe winner gave up to Frank Vatrano less than eight minutes into the second period was one he’d want back.

Although the stat line was ugly for such a great goalie, he wasn’t to blame. His team played poorly in front of him. They made costly mistakes in coverage that led to plenty of openings for the Rangers to take advantage of.

Chytil’s game-winning goal came on a blown assignment from right in front. He also was again left wide open for his second of the game. Artemi Panarin also converted a two-on-one rush 30 seconds into the third to extend the lead to three. Zibanejad buried a one-timer from the left circle on a Panarin pass across for a power play goal that put the exclamation point on Game One.

It was that kind of night at the World’s Most Shameless Arena. Think dollar signs folks. It sure is an expensive ticket. The less said about that, the better. At least the fans who went got their monies worth.

At the beginning of the game on ESPN, you had the match-up I expected. Cooper started Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak with his second line against the Panarin line. Gerard Gallant had Miller and Jacob Trouba on for the opening shift.

After a couple of hits, out came the Zibanejad line. Initially, they went head to head with Steven Stamkos, Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov. However, former Ranger Ryan McDonagh stepped up to hit Vatrano. While absorbing the hit, he chipped the puck up to lead Zibanejad and Kreider on a two-on-one.

After receiving the pass right on his tape, a patient Kreider set himself and fired a laser high blocker past an outstretched Vasilevskiy for the game’s first goal at 1:11. It was a perfect start. Kreider’s ninth of the postseason pulled him within one goal of the Rangers franchise record held by Rod Gilbert. He scored 34 goals in the playoffs.

As expected, Cooper went with the 11 forward, 7 defensemen alignment. However, he made a quick adjustment. Following the Kreider goal, he switched the assignments. McDonagh and Bogosian were matched against Panarin, Ryan Strome and Andrew Copp. That left Hedman and Cernak against Zibanejad, Kreider and Vatrano.

That wasn’t all. Maybe sensing that his team was rusty due to over a week off, Cooper split up Kucherov from Stamkos. He flipped Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Palat moved onto the Stamkos line with Cirelli while Kucherov worked with Paul and Killorn.

The moves paid off. The Lightning responded well by getting five of the next six shots. On a dangerous shift by their new second line, Hedman had a shot go wide with traffic in front. Then Panarin took a tough hit from McDonagh. He didn’t get all of him as Panarin ducked to absorb the contact.

After a good save from Shesterkin on Hedman, the Lightning were able to get their top line out against the Rangers’ checking line. With Miller and the forwards unable to clear the puck, Cirelli got it over to Jan Rutta, who dished across for a wicked Stamkos one-timer that beat Shesterkin high blocker to tie the game at 7:12.

That was a great shift by the Bolts. They won the board battles and the loose pucks to set up Stamkos’ fifth of the postseason. He was one of their best players. He could’ve had more, but would miss on a point blank chance at a critical point later on.

If there was an area they struggled with, it was handling the Lightning forecheck pressure. They were able to force several turnovers that could’ve led to goals against. Fortunately, it didn’t.

Not long after the Stamkos goal, Kucherov had a two-on-one from in front. But his tip-in try was denied by Shesterkin to keep it tied. That was a close call.

The Rangers got a lift from the fourth line. After being on for a goal against, the trio of Barclay Goodrow, Tyler Motte and Ryan Reaves put together two consecutive shifts where they spent time in the Lightning end. During one shift, Motte had a backhand go wide.

On the next shift, an aggressive Vatrano got a good hit on Paul in the neutral zone. He was very active throughout. Not considered the most physical player, he finished with five hits to go with a goal and an assist. It was his most assertive game since the first round.

On a Chytil face-off win in the offensive zone, Fox tested Vasilevskiy with a quick wrist shot that he handled at the halfway mark of the period. At that point, the play was very even and wide open. A noticeable difference from the second round.

With the second lines going head to head on a shift, it was the Bolts who applied heavy pressure in the Rangers’ end. Some more spotty play from Trouba and Miller almost cost them. But a hustling Miller hustled back to get a piece of a Kucherov shot that probably was headed in.

He also would get open for a good scoring chance. While being double shifted by Cooper on the fourth line with Maroon and Bellemare, a strong cycle saw Kucherov get loose for a shot in front that Shesterkin coolly handled.

On a good forecheck by Zibanejad and Kreider, Vatrano tried a backhand wrap-around that Vasilevskiy denied. The shots were even at six apiece.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1532161564136054784?t=g_Zn-bhQJa_9hGbZey-29g&s=19

Kucherov and Stamkos continued to get golden opportunities. However, they weren’t able to bury them. Whether it was Shesterkin making the big saves or getting help from his defense with Trouba preventing a goal, the Rangers were a bit lucky in the first period.

They did earn the game’s first power play when Chytil was held by Brandon Hagel. After a strong pad save from Vasilevskiy to deny Zibanejad, an aggressive Bolts’ penalty kill forced some mistakes to get the puck out. Paul had a takeaway to test Shesterkin shorthanded. He made the stop.

With time winding down, a good rush by Panarin allowed him to find the trailer Fox for a shot that went wide. The first concluded with it still tied.

For the most part, the stats were even. Tampa led in shots 11-8 and attempts 20-16. The Rangers had 11 giveaways. Something that had to be cleaned up. Here was my urgent message for the team.

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The second period was interesting. At first, it was back and forth. But as it moved on, it was the Rangers who dictated the terms. Their heavier forecheck made a difference.

Early on, Zibanejad got a tricky deflection on Vasilevskiy that he made a good save on. Prior, he also stopped Miller on a tough low shot.

The third line had a tough time on an early shift against Stamkos. They turned it over three different times. But Stamkos missed wide on a one-timer from the slot. That’s probably in if he hits the net. Those kind of misses were part of the story for the Lightning.

They would have another great look at going ahead. When a changing Trouba fell down, it looked like they’d go ahead. Instead, a racing Vatrano broke up a two-on-one by blocking a pass across. Some great hustle.

At the first stoppage, an aggressive Lafreniere searched for a rebound that wasn’t there with Vasilevskiy covering. He got the treatment after the whistle. Playoff hockey.

On a shift, Fox was able to find Vatrano open for a long shot that beat Vasilevskiy high blocker for a 2-1 lead at 7:50. It was a good shot, but one Vasilevskiy would want back.

The next few minutes were insane. With the play continuing to be wide open, both teams had chances. First, Hedman hit a post. Then, Shesterkin stopped Ross Colton. On the other side, Strome was robbed by Vasilevskiy.

On a rush, Stamkos got off a tough backhand that Cirelli deflected off Shesterkin. The rebound came right to Palat, who sent his backhand past him to tie the score at 8:32.

But after goals 42 seconds apart, Chytil answered back 1:37 later. On a good cycle where Lafreniere sent the puck behind the net to Kakko, he came out and centered for an easy Chytil finish to put the Blueshirts back up 3-2. That made it three goals over 2:09. Something nobody could’ve predicted.

With an assist on the goal, that gave Lafreniere eight points. The most for a Ranger in the playoffs 20 years old or younger. He wasn’t done. The former top pick continues to blossom before our eyes on the biggest stage. Where are all the nimrods who called him a bust? Probably crying in their beer.

On a key shift where Miller pinched up, the Lightning were able to move the puck ahead for Killorn. With Miller giving chase, Killorn moved in and was thwarted by a clutch Shesterkin. It was the biggest save of the game.

What followed was the shift. It started with great pressure from the third line. Vasilevskiy made tough saves on both Chytil and Kakko. But with Mikhail Sergachev and Cernak pinned in due to the long change, they couldn’t get the puck out.

On what was a great keep by Fox, who’s a magician on those plays at the blue line, he got the puck to Lafreniere. He then moved it across to Miller. He then sent a perfect pass across for a Chytil one-timer past Vasilevskiy that gave him his second two-goal game in the PLAYOFFS! The same Chytil who had eight goals in the regular season. He now is up to seven for the postseason.

It was phenomenal. To see those three kids who are all 22 or younger play so well is so exciting. They deserved all the cheers they received. This is what The Letter was all about. I wonder what Jeff Gorton and John Davidson are thinking. They had a hand in this.

The best part was they finished the period. There were no late Lightning goals that could’ve given them momentum. The Rangers outshot Tampa 17-10. All at five-on-five. The best period of the season.

The game wasn’t over until it was. With severe thunderstorms in our area temporarily knocking out the TV, I switched to the radio for the third. Getting the chance to listen to the legendary Sam Rosen call the action alongside Dave Maloney didn’t disappoint. It was enjoyable.

On a play started by Trouba up to Copp, he fed Panarin on a two-on-one for a perfect wrist shot that went high, short side to put it away at just 30 seconds in.

That finished off the Lightning. They committed too many mistakes. Panarin sucked Killorn into a fugazi holding minor. Basically, he created the penalty and spun around.

Back on the power play, this time they connected. After some good saves from Vasilevskiy on Panarin and Zibanejad, the top unit finally converted when Fox and Panarin combined to set up Zibanejad for a rocket that made it 6-2 with 13:54 remaining.

One of the ridiculous storylines was how the Rangers hadn’t faced a starter in the first two rounds. Outside of Tristan Jarry who they beat in Game Seven, that’s true. But they still had to earn it. Especially with Carolina defending so well in front of Antti Raanta. Sometimes, you need luck to go deep. In this round, they’re facing the best goalie. JD nailed it here.

Then came the chants of “Igor’s Better,” from some misguided fans. Ridiculous. You’d think we were a new franchise. Not one that’s been in existence for nearly a century. It’s foolish to be chanting that during the first game. Talk after the series if they win.

https://twitter.com/morganbolts/status/1532190350692982784?t=kHdOaAlFt6h_QO-WzpK9NA&s=19

With the game decided, that didn’t stop the Lightning from mucking it up late. With 1:46 left, it got heated. There had been some battles and talking throughout. But with Goodrow getting an original penalty for cross-checking Hagel, you had Cal Foote repeatedly punch Motte with his glove on. Maloney went nuts on the radio.

Speaking of which, Reaves wanted Maroon. The linesmen broke it up. Braden Schneider exchanged pleasantries with Bellemare. Justin Braun and Hagel did the same. You also had Goodrow and McDonagh mixing it up. In total, there were 11 minors for 22 penalty minutes at the 18:14 mark.

Once that dissipated, things cooled down. As the buzzer sounded, the leftover Rangers congratulated Shesterkin. Now, it’s onto Game Two on Friday. You know the Lightning are coming. They’ll have a better effort tomorrow night. They just have to be ready for it.

Great game. They now have a series lead for the first time in this postseason. Don’t settle. Get the next game to really put the pressure in the Bolts.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1532194981456265217?t=FXbkAEHQck6gcLiO7vLXHg&s=19

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Eastern Conference Final: Never Say Die Rangers look to crash Lightning party in fascinating series

Posted on June 1, 2022 by Derek
Igor Shesterkin leads the upstart Rangers into the Conference Finals against Andrei Vasilevskiy and the two-time defending champion Lightning. Photo by Rangers

There’s no rest for the weary. At least in the case of the Rangers, they has one day off to prepare for the Lightning in a fascinating Eastern Conference Final that begins later tonight on Broadway.

Indeed, it’s the upstart Blueshirts challenging the two-time defending champion Bolts in the Conference Finals. The winner advances to play for the Stanley Cup.

It doesn’t get much bigger. The stakes are high. This time, the Rangers are big underdogs. This isn’t the Penguins or Hurricanes. It’s the championship caliber Lightning, whose Cup experience is well documented. Until they’re defeated, no team is better prepared to win it all.

We’re talking about a potential dynasty here. In battling back from a 3-2 series deficit to beat the Maple Leafs in the first round, they once again showed why they’re the champs. Their postseason success doesn’t allow them to panic. After sweeping the rival Panthers in epic fashion, they’ve won 10 playoff series in a row. A remarkable accomplishment in the salary cap era.

That they were able to reel off the last five wins without clutch center Brayden Point (lower-body injury) speaks volumes about how great a team they are. Even if he doesn’t return for this round, they still boast proven stars in Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and the game’s best goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Boasting such clutch performers along with a strong supporting cast that features Ryan McDonagh, Anthony Cirelli, Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat makes them very tough to beat in a best-of-seven series. When you throw in deadline additions Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel to a deep roster that includes Erik Cernak, Mikhail Sergachev, Ross Colton, Corey Perry and Pat Maroon, it’s no wonder they’re like Michael Myers, Jason and Freddy Krueger.

You can’t kill them off. Just ask the Leafs and their suffering fans, who again are wondering what their team has to do to advance past the first round. They were in good position to eliminate the Lightning, even leading by a goal until Kucherov forced overtime on a five-on-three goal. Tampa would win the elimination game on Mr. Overtime, Point’s goal in sudden death.

Then they shutdown Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and the rest of the high powered Maple Leafs’ offense to oust them 2-1 in Toronto. A pair of goals from Paul and 30 saves from the ever clutch Vasilevskiy allowed the Lightning to win a challenging seven-game series.

Many observers including myself couldn’t wait for the Battle Of Florida. But unlike last year’s very nasty and closely fought first round won by the Bolts in six games, they outclassed the Panthers by winning four straight to return to the Conference Finals over a week ago.

In fact, they outscored the high scoring Cats 13-3 in a shocking sweep. Vasilevskiy was at his absolute best in stopping 151 of 154 shots to post a ridiculous .981 save percentage. He was unbeatable.

It didn’t matter that the Panthers boasted a great offense with Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau headlining it. They simply didn’t play the kind of style necessary to go far in the playoffs.

The Lightning are willing to sacrifice by winning the board and puck battles in the trenches. They finish checks and dive to block shots. That’s what makes them so tough. They learned the hard way when the Blue Jackets swept them in a shocking first round upset. Since then, Jon Cooper’s team have become the perfect model on how to construct a winning roster.

Can they be beat? Sure. It won’t be easy. Throw out the season series that saw the Rangers win all three meetings. It means nothing. If that stuff really mattered, they would’ve rolled the Penguins in the first round and lost to the Hurricanes in the second round.

Instead, they got off the mat to come back and beat the Pens from a 3-1 deficit. In the process, they made NHL history by becoming the first team in the postseason to ever rally from such a deficit and trail in all three elimination games before winning. Artemi Panarin won it on a power play goal in overtime after Mika Zibanejad tied it.

They couldn’t figure out how to win at Carolina for three games of what really had been a home ice series. But they never panicked. Barclay Goodrow returned to help provide a spark in a Game Six win at MSG. A game where Filip Chytil scored twice and was a standout player.

Having Igor Shesterkin certainly has helped them reach this point. The unflappable 26-year old netminder who’ll win his first Vezina, which will be revealed soon, has proven why he’s considered one of the game’s best goalies. Although he now has the big game experience to go along with a tremendous regular season, he knows who he’s up against. He called fellow Russian Vasilevskiy the best goalie in the sport. Until proven otherwise, that’s true.

Without Shesterkin, the Rangers aren’t here. He was outstanding in a first period controlled by the Hurricanes, who did everything but score. Despite giving up a pair of power play goals to Adam Fox and Chris Kreider, the Canes easily could’ve been tied or even up after the first period. Igor was the difference making several big saves with his best coming on Teuvo Teravainen, who was robbed six seconds following Kreider’s goal that made it 2-0. That toe save will be replayed for a while if Shesterkin can help lead the Rangers to the upset and win the Cup.

Of course, that’s a long way off. The Lightning are easy to admire. They have high character players and well respected stars who play the game the right way. That doesn’t mean they won’t mix it up. They will. They have Perry and Maroon for that along with their version of Ryan Lindgren in Cernak. Kucherov is known for playing with edge when things aren’t going his way. They’re the champs for a reason.

If you think the Lightning won’t get some leeway from the refs, you’re sadly mistaken. They have a great reputation. This isn’t to say the officiating will be a factor. However, we’re talking about a proven winner. They’ll get the benefit of the doubt over the Rangers, who are new to the party. Of course, they have to play their game as Gerard Gallant likes to say. But they’ll also want to avoid unnecessary penalties this round.

Let’s just say the Lightning aren’t a team you want to put on the power play. They are the polar opposite of the anemic and overly predictable Hurricanes. The weapons Kucherov, Stamkos and Hedman provide can be lethal. Especially if you give Kucherov time to set up shop at the right circle. He dictates what happens.

One thing I’ll also add on the Bolts is they will take undisciplined penalties. They did during the 82-game season and have at times during the playoffs. However, they’ve had some enormous penalty kills that gave them momentum. Similar to the Rangers, who have been strengthened by the returns of Tyler Motte and former Lightning two-time Cup winner Barclay Goodrow. That grit makes a difference.

The interesting thing is that the Lightning have found good replacements for Goodrow, Yanni Gourde and Blake Coleman. They added both Paul and Hagel at the trade deadline. Paul is a very good checking center who is a shorthanded threat. Hagel is a tenacious worker who can chip in as well. His status is still uncertain for Game One. But he did skate yesterday.

While we know about the bigger names who get it done for the Bolts, keep an eye on Colton. He’s been scoring better all year. It looks like another hidden gem they found late in the draft is becoming a player you must pay attention to. So far in this postseason, Colton AKA Ross The Boss (credit to PurpleBolt18) has five goals. None were bigger than his last second crusher on a brilliant feed from Kucherov to stun the Panthers to win Game Two. They never looked back.

When they can have the very battle tested Perry who’s still chasing his second Cup, playing in a support role where Cooper makes good use of him on the power play where he remains a pest, that explains why Tampa is so hard to beat. Add in Maroon, who’s trying to win his fourth straight Cup, and it defines their depth and experience.

Chris Kreider with Andrew Copp after his two goals helped the Rangers reach their first Conference Finals since 2015. Photo by Rangers

How do the Rangers match up? For starters, they boast some star talent that have gotten them here. The trio of Zibanejad, Fox and Shesterkin have really delivered in key moments. So has true captain Chris Kreider. You had to figure he’d come through when it mattered most on Monday night. His two goals including the brilliant rush and power move finishing off the Hurricanes. Fifteen goals in elimination games places him second all-time in NHL Playoff history behind Mark Messier (16). Amazing stuff.

What about Andrew Copp? The guy I wanted before the deadline has been money. He’s fit in well on the second line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. In fact, it’s the good Copp who leads the way with 12 points (6-6-12). That’s one ahead of Panarin, who’s obviously battling through an injury. At least he looked better in the final two games last round. They’re gonna need him to win this series.

Frank Vatrano has also been solid while mostly playing on the top line with Zibanejad and Kreider. His speed and shot make him a threat. With the third line that features first round picks Alexis Lafreniere, Chytil and Kaapo Kakko going well, don’t expect any changes unless Gallant has to. He doesn’t like to mess with chemistry, but will adjust in game if things aren’t clicking.

If there are two big factors that have had an impact on their run, it’s the play of both Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba. There’s no question that Lindgren being able to return against the Pens fueled their comeback. He battles as hard as anyone. Even with whatever is ailing him, the warrior will come back from the locker room after taking a beating and give whatever he can to help the team win.

As for Trouba, his physical brand of hockey is well known by now. An honest player who will step up and deliver clean hits to opponents, the rugged defenseman is a big key to the team’s success. When he is more instinctive and plays his game, Trouba can really impact games. Just ask Sidney Crosby and Seth Jarvis. Here’s hoping Jarvis will be okay.

There’s two areas Trouba must clean up in the Eastern Conference Final. The turnovers in his end. He can sometimes be forced into giveaways by an aggressive forecheck. He also has a penchant for taking bad penalties. Something he must limit versus the opportunistic Lightning. They will need him out there at five-on-five and on the penalty kill. He can also be a bit scary on the power play. He’s not exactly great at keeping pucks in.

Partner K’Andre Miller remains overlooked. While he’s getting notoriety for how he’s handled the heavy minutes and tough assignments, the second-year defenseman is an important player. The top four wouldn’t be the same without his strong skating and ability to recover to break up plays with his long reach. He has taken the body more in the Spring. He’ll need to be steady against the Lightning for the Rangers to pass the test.

How does the Rangers’ top four compare to the Lightning? I’d say it’s about even. If you like smooth skating, offense and skill, both Fox and Hedman provide that. They anchor each defense. Fox is a bit better now on offense as his 18 points (5-13-18) suggest. Hedman is more of a physical force due to his size.

If there’s an edge, it’s Cooper having former Ranger McDonagh to draw the big match-ups. He is superb at five-on-five and on the penalty kill. You want to talk about a beloved former player. That’s Mac. I enjoy watching him play. Just not when he’s going up against our team. He’ll see plenty of Zibanejad and Kreider.

I would expect Hedman and Cernak to be matched up against Panarin. McDonagh pairs up with Zach Bogosian. A solid veteran who is strictly used at even strength for checking assignments. Cooper prefers to use Sergachev on the third pair to balance out the blue line.

In terms of third pairs, we know about Justin Braun and Braden Schneider. Braun gets around 11 to 12 minutes while Schneider sees less. It’s a good thing Chris Drury sent a third round pick to the Flyers for Braun. Patrik Nemeth should never see the light of day again. Braun is more of a stabilizing influence which has helped Schneider, who will pick his spots to step into opponents. He’s the better skater whose future is bright.

While Gallant leans heavily on the top four, Cooper is similar with one exception. By having his third good skating left defenseman in Sergachev play third pair, it allows him to have three skating defensemen who can log over 20 minutes. He pairs up with Cal Foote. A solid skater who can step up. At times, Cooper will play Sergachev more in search of better skating. Even though I feel he can be attacked, Sergachev adds a nice wrinkle. If he opts for seven D and 11 forwards, it’ll be Jan Rutta. That is an alignment Cooper used without Point versus Florida.

How do the lineups look on paper? I’m going to assume Hagel will be ready for tonight.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING LINES

Stamkos-Cirelli-Kucherov

Palat-Paul-Killorn

Hagel-Colton-Perry

Maroon-Bellemare-Nash

Hedman-Cernak

McDonagh-Bogosian

Sergachev-Foote

Rutta

Vasilevskiy

NEW YORK RANGERS LINES

Kreider-Zibanejad-Vatrano

Panarin-Strome-Copp

Lafreniere-Chytil-Kakko

Motte-Goodrow-Reaves

Lindgren-Fox

Miller-Trouba

Braun-Schneider

Shesterkin

Having outlined what the projected lineups will likely be with Cooper probably opting for the 11 forwards/7 defensemen alignment without Point, what does it come down to?

Obviously, the goaltending is a huge key. This is a great match-up. The proven winner in Vasilevskiy, whose got the hardware and accomplishments to one day reach the Hockey Hall Of Fame. He is challenged by the new face in Shesterkin, who has already established himself as an elite goalie that can steal games. Goals should be hard to come by.

Personally, I’ll be intrigued by seeing how Zibanejad does against Stamkos. I have so much respect for Stamkos. It’s great to see him back in form after some tough injuries that sidetracked him. Zibanejad has been splendid so far. His 18 points and clutch goals have led the Rangers’ offense.

Fox and Hedman are two of the game’s best at their position. Hedman is a lot like Vasilevskiy in that he’s established. Fox is the new kid on the block who’s been superb offensively. His overall game was better against the Canes. Plus you have the Doberman’s in Lindgren/Trouba and McDonagh/Cernak.

Where it might tilt in favor of the Bolts is the dynamic Kucherov, whose game is made for the playoffs. He’s been amazing for his postseason career. At over a point-per-game, Playoff Kuch makes it happen. He doesn’t shy away from physicality and has that tenacity.

This series is where Panarin must step up. He can’t be average. That means stronger on the puck, less giveaways and better compete. Regardless of the upper-body injury, he has to show a willingness to make plays by being more instinctive. That means not hesitating. Shoot the puck if it’s there and make crisp passes. Smarter decisions.

They can get more from the Panarin line in this match-up. Especially with Copp performing well. Strome has quietly been effective at getting shots and fishing for loose change in front. But Panarin makes that line go. It’s up to the Bread Man to deliver.

The wildcard remains the Chytil line. Flanked by the very effective Lafreniere, whose strength on the boards and ability to make plays with loose pucks, they have been a good line on the forecheck. Kakko is the player who must be visible. He picked up an assist on a Chytil put away the other night and came close to scoring. Here’s hoping that bodes well.

I’ve highlighted Colton for the Lightning. A young player who can finish. Perry also is good in front of the net where he’ll be looking for deflections and rebounds. That’s what makes him a former MVP. Killorn has been relatively quiet. But Palat has picked it up. A good skater who has speed, he shouldn’t be underestimated. Neither should Paul, whose checking and versatility has come in handy since Point went down.

The Rangers could have an edge with the combo of Motte and Goodrow, who both play the game with lots of grit. It’ll be interesting seeing Goodrow face his former team. Don’t forget how valuable he is on the penalty kill. He knows their tendencies. He will also need to be better on face-offs than that 3-for-20 in Game Seven. Goody is better than that.

Face-offs remain an area of importance. We know the Rangers aren’t good at winning them. Don’t lose the zone draws cleanly. Tampa can run set plays. It’ll be up to Zibanejad and Goodrow to win their fair share.

How much will having home ice matter? I don’t put much stock in it. Not unless there’s a deciding Game Seven. We also must remember who the opponent is. It’s the Lightning. Even if it goes seven at The Garden, there’s no guarantee here. I am not gonna bring up the last one versus this team. What a nightmare.

Of course, having the home crowd can help lift the team up in these games. They’re all big now. One thing I’d suggest is not falling behind. Get a lead. They can’t lose the first two games. It would be nice to see them win Game One and lead a series for a change.

The team that executes better at five-on-five and on special teams will prevail. It also will come down to which side can get traffic on the goalies. That means getting greasy goals. Whether on tips, deflections or rebounds, that will really matter.

Discipline. That can’t be stressed enough. Both teams boast weapons on the power play. Each penalty kill is capable. You don’t want to chance it.

Hustle plays. This is where the grit factor comes in. Finishing checks. Winning the puck battles. Forechecking. Key defensive plays like coming back to break up scoring chances and blocking shots. The stuff we don’t always see on the score sheet. That can decide these games.

I feel like the intangibles is even. We know what the Lightning are trying to do. They’re out to prove they can make history. Their experience and hunger is unquestioned. The Rangers have the look of a team that doesn’t go away. Five for five in elimination games. They never quit. They’re like Rocky. I loved that Kreider quote about them being like cockroaches. That’s who they are under Gallant.

As for coaching, I feel like you have to give the edge to Cooper. He’s a great coach. Look how he was able to adjust against the Leafs and what they did to the Panthers. He’s a winner who’s had success everywhere. Gallant is no slouch. He took the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first year. He’s been successful and probably learned a lot after Vegas mistakenly fired him. He has the right temperament for this team. They take on his personality.

Normally, I do these previews differently with breakdowns and a series prediction. I’m going to be honest. I am not up to picking a winner. Maybe I don’t want to jinx it. I do feel the Rangers have a chance against the Lightning. But I would rather just enjoy the series without making a pick.

I know how that sounds. It’s very unlike me. No bravado. I don’t know who will win. But I think it’ll be a great series. Whatever happens, it’s been a heckuva ride. Let’s enjoy these games. Nobody had the Blueshirts here. It was possible. But the way they did it is pretty cool.

Ric Flair always says, “To be the man, you gotta beat the man.”

Here’s their chance. Defeat the champs and it could be a very memorable June. Let’s Go!!!

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Rangers storm past Hurricanes 6-2 in stunning conclusion to win series, Advance to Conference Finals showdown with Lightning, Kreider delivers in elimination game, Fox sets record, Shesterkin 37 saves to set up match-up versus Vasilevskiy

Posted on May 31, 2022 by Derek

They did it. The New York Rangers are going to the Conference Finals. They did it in convincing fashion by going into Raleigh and defeating the Hurricanes 6-2 to take a deciding Game Seven in stunning fashion at PNC Arena.

There’s so much to digest here. It’s unbelievable how resilient this team is. They really never quit. It’s like the #NoQuitInNY hash tag has become their rallying cry. To come back and beat the Hurricanes in enemy territory, improving to 5-0 in elimination games is remarkable.

I don’t have the words. The Rangers are truly a special T-E-A-M. That’s why they’re still playing. For the first time in seven long years, they will play in the Eastern Conference Final. Ironically, they’ll meet the same opponent. The two-time defending champion Lightning with the next round starting on Wednesday night at MSG.

It’s a huge accomplishment. No doubt about it. Anyone who had this team winning two tough series in comeback fashion to take on the Stanley Cup champs is a liar or straight tripping. This is so exciting because it’s so unexpected. I can’t believe it. Wow. I’m speechless.

Considering how the second round series played out, most of us couldn’t have predicted a 6-2 road win over a tough Hurricanes’ team that entered a perfect 7-0 on home ice. The fact that they doubled up their output from Games One, Two and Five, demonstrates how strong this group of Blueshirts are. Their tremendous character and never say die attitude has gotten them this far.

Now, it’s a best-of-seven series versus the Lightning in the Conference Finals. It will pit Igor Shesterkin against Andrei Vasilevskiy. The game’s two best goalies will face off. Of course, it’s a lot bigger than that storyline. It’s the young upstarts going up against the battle tested champs. A dream for ESPN.

As for the Hurricanes, they were done in by undisciplined penalties and poor special teams. While Shesterkin tipped it in favor of the Rangers the final two games due to Antti Raanta having a bad Game Six and then leaving tonight’s deciding game with a lower-body injury at two goals down, it really was the Rangers’ superior power play and better penalty kill that determined the winner.

In the end, all the stats in the world didn’t help the Canes. They’d never lost a series while leading three games to two. They had won their last six Game Seven’s. That’s all gone. Home ice didn’t matter on Memorial Day in Raleigh, North Carolina.

All that mattered was that the Rangers were better when it mattered most. They played a superb game to take the series. Buoyed by a pair of power play goals from Adam Fox and Chris Kreider, they got out to a two-goal lead and never trailed. A huge key to winning in that building.

The Hurricanes are a much better team when they’re ahead. They play a different style at home. However, they were unable to get established due to minors on Sebastian Aho and a too many men on the ice penalty that really was due to a clean, hard hit by Jacob Trouba on Seth Jarvis. It loomed large.

Eight minutes into the game, both Fox and Kreider converted on the power play to put the Blueshirts up by two. The biggest save Shesterkin made came on Teuvo Teravainen when he robbed him on a one-timer following the Kreider goal. That was a momentum killer for the Canes, who pushed hard after falling behind.

Shesterkin made 16 of his 37 saves in a hectic first period. The play was wide open. It was the best offense the Canes mustered all game. They really generated some good scoring chances. But a locked in Igor didn’t cooperate.

As the game went on, it was the Rangers who picked up their play at five-on-five. Even though they were out-attempted by a considerable margin (82-46), they weren’t outshot or out-chanced by much. In the final two periods, the shots were 23-20 Hurricanes. Hardly the shooting gallery we’d grown accustomed to in that loud arena.

Ryan Strome would add a key goal late in the second. His first of the series beat rookie Pyotr Kochetkov, who replaced an injured Raanta with less than five minutes left in the period. A tough situation to come into for a young netminder.

Kreider would add his second of the game when he powered past Jaccob Slavin to go backhand deke on Kochetkov less than four minutes into the third. That made it 4-0.

After Vincent Trocheck redirected a Tony DeAngelo shot for only the second Hurricanes’ power play goal after a rare Shesterkin miscue, Filip Chytil erased any doubt when he got behind the Canes and beat Kochetkov five-hole, answering back 40 seconds later for a 5-1 lead.

Following a Max Domi goal that cut it to three with 3:47 left, Andrew Copp scored into a vacated net less than a minute later to conclude the scoring.

Mika Zibanejad had three assists in the victory. It was very quiet. But the top center was the best forward in the series. He finished with eight points (4-4-8) over the last five games to outplay Aho, who wasn’t as consistent.

With a goal and assist, Fox also concluded the series with eight points (2-6-8) to match Zibanejad. His 10 points are an NHL record by a defenseman in elimination games. Pretty special.

In stopping 37 of 39 shots, Shesterkin finished the seven-game series by allowing 12 goals on 234 shots. That translates to a .949 save percentage. He posted a 1.72 GAA. Tremendous numbers. He really delivered when it counted. Similar to the first round against the Pens after going through a rough patch.

How about Chytil? All he did was score four goals. That included the pair he had in the Game Six win. He added another big one for insurance to help wrap it up. After Zibanejad, it was Chytil who notched four goals against Carolina.

Don’t overlook the contributions from Tyler Motte and Barclay Goodrow. Both gritty forwards were instrumental in helping the team come back from a 3-2 deficit. Their attention to detail at both five-on-five and on the penalty kill were monumental. Getting Goodrow back for the final two games provided a big lift. Similar to what Motte brought when he returned against Pittsburgh.

That grit and intangibles matter at this time of year. Nobody defines it more than Ryan Lindgren. The warrior himself, who kept coming back from the locker room including at one point last night, he personifies what this team is all about. Enough cannot be said about the gamer he is. Battling through whatever is ailing him to provide great leadership and defense on the top pair.

They’re also here due to how Gerard Gallant has handled things. He never panics. Not when they were in a 3-1 hole in Round One. Not in what had been a home ice series until Monday night. He continues to push the right buttons. His calm demeanor has been a perfect fit for this team. Now, he will coach against close friend Jon Cooper in the next round.

I already covered a lot. It had to be done that way. That’s how meaningful it is for the never say die Blueshirts to be back in the Final Four still vying for the Cup.

Let’s get into how Game Seven went. A memorable night for the franchise, who delivered a loud message to the rest of the league. They’re back.

One of the coolest things about this game is my best friend took his son. It was a graduation present. A special shout out to Tim for being such a great Dad. I know his son Mikey will never forget it. He loves the Rangers. Maybe he was the good luck charm. Look at their seats.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1531426552143028226?t=GaFGLfgP_Lxr8Gdey0FJjQ&s=19

At the start, Gallant had Goodrow between Motte and Ryan Reaves with K’Andre Miller and Trouba. Rod Brind’Amour countered with his fourth line of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Max Domi, Jordan Martinook with the top pair of Slavin and DeAngelo.

With the crowd which included enough Ranger fans who made the trip making plenty of noise following the national anthem on Memorial Day, it was the Hurricanes who got the game’s first two shots. Shesterkin stopped Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei from distance.

One thing that was evident early was how committed the Rangers were defensively. Both Lindgren and Braden Schneider blocked shots. For the game, they dominated that category making 25 compared to the Canes’ eight. Trouba led all skaters with five.

On an early shift from the second line, Aho hooked into Copp to put the Rangers on an early power play. This was a bad penalty. It would prove costly.

The perplexing part was how much the top unit struggled. The Canes were solid for most of the penalty kill. But on a shift change by Gallant, the second unit that also had Zibanejad and Lindgren back out as it was winding down delivered an early blow.

On a good play in the neutral zone by Copp, he led Alexis Lafreniere into the Canes’ zone. Able to move in and slide a good back pass between the skates of Marty Necas, that allowed Fox to jump in and fire a wrist shot through traffic that beat Raanta top shelf with two seconds remaining on the power play.

Lafreniere made a smart play. He drew Necas to him knowing Fox was coming in behind. The back pass gave Fox a clear lane to beat a screened Raanta for the all important first goal at 3:40.

On the next shift, Trouba was sent off for high-sticking Kotkaniemi. It was already a critical juncture not even five minutes into the game.

Despite some good zone time, the Canes simply couldn’t score. They came close. After trying for some deflections, DeAngelo passed across for a Jarvis shot that hit the goalpost. That close to a tie game. Only one shot reached Shesterkin. A long DeAngelo try that he handled. It was a big kill.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1531474709518372865?t=AVyYdiffe-60qSRW9H1n7w&s=19

The big Trouba hit came a couple of shifts later. On a play where the Hurricanes entered the Rangers zone, he stepped up on Jarvis after the rookie made a pass. Trouba caught him with a clean shoulder a bit high and to the side. There was a little head contact. Here’s how the play looked.

Obviously, this was a tough hit. The kind Trouba delivers. Unfortunately, Jarvis went down. With him struggling to make it back to the Canes’ bench, out came another player too early. That resulted in a bench minor. A pivotal part of the game.

On their second power play, they didn’t waste any time. Off a set play, Fox got the puck across for a Zibanejad one-timer that really was a pass right for an easy Kreider tip-in with nobody on him for a power play goal at 8:00.

The Canes were overly aggressive up top. When Skjei vacated the front, it left Kreider wide open for his specialty. A tip home past Raanta for his second of the series to put the Blueshirts up by two.

With the Hurricanes crowd getting antsy, they nearly got it back to pull within one. On a good Aho rush, he had Teravainen all set up. But a quick reacting Shesterkin got across the net to make the clutch pad save to rob Teravainen of a sure goal six seconds following Kreider’s goal.

He would also deny Kotkaniemi on a backhand in close. He was locked in. Ray Ferraro noticed it on ESPN. He just looked very calm in net. Exactly what you want to see from a great goalie in such a big game.

With the Rangers exiting the zone, Reaves got too aggressive by delivering a late hit on DeAngelo to go for interference. It put the Canes back on the man-advantage.

Shesterkin’s toughest save came on a weird Aho deflection where he got into the right position to handle it. The other two shots from DeAngelo and Necas were from way out without enough traffic.

After some strong work from Goodrow and Copp, it was back to even strength. Zibanejad nearly had Panarin for a three-goal lead. But Raanta got across to make a great save to deny him. He actually kept his team in it.

Raanta would also deny a Strome wraparound and Copp point blank on another strong shift from the Panarin line. He was again more effective throughout. Panarin did a better job of forechecking and also came back defensively.

Shesterkin continued to look steady. He handled a Necas shot and stayed with Andrei Svechnikov, who was shutdown. He only had one goal. Aho was also denied by Igor, who wasn’t letting anything in.

Trouba made two good defensive plays by breaking up Canes’ centering passes with a man wide open. He might’ve saved a goal. Before the first concluded, Raanta made a good stop on Kreider to keep it at 2-0.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1531442354372100097?t=0lYj_bgBn7HExKOEwb5z-w&s=19

While the stats certainly pointed to the Hurricanes, who had 31 attempts, the Rangers hung in there by blocking nine shots and cashing in on their two power plays. It wasn’t like they were outshot severely. But they definitely needed to tighten it up.

Not surprisingly, Jarvis was unable to return following the Trouba hit. Emily Kaplan provided the update before the second period began. You hate to see a player get hurt. Especially a promising kid like Jarvis, who’ll be a star.

Following a good cycle down low by Zibanejad, Kreider and Frank Vatrano, Nino Niederreiter was able to come out and get an opportunity in transition. His tricky backhand was shutdown by Shesterkin, who closed up the five-hole to get a whistle.

Following a bad turnover by Lafreniere at the Carolina blue line, Chytil picked him up defensively. Following some attack time by the Hurricanes, Chytil came out with the puck and skated in to get a backhand on Raanta that he handled. It was a very good play by the budding center.

The Rangers would go back on the power play due to a lazy Svechnikov trip on Goodrow. That came after the refs missed a Lafreniere high stick that caught Brendan Smith earlier.

It didn’t matter. The third man-advantage was putrid. They were very conservative. Part of it was the Hurricanes, who showed more urgency to kill the penalty. They didn’t allow any setup time or shots. Even without doing anything, the Rangers led in shots 6-2. A huge difference from the first period.

Vatrano received a hooking minor on Jesper Fast with just under 13 minutes to go. It was another chance for the Canes to get back in it. Instead, they only had one long shot from DeAngelo. Goodrow made two key blocks to help kill the penalty. What a gamer.

Also of note, Lindgren took a tough ride into the boards by Niederreiter. That came as they got Vatrano for the one penalty. Wes McCauley explained to Lindgren, who was able to miraculously return after missing a few minutes that the puck was there. It could’ve been boarding. But it wasn’t.

When he was in the locker room, Gallant opted to pair up Schneider with Trouba. Miller again worked with Fox like in the first round when Lindgren missed time. They were fine. Seeing Lindgren come back was unbelievable. The man is so tough. He really is Dan Girardi reincarnated.

Despite a few more Canes’ shots, nothing threatened Shesterkin, who also had a more committed defense. They laid out to block shots and force Carolina wide. That was a big story.

A key point happened late in the period. After Raanta tried to sprawl across to deny Zibanejad, whose shot was blocked, he went down. Unfortunately, he landed awkwardly after pushing off. It didn’t look good. He would exit with 4:23 left. It sucked to see him limp off.

That forced Kochetkov into action. He had relieved Raanta in Game Six. But this was completely different. He had to come in following an injury. Once he replaced Raanta, the Canes’ chances of winning took a dip.

On a two-on-one rush, Strome was all set up. But he somehow shot the puck back into Kochetkov, who made a good pad save. Then, Aho came up ice and nearly had Teravainen for a goal. But he missed completely. That miss really hurt the Hurricanes.

With the Carolina forwards changing, a DeAngelo pinch led to Miller trapping him. Panarin quickly got the puck up for Strome on another two-on-one. This time, he didn’t miss. He was able to beat Kochetkov short side by changing the angle for a three-goal lead with 3:41 left. Ferraro noticed how Strome changed the angle to fool Kochetkov. It was a good shot.

Urged on by the Ranger fans who were cheering in the crowd, they nearly made it 4-0. After a couple of saves from Shesterkin, Lafreniere made a power move towards the net, but had his backhand go wide. It would’ve been a nice goal had he pulled it off. He was really good in this game.

At the end of two periods, the Rangers were in control up 3-0. They played a much more complete second by competing in all facets. The Canes didn’t have many quality chances. Although the shots favored them 12-9, it was much more evenly played. The Blueshirts boxed out and cleared the net front.

https://twitter.com/nyrfankt/status/1531456500417417216?t=QitYvUQAd8p3odVclZUuQQ&s=19

As we already knew when he went down, Raanta was done for the night. Kochetkov would go the rest of the way. I too have a soft spot for Raanta, who’s as nice a player as there is. A very classy goalie, who once served as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup. It sucks that he got hurt.

With the Hurricanes trailing by three entering the third period, I knew they’d make an early push. Seeing Martinook interviewed between periods by Kaplan told the story. He said all the right things. But you could see the shock on his face.

Funny enough, it was Martinook who got a great early chance 30 seconds into the third. But Shesterkin calmly handled his shot from the slot with ease. But the Rangers settled down following the inauspicious start to the period.

On another DeAngelo pinch, Zibanejad and Vatrano worked the puck out for Kreider. Once he received the puck, he turned on the afterburners. Able to gain a step on Slavin, who tried as hard as he could, Kreider shielded his body and then made a great power move for a beautiful backhand finish past Kochetkov.

What a goal. This was vintage Kreider. He was able to use his size and speed to deny Slavin, who’s a good defenseman. Then buried the chance to make it 4-0 with 16:01 remaining. He was pumped. So were the Ranger contingent who made more noise in the third.

Kreider now ranks second all-time with 15 goals in elimination games. Only former legend Mark Messier has more. He had 16 over his brilliant Hall Of Fame career that saw him win six Cups including the last one as a Ranger in ’94. That’s the only time I’ll reference that.

They could’ve gone up five. A strong shift from the third line led to Kaapo Kakko and Chytil getting shots on Kochetkov, who turned them away. Since being reunited, that line has been very good. Gallant should keep them intact for Tampa.

On a failed clearing attempt, Trouba sent the puck out of play for a delay of game minor. On a rare miscue by Shesterkin, the Canes were denied by a diving Fox. But they stuck with it to break the shutout. DeAngelo was able to take an Aho pass and take a shot that Trocheck deflected in for only the Canes’ second power play goal of the series. It really let them down.

In the MSG postgame, Lundqvist noted that the Hurricanes never really changed their strategy on the five-on-four. He felt they were too predictable and weren’t shooting to score. They looked for a lot of tips in front and misdirection plays. Very deliberate too. Not enough movement.

Now down by three again with still 11:49 left, the Canes still had a pulse. But a bad turnover in their end wound up finishing them off. A Kakko takeaway on a Skjei turnover allowed him to push the back for a quick Chytil shot through the wickets on Kochetkov to restore a four-goal lead only 40 seconds later.

A pumped up Lafreniere gave Chytil a huge hug. You could see how much emotion there was. Those kids have great chemistry. It was nice to see Kakko hit the score sheet. He also nearly had a goal. A confidence boost that he played well.

As time wound down, you could hear the “Ig-or, Ig-or” and “Let’s Go Rangers,” chants pick up. For the Hurricanes fans who stayed, they still supported their team despite being out of the game. Had it been MSG in that situation, it would’ve been silent.

With under four minutes left, Kotkaniemi and Martinook set up Max Domi to cut the deficit to three with 3:47 remaining. That allowed them to eventually pull Kochetkov for a six-on-five.

Following a Shesterkin stop on Teravainen, who probably felt cursed given all the scoring chances he had, Goodrow and Zibanejad worked the puck out for Copp, who deposited it into the open net with 2:52 left.

The end was really a coronation. Gallant opted to rest his top guns. They were all smiles on the bench. As time wound down, there was plenty of celebrating while a cool Gallant made his way on the ice to greet a gracious Brind’Amour.

After they congratulated Igor, the traditional handshakes started. ESPN was sure to pick up DeAngelo who gave hugs to Kreider, Zibanejad, Fox and close friend Strome. Despite the shenanigans during a hard fought series, he showed class. More than you can say for some fans.

The only thing that didn’t make sense was ESPN opting not to show DeAngelo and Alex Georgiev. We all know the story. Maybe they didn’t feel it was necessary. I would imagine it wasn’t all warm and fuzzy between them. But I saw what I needed to see from DeAngelo, who had a series to forget along with partner Slavin.

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1531470561272029184?t=3bKBmQNy0sCwRgtv9qo6JQ&s=19

ESPN also made sure to show the well respected Smith, who had some nice words for his former teammates. I have a lot of admiration for him. He took Miller and Kakko under his wing and was a great teammate. He plays that same role for the Hurricanes. Stick taps.

It definitely was eerie seeing a few of our former players greet the current Rangers. I felt bad for Raanta and Derek Stepan, who didn’t play in the series. Anyone who knows me knows I love Stepan. I hope he catches on elsewhere in a checking role.

It’s incredible to see this team have this kind of success. Wow. It’s unbelievable that they’re going to meet the Lightning for a chance at the Stanley Cup Finals. I’m so excited.

The Rangers and Lightning will begin tomorrow night at The Garden. Games 1 and 2 are both at 8 PM. Here’s the schedule.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

Rangers vs Lightning

Wednesday, June 1 Lightning vs Rangers 8 PM ESPN

Friday, 6/3 Lightning vs Rangers 8 PM ESPN

Sunday, 6/5 Rangers at Lightning 3 PM ESPN

Tuesday, 6/7 Rangers at Lightning 8 PM ESPN

*Thursday, 6/9 Lightning at Rangers 8 PM ESPN

*Saturday, 6/11 Rangers at Lightning 8 PM ESPN

*Tuesday, 6/14 Lightning at Rangers 8 PM ESPN

*if necessary

It’ll be quite a challenge. Even if the Bolts don’t have Brayden Point, they boast Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Vasilevskiy, Anthony Cirelli, Alex Killorn and old friend Ryan McDonagh. They’re a complete team.

You can’t put them on the power play. Kucherov is one of the most lethal setting things up from the right circle. Stamkos has a lethal one-timer in Ovi’s office. Hedman can shoot or pass from the point. They can use Corey Perry in the Point role. Cirelli can crash the net and retrieve pucks while Alex Killorn is capable. Ross Colton is the player to watch. He’s scored some big goals.

There are a lot of variables. McDonagh draws the checking assignments. He is very good at five-on-five and on the penalty kill. You can bet he’ll see a lot of Kreider and Zibanejad.

I’ll have a lot more on the challenge the Lightning present including in net. It’s going to be interesting. Plus Goodrow faces his former team. Good stuff.

Let’s enjoy what this team has accomplished. They’ve given us more than we ever could have asked for. Now, it’s a series against the best. A shot at the champs. I have friends on the other side. But now it’s war. Haha.

I could easily write a few more paragraphs. That’s how stoked I am. Congratulations to the Rangers! Let’s Go!!!!!

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A win away from the Conference Finals, Rangers must solve Hurricanes’ home dominance to advance

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Derek
The Rangers salute MSG after winning Game Six over the Hurricanes to force tonight’s deciding Game Seven in Raleigh. Can they pull the upset in enemy territory? Photo by NYRangers

On a significant day in our history where we honor those men and women who sacrificed so much for the country, the Rangers look to make some history of their own tonight when they play the Hurricanes in a deciding Game Seven.

It won’t be easy. The Hurricanes have dominated on home ice this postseason. They enter seventh game on Memorial Day a perfect 7-0 at PNC Arena in Raleigh. Despite their road woes that have seen them lose all six games including three ro the Blueshirts, they’re expected to win tonight’s game. At least if you go by the odds makers.

It’s understandable why the Rangers enter this big game as the underdog. Like the Bruins in the first round, they haven’t been able to solve the Hurricanes in that loud building. However, they have one more chance to win on the road in a tough environment. If they can, they advance to their first Conference Finals since 2015 where a familiar opponent awaits.

As nice as it would be to break down a potential Eastern Conference Final against the two-time defending champion Lightning, the reality is they must play their best game of the second round series to pull it off. If they do, only then can we get excited for a showdown.

There are some interesting statistics that the Rangers must stare down to win Game Seven at Carolina. In their history, the Hurricanes have never lost a deciding Game Seven. They’re 6-0. They also have never blown a three games to two lead to lose a series. They’re a perfect nine for nine.

Recent history has treated the Rangers well. In the first round, they got off the mat to come back from a 3-1 deficit to pull out a hard fought series win over the Penguins. They rallied to take Game Seven on Artemi Panarin’s power play goal in overtime. They enter tonight’s seventh game having gone 7-1 in their last eight Game Seven’s.

Something has to give. While Chris Kreider is the lone holdover from most of that recent success with now retired, turned MSG analyst Henrik Lundqvist in the studio, this is a great opportunity for the franchise. Especially in what’s their first Stanley Cup Playoffs in five years.

It’s already been a great season. They surprised many by winning 52 games and finishing second in the Metropolitan Division with 110 points. Six behind the Hurricanes, who earned home ice by defeating the Rangers in the final week of the regular season. They’ve been able to use it to their advantage to get to this point.

What happens at 8 PM tonight when the deciding game begins on ESPN? That remains to be seen. As far as all the stats I mentioned above, you can throw it all out. It’ll be decided on the ice.

The Rangers know just how tough the Hurricanes are in Raleigh. They could’ve won Game One. But weren’t able to protect a one-goal lead after two dominant periods. Filip Chytil’s goal didn’t stand up. They backed off in the third and got burned by Sebastian Aho with 2:23 left in regulation. Then Ian Cole in sudden death.

Even though they played the Canes tough in Game Two, a critical mistake led to Brendan Smith scoring a shorthanded goal during the second period. Carolina shutdown the Rangers in the third, getting a last second empty netter to prevail 2-0.

You can make the argument that they were right there in the first two games. But they only scored one goal. After evening the series with convincing wins back at MSG, they were no match for Carolina in an uncompetitive 3-1 loss in Game Five. The score was misleading. It was brutal.

But in a series that hasn’t had any momentum, they responded in true never say die fashion by defeating the Hurricanes 5-2 to take Game Six at The Garden. A game where Barclay Goodrow returned from a serious ankle injury that sidelined him for over three weeks. He won seven of fourteen face-offs and was a key factor on three successful penalty kills.

Along with a pair of second period goals from Chytil, goals from Tyler Motte, Mika Zibanejad and Panarin, they responded the right way.

It isn’t possible without Igor Shesterkin, whose brilliance in stopping all 15 shots in the first period, made the difference. He was at his best making several tremendous saves en route to 37 to help the Blueshirts stave off elimination for the fourth time. He also became just the fifth goalie to record two assists in a playoff game, and even took a penalty late in the second that his teammates bailed him out on.

The 26-year old Russia Czar is their best player. After some struggles in the first round, he’s allowed 10 goals on 195 shots (.949 save percentage) versus Carolina. Even though he’s expected to win his first Vezina and finish third for the Hart behind Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, a win tonight would be remarkable.

It’s his first postseason. Not even Lundqvist reached this point. It took him until age 30 to carry the Black and Blueshirts to the Conference Finals in 2012. That playoffs, he won three elimination games including a road Game Six at Ottawa and two Game Seven’s in the first two rounds.

What Shesterkin is looking to do is significant. In order for that to happen, he’ll need plenty of help tonight. There’s no question that the Rangers haven’t played their best game yet in this series. Game Four is the one that stands out. However, it’s about bringing their A game on the road in a hostile environment later tonight.

Throughout the series, I’ve referenced the match-ups. Rod Brind’Amour has dictated them by matching the Jordan Staal line against the Zibanejad line. In the Rangers’ three home victories, Gerard Gallant countered by having Zibanejad out against Aho. The chess match should be interesting to watch. It’s Game Seven. If he has to change on the fly or adjust in game, Gallant must. Leave nothing to chance.

Zibanejad has come on by scoring goals in four straight games. Along with Chytil, they’ve combined for seven of the Rangers’ fourteen goals. More will be needed from Kreider, who’s been limited to a goal and assist. This is the kind of big game he must deliver in.

For most of this round, offense has been hard to find for Panarin. Playing banged up through upper-body injuries, he’s found it tough sledding against the stingy Canes’ defense. But he looked better in Game Six by getting in on the forecheck and creating some good scoring chances for Andrew Copp. It’s imperative that Panarin approaches this one similarly. He can’t be afraid to shoot and must avoid turnovers.

Adam Fox has six points in the series to lead all players. The smooth skating defenseman can find offense due to his uncanny ability to find open teammates and keep pucks in at the point. Obviously, he must be a factor. Don’t get caught pinching either. Both Fox and Jacob Trouba, who had a much better game the other night, must limit mistakes.

If there’s been one forward who’s brought a consistent work ethic at five-on-five, it’s Alexis Lafreniere. The 20-year old former top pick has been very involved physically. He has finished checks and gotten in on the forecheck with Chytil and Kaapo Kakko to create offense. Although he only has two helpers in the series, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Lafreniere played a part in a Game Seven upset win. His style is perfectly suited for the playoff grind.

Could this be the swan song for Ryan Strome as a Blueshirt? Stolen from Edmonton by former GM Jeff Gorton for Ryan Spooner, he’s been a good player. His unselfish nature has meshed well with Panarin. He also is always available to the media and makes good observations about what they need to do. With only two assists, you know he’ll want to contribute. He’s most effective when he goes to the net.

What about Frank Vatrano and Motte? Both have been solid. Vatrano had a better first round. He did score a power play goal and register an assist in a home win. That’s been it. A player with a shoot first mentality, Vatrano must be involved by utilizing his skating to get open.

As for Motte, he’s a glue guy who doesn’t always show up on the score sheet. It’s his tenacity and grit that have won over fans. Much like Goodrow, he brings a lot to the table. A good defensive forward who excels on the penalty kill, Motte uses his speed and instincts well. They probably aren’t in this round without him.

Ryan Reaves continues to bring the energy needed before and during games. A good locker room guy who keeps things loose with his lineup introductions and “Release Us Igor” pump up prior to coming out. he’s a likable teammate who plays with that same passion during each shift. The hitting must be prominent on the forecheck. Forecheck being the operative word.

If they want to win this game, it’s important to get off to a strong start. That means winning enough face-offs, battles and getting pucks in. They must be able to forecheck the Canes. Chip pucks behind their aggressive defense to generate odd-man rushes. Play disciplined. Defend better.

Getting a lead is essential. You can’t play the Hurricanes in that arena from behind. They really make it hard due to their fans and the style they play. Expect them to push early. The Rangers must withstand the pressure by making crisp passes and not turning over pucks. They will have to counter.

Gallant leans heavily on the top four defensemen. Ryan Lindgren continues to be their most consistent defensively. Despite whatever is ailing him, he’s shown a lot of heart. He covers for Fox a lot. They must be steady.

That also goes double for K’Andre Miller and Trouba. They draw the checking assignment against Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Seth Jarvis. They must be strong on the walls and be able to have clean breakouts. Make smart reads. Miller can skate it out when there’s room and jump in. Trouba can take the body.

The Rangers’ structure has to be textbook. This can’t turn into a fire drill where Igor is facing a shooting gallery. Keep the Canes outside and box out. They’ll be driving the net a lot in search of deflections and rebounds. The defense must not panic. They’ll need help from the forwards.

There can’t be any passengers. In Game Six, both Justin Braun and Braden Schneider played well. Gallant gave them more shifts than he has on the road. Obviously, Brind’Amour will look to get favorable match-ups by having his first or second line on with Jaccob Slavin and Tony DeAngelo. Up to this point, the Rangers have done a good job limiting DeAngelo to one assist and keeping Slavin without a point.

While most of the focus is on the Canes’ top line, don’t forget about Vincent Trocheck, Andrei Svechnikov and Marty Necas. Even though they only have three goals in the series, they’ve gotten a lot of good looks. The Rangers must minimize their chances. Trocheck has been good on the wall and Svechnikov has missed the net several times.

You know Zibanejad, Kreider and Vatrano will see Staal, Nino Niederreiter, Jesper Fast, Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce often. They can’t be on the defensive in this game. That means Zibanejad must win key draws and they have to compete harder on pucks. Zibanejad is the best forward they have with Kreider their top finisher. They must be factors.

In terms of the goalies, we know Shesterkin has the edge over Antti Raanta, who’s expected to start Game Seven. He is coming off a bad game where the Rangers chased him for three goals in a shade over a period. Undoubtedly, they need to test Raanta early. He’s bound to be nervous. Take shots. Go for rebounds. Get players to the net.

Special Teams. It has meant plenty in this series. When the power play is right, that increases their chances of winning. No sloppy passes that cause Canes’ shorthanded rushes. They’ve already been burned twice in that building.

No bad penalties. Just because Carolina has only one power play goal doesn’t mean they can’t connect. Their power play got enough looks the other night. It was Shesterkin who made the big saves in the first period to deny Teravainen and DeAngelo. If they are on the kill, stay aggressive by crowding DeAngelo. It’s worked in this series. He’s been frustrated. Take away Teravainen and Aho. Keep an eye on Jarvis and Svechnikov.

There are so many variables when it comes to these deciding seventh games. I’ve examined them all. If there’s one thing you hops for, it’s that Shesterkin is the best player on the ice. He has the capability to steal this game. They must give him help to win.

Whatever happens, it’s been a fun season. Who would’ve ever believed this team would be playing for a chance at the Lightning? I’ll take it. If they leave it all out there, no matter what the result is, I’ll be proud.

#LGR

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It’s Going Seven! Never Say Die Rangers take Game Six over Hurricanes 5-2 to force Game Seven, Chytil scores twice, Goodrow inspires in return, Raanta chased

Posted on May 29, 2022 by Derek
Filip Chytil talks between periods after scoring twice during the Rangers’ 5-2 win over the Hurricanes in Game Six. Photo courtesy ESPN

There will be a Game Seven. It’ll take place on Memorial Day in Raleigh. The never say die Rangers forced the deciding seventh game by delivering a clutch 5-2 win in Game Six over the Hurricanes at MSG.

The true character again came through. For the fourth time this postseason, the resilient Blueshirts avoided elimination. They did it by getting a quick start thanks to goals from Tyler Motte and Mika Zibanejad.

Filip Chytil was the star of the night. He scored twice and was the best skater on either side. His goal on a two-on-one chased Antti Raanta for the first time in the series. He would later add a critical second tally on a great backhand past reliever Pyotr Kochetkov that restored a three-goal lead.

Not to be outdone was Igor Shesterkin. With his team in another do or die scenario at The Garden, all he did was make 37 saves on 39 shots including some big ones in the first period when it mattered. He also made NHL history by becoming only the fifth goalie to ever record two assists in a playoff game.

The Rangers also got an emotional lift from the surprising return of Barclay Goodrow. After blocking a shot in Game One against the Penguins, the battle tested Stanley Cup winner was back in the lineup despite suffering a broken ankle 25 days ago.

It was incredible how well he played. He replaced Kevin Rooney centering the checking line and adding valuable penalty killing. Goodrow also won seven of fourteen face-offs. He provided exactly the kind of energy and experience they needed.

In a sharp contrast from the mindless Game Five, Saturday was more wide open. That caused more chaos and a frenetic pace early. It led to some prime scoring chances for the Hurricanes, who had more jump than in Game Four.

That allowed Shesterkin to get into the game early. He made a few gigantic saves to keep the Canes off the scoreboard. None were bigger than the breakaway he stoned Sebastian Aho on. That save along with one on a Teuvo Teravainen rebound were  huge momentum swings. Motte eventually came down and beat a shaky Raanta through the wickets for the game’s first goal.

Before that goal by Motte, shots favored the Canes 7-2. Things changed following Motte’s second of the series. The Rangers would get the next six shots to turn it around. That included Zibanejad fooling Raanta by shooting from a bad angle on a rush to score for the fourth consecutive game.

The clutch stops from Shesterkin and the two goals Raanta gave up really set the tone. They would lead throughout and ride the hot goaltending of Igor to a three-goal victory to force a deciding Game Seven. That’ll take place at 8 PM on Memorial Day.

It’ll be compelling theater for ESPN. Even if some fans on both sides of the series don’t care for Sean McDonough. It’s a national broadcast. I don’t mind. Ray Ferraro is pretty good on color commentary while being between the benches. Despite what fans think, there is no bias.

In terms of the Rangers playing another Game Seven, they’re 7-1 over their last eight. The Hurricanes have never blown a three games to two lead. They’re a perfect 9-0 and have a great record in seventh games. Something has to give.

Hopefully, luck will be on the Rangers’ side. They have yet to win at PNC Arena. Carolina came back to take Game One in crushing fashion. They then shutout the Rangers in Game Two. Those were close. Game Five was not. It’s important for the players in the locker room to believe they can win. Approach it the right way. Play their best game. That’s what it’s going to take to advance.

When early reports had Goodrow taking warm-ups, that was a huge surprise. But when it was confirmed that Rooney wasnt on the ice, everyone knew Goodrow was back. It’s remarkable that he returned from a serious injury in less than a month.

Here were the lines for both sides:

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Before the game even began, the “Ig-or, Ig-or, Ig-or,” chants were up from the crowd. They understood the importance of this game. It’s either win or go home. He definitely wasn’t ready to make summer reservations. Neither were his teammates.

At the start, Gerard Gallant had Goodrow between Motte and Ryan Reaves with K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba for the opening draw. Rod Brind’Amour countered with his big checking line anchored by Jordan Staal with Nino Niederreiter and Jesper Fast. Jaccob Slavin and Tony DeAngelo were on defense.

Following another great national anthem from John Brancy, who should become the permanent singer for the home games, Shesterkin turned away an early Staal bid on the opening shift.

After a good Justin Braun hit on Vincent Trocheck, a good cycle from the second line that included a more visible Artemi Panarin created a shot from Andrew Copp that Raanta fought off. Slavin batted the rebound away. That was a sign of nerves.

The Canes were very aggressive. They came out hitting and were able to carry the play. It led to Shesterkin making a couple of early stops. He would get tested shortly.

After Goodrow got a shot on Raanta, Aho got behind Ryan Lindgren for a breakaway. He made his move going to a forehand deke. But a calm Shesterkin slid over to make the big right pad save to cheers. He then turned away Teravainen’s backhand.

With the building in a frenzy from the early Shesterkin heroics, Motte took a loose puck, skated into the Carolina zone and used Skjei as a screen to sneak one through Raanta at 7:22. His shot went off Raanta’s pads and in for the lead.

That really got the fans going. It was obvious to anyone that Raanta was shaky. Even though Motte shot between Skjei’s legs, it was a bad goal. It wouldn’t be the only softy from Raanta.

Getting a boost from the goal, the Rangers carried the next few minutes. In fact, Copp nearly doubled up the lead. But his shot just missed. He would also get another shot on that Raanta handled.

Following a stoppage, the second line continued to pressure. Ryan Strome was denied in close by Raanta. On a close call, Adam Fox had some room on the short side with Raanta off his near post. But he just missed wide. He shook his head.

On a draw between Chytil and Trocheck, Alexis Lafreniere was high-sticked by Brendan Smith. That put the Rangers on the power play.

Following a face-off win and clear by the Canes, Shesterkin handed the puck to Fox. He then moved it up for Zibanejad. He then did the rest. Flying up ice, he gained the Canes’ zone and skated past the right circle. Able to catch Raanta not set, Zibanejad surprised him by shooting to go five-hole for a power play goal at 9:51 that made it 2-0.

That was even worse. If you want to give Raanta the benefit of the doubt on Motte’s goal due to Skjei partially screening him, this one was brutal. Zibanejad got an early Memorial Day gift for his seventh of the postseason.

A Miller turnover behind his net resulted in Trouba taking down Andrei Svechnikov for a tripping minor witu 7:12 remaining. The first Hurricanes power play had some great looks. But they couldn’t beat Shesterkin.

The best scoring chance came when Teravainen let go of a high riser that Shesterkin reached up to get his glove on it to push it wide. He would also deny Aho and then make a big glove save on DeAngelo, who looked skyward in disbelief. Those three saves were huge.

Buoyed by a good power play, the Canes continued to ramp up the pressure. But Shesterkin robbed Max Domi and then denied the pesky Jordan Martinook twice to keep them behind by two.

To be perfectly honest, if it weren’t for Igor, there’s no way they escape the first period leading by two. He was the biggest difference in this game. While Raanta struggled for the first time in the series, Shesterkin was a brick wall. He stopped all 15 Hurricanes’ shots in a busy first period.

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Raanta did make a couple of key stops on Trouba late in the period to keep the deficit at two. Shots favored the Canes 15-12. They led in face-offs 15-6. The Rangers had too many giveaways (9) that fueled the Carolina attack. They cleaned it up over the next two periods.

In the second period, the reunited third line created two great chances off rushes. On the first one, Lafreniere had Chytil on a two-on-one. But he missed wide. But before you knew it, a pass from Fox trapped a pinching Brady Skjei and Jesperi Kotkaniemi to create another two-on-one.

This time, Chytil whipped a wrist shot high short side past the glove of Raanta inside the post for a 3-0 lead at 3:24. That was all for him. He allowed three goals on 13 shots in 23:24.

Brind’Amour had seen enough. He inserted highly thought Russian newcomer Pyotr Kochetkov. He played well in limited action against Boston. He also beat the Rangers in the final week to help the Canes earn the home ice they’ll have for Monday’s big game.

The move worked. Less than two minutes later, Seth Jarvis and Aho were able to combine to get the puck up for a Skjei shot that beat Shesterkin high glove with traffic at 5:05. It was back to 3-1.

However, Chytil took a Lafreniere feed and then bounced off a Smith check in the corner. He then was able to get off a deceptive backhand that beat Kochetkov high inside the goalpost for his second of the period. It answered the Skjei tally 1:42 later.

Filthy. Chytil has been having a good series. He finally got the results. Well deserved. Somewhat noteworthy, Shesterkin got his second assist of the game to make some playoff history. He started the play with the outlet for Lafreniere. He did it all literally.

On another good chance, Ryan Lindgren actually took the puck to the net where Kochetkov stopped him. With the Blueshirts searching for the rebound, there was a scrum. Just your usual playoff battle. Nothing over the top.

As fans chanted, “Tony [DeAngelo] sucks,” Jarvis had a great chance in front, but Shesterkin denied him to keep it 4-1 with 9:31 left. More often than not, he turned away the Canes. It definitely wore on them.

On a very active shift by the fourth line, Reaves did his best work when he caught Martinook with a clean hit. The best of the game from him.

After Panarin set up a Copp shot that hit the post, the Hurricanes came back to score on the opposite end. This time, Skjei took a Marty Necas feed and got a tricky shot through that hopped off Shesterkin for Trocheck, who was able to get a bounce off Lindgren for his second goal of the series.

That cut it to 4-2 with still 7:13 remaining in the period. Making matters worse, Chris Kreider took an undisciplined penalty by hooking Jarvis just nine seconds later to put Carolina on a crucial power play.

This was a huge part of the game. To their credit, the Rangers got it done on the penalty kill. They only allowed two long shots from DeAngelo and Trocheck that Shesterkin easily handled. Both Fox and Trouba had key blocks that helped them get out of trouble.

With less than five minutes left, Kreider had a good chance to increase the lead. But he sent a wrist shot wide. He’s struggled to finish in this round. Something tells me they’re gonna need him to deliver tomorrow night.

Chytil had a chance at the hat trick. But his low backhand was turned aside by Kochetkov. He really was impressive. So was Lafreniere, who continues to finish checks while making plays on the forecheck. His overall game has really improved.

On an extended shift by the Hurricanes, they created a couple of opportunities. But Shesterkin made stops on Slavin and Jarvis point blank to keep the score 4-2.

Noticing that Braun, Braden Schneider and Kaapo Kakko were out a long time, an overly aggressive Shesterkin came out of his net and knocked down Jarvis. It was an interference minor penalty with 2:18 left in the second.

It was another big part of the game. It gave the Canes a second straight chance on the power play to pull within one. However, the penalty kill was superb. The pressure up top forced DeAngelo into a giveaway and easy clear to cheers. His frustration would soon boil over.

At the start of the third period, the Hurricanes began to come. But after two shots that Shesterkin ate up, it would be a face-off that really finished the game off.

Following Zibanejad getting chased, Kreider stepped in to take a draw against Aho. After losing it, he took an accidental high-stick from Slavin on a loose puck that was in mid-air. After they called it a double minor, they reviewed it to make sure.

Slavin protested that it was a follow through. But it wasn’t due to where the puck was. With Kreider cut on the play, the Rangers went on a four-minute man-advantage. It looked like the five-on-four would fail. The top unit turned over the puck which allowed the Canes to send it down the ice.

Over a minute later, a lazy Panarin hook on Aho made it four-on-four. Before you could turn around, Ian Cole took an interference minor on Copp to put the Rangers back on a the power play.

After an abbreviated four-on-three, Panarin returned to make it a five-on-three. Instead of messing around, he took a Kreider pass and whipped a snapshot past the glove of Kochetkov inside the far post for a 5-2 lead with 12:17 left. It was the first goal of the series for Panarin. His first since the Game Seven overtime heroics last round.

Playing a stronger period up by three, the Rangers didn’t allow many quality chances. Trocheck got his own rebound in front which Shesterkin easily gloved. But he wasn’t beating him there.

Goodrow got into a battle with Trocheck taking him off the ice for two minutes. That’s who he is. An antagonizing player who gets underneath the skin of opponents. Both served roughing minors.

On a delayed call on Miller for tripping up Jesperi Kotkaniemi, DeAngelo finally lost his cool. After the Rangers touched up to stop play, he foolishly flipped a shot into the Rangers’ net. That led to chaos with players in his face. He earned two for unsportsmanlike conduct to negate a power play.

What that showed me is DeAngelo was frustrated. The Rangers have really done a good job neutralizing him. They’ve crowded him at the point to take away time and space. He only has one assist in the first six games. He can let the emotions get the best of him. It’s now happened twice. At the end of Game Three and in the third period of Game Five.

With nothing going, Brind’Amour changed his lines. He had Domi with Staal and Jarvis. It was a mixed bag. It didn’t matter. This one was over.

While the Canes tried to mix it up between whistles, it sure didn’t bother the Rangers. At one point, Trouba laughed off a challenge.

Aho took a roughing minor. Gallant stuck out Chytil to try for the hat trick. He didn’t get it. But he delivered big time.

As the buzzer sounded, Reaves had to be separated from Smith by the linesman. Smith must’ve said something. He is tough and can play that game. But Reaves would’ve made him pay. I’m glad they broke it up.

The game was over. When they all congratulated Shesterkin and saluted the crowd at center ice, it was a nice way to end a good game. Strome gave a thumbs up. Who knows if that’s the last home game he played as a Ranger. Let’s hope not.

They got it done. It was a T-E-A-M effort. Now, it’s all about Game Seven. One more win or go home scenario. Do or die. It’ll be the only seventh game of the second round. Someone will win and advance. The other won’t and have all summer to think about it.

No matter what happens, we should all be proud of how this team plays with their backs to the wall. When Emily Kaplan asked Motte about it, he talked about the character they have in the room.

They believe. He also told her that he looked to the sky and pointed due to the passing of his fiancée’s grandma. Indicating maybe he had help with that first goal.

Whatever the case, it sure is exciting. One more chance at winning a road game in Carolina. For a shot at the two-time defending champion Lightning in the Conference Finals. It doesn’t get much better.

Who’s ready? Let’s Go!!!!!

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Rangers look to bounce back and force a deciding Game Seven

Posted on May 28, 2022 by Derek

Following a dismal effort that resulted in a predictable 3-1 defeat in Game Five to the Hurricanes, it’s all on the line for the Rangers later tonight.

It’s do or die. A tough position they’ve been in before during this postseason. In the first round, they stared elimination in the face by rallying from multiple deficits to win the final three games against the Penguins.

By the dramatic conclusion that was highlighted by an Artemi Panarin power play goal in overtime to come back and defeat the Pens 4-3 in overtime, that comeback from 3-1 down made them stronger. It’s why they were able to shrug off a two games to none deficit and win the next two at MSG in convincing fashion.

Now, following their worst game of the second round, they once again look to show the resilience and bounce back ability that have characterized this team. Win Game Six on home ice before a great atmosphere in prime time and extend the Eastern Conference Semifinals to a deciding Game Seven.

There’s no point in harping on what took place on Thursday night in Raleigh. That’s over with. As Gerard Gallant mentioned in the postgame interview above, they didn’t have much. Now, it’s about rising up and playing their game to put the pressure back on Carolina.

If they play the way they can to back up home ice at MSG starting at 8 PM tonight on ESPN, then there’ll be a Game Seven back in Carolina on Monday night. That’s their goal. Win this game and give themselves one more chance at winning this very odd series on the road.

One thing that should be pointed out is that they can’t expect it to come as easy as Games Three and Four. Especially the latter when they were never seriously threatened in a 4-1 victory. One that was easily their best of the series.

Don’t forget that the Hurricanes have been knocking on the door the past few years. They reached a Conference Finals under Rod Brind’Amour in 2019 and lost in the second round the past two years. Expect a better game from them.

What that means for the Rangers is they will need to bring their best game to push it seven. There can’t be any passengers. Starting with Chris Kreider, who didn’t have a shot in Game Five and has been held to only a goal in the first five games, the emotional leader must be a factor on Saturday night.

It also means better games from Mika Zibanejad, a banged up Panarin, Ryan Strome, Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano, Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba. It’s that top six and those two defensemen who have gotten them to this point.

They can’t rely on Alexis Lafreniere or Filip Chytil to be the most consistent players each shift. That’s a losing proposition. As effective as both have been, they’ve only combined for two points. That would be Lafreniere setting up Chytil for the first goal of the series. Nothing since even though they’ve both had chances.

Undoubtedly, Igor Shesterkin will need to be at his absolute peak. He’s had a strong second round. The three goals he permitted on Thursday were the most the Canes have scored against him. He’s allowed eight goals on 156 shots. Superb numbers.

It doesn’t matter. They might need Shesterkin to be perfect. Antti Raanta has only allowed eight goals on 126 shots. The backup has played well in the first two rounds while starter Frederik Andersen gets closer to returning. He hasn’t been under as much duress as Shesterkin, who’s held up well to the Canes’ storm surge.

Every detail matters in these crucial games. For the Rangers, their puck management must be a lot better when they drop the puck at approximately 8:10 tonight. Whether it’s winning enough key face-offs or battles for loose pucks, they better be prepared.

It means doing a better job managing pucks in their end. They’ve struggled repeatedly with the aggressive Carolina forecheck. Limiting mistakes and making crisp passes to get out of their zone are necessary.

There can’t be Trouba coughing up pucks at the slightest pressure. Certainly not Fox getting caught up ice and beaten like he was by Andrei Svechnikov for the Canes’ insurance marker in a dreadful third period. Nor K’Andre Miller leaving his feet too early to allow a pass to get through for a goal.

The fundamentals are essential. They want to chip pucks behind the Canes’ defense and get on the attack. Too often, they’ve been chasing the action. When they use their skating legs and forecheck, that’s when they’re most effective.

That also means more hitting from Ryan Reaves than the one check he was credited with in Game Five. If he’s not taking the body, he’s useless. They need to be the punishers in Game Six. Not the punished. Too often, that was the case.

It will take all 18 skaters buying in and pushing forward. Whether Gallant has Tyler Motte up on the third line or moves Kaapo Kakko back up with Chytil and Lafreniere, they have to be in sync. Good shifts. Consistent work ethic. Make the right plays to find their game.

Personally, I would reunite Kakko with Chytil and Lafreniere. The young trio has brought energy when together. They’ve been able to use their combination of skating and skill to get pucks deep on the cycle. Something we haven’t seen enough of.

It makes sense to go with the four lines that got them here. That means Motte back down on the fourth line where his speed and grit can aid Kevin Rooney and Reaves. Kakko isn’t a fit on that line. It was a waste sticking him there. Either he plays top nine or there isn’t a place for him.

You can’t account for chemistry. If for some reason the lines aren’t clicking, then Gallant shouldn’t hesitate to adjust tonight. It’s win or go home for the summer. In a similar situation against Pittsburgh, he moved Lafreniere and Copp up with Zibanejad. It sure worked out.

What about the third pair of Justin Braun and Braden Schneider? They haven’t played a lot in this round. However, with the top four looking a little worn out due to the Canes’ taxing style, he must trust Braun and Schneider enough to give them regular shifts.

It can’t all fall on Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Trouba and Miller. The latter pair haven’t been as effective this series. They need a strong game. Of the four, Lindgren remains the most steady. Even through whatever is ailing him, he’s played well. He’s a warrior for a reason.

Undoubtedly, they’ll have to play better at five-on-five. That means controlling the pace and pinning the Canes in. That can lead to drawing penalties. Obviously, special teams really hurt them in Game Five.

Even though Zibanejad scored six seconds into their second power play, they allowed a shorthanded goal to Vincent Trocheck and gave up Teuvo Teravainen’s game-winner on a Vatrano hooking penalty.

For the series, the power play is only plus-one. They’ve scored three times and given up two shorthanded goals. That can’t happen later. They must make smarter decisions with the puck. That also means moving the Canes’ four penalty killers around like Game Four and tiring them out.

It means setting up good shots with traffic. Make it harder on Raanta. It also means taking advantage of the opportunities when they’re there.

Discipline will be a key factor if they’re to force a deciding seventh game. Stay away from lazy penalties. If they do wind up shorthanded, stay aggressive by attacking the points.

A lot will go into getting a win tonight. It’ll have to be earned. Once more, it’s time for the never say die Blueshirts to rise up to the challenge.

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Hurricane’d To Death: Abysmal Rangers get dominated in an uncompetitive Game Five loss, Face elimination again

Posted on May 27, 2022 by Derek

Gerard Gallant’s words have been pretty poetic for this series. There’s no such thing as momentum. At least when it comes from winning twice at MSG to tie the second round. It’s advantage home side.

After controlling things by posting consecutive wins in Games Three and Four, the Rangers got Hurricane’d to death in an uncompetitive 3-1 loss in Game Five before many screaming fans at PNC Arena.

Not only were they dominated. But it looked like they’d never played hockey before. It was as if those two emphatic home wins didn’t exist. That’s how putrid they were.

When it comes to the Hurricanes, there’s no place like home. They’re not quite Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz. But something happens to them when they play in Raleigh. They play a very different style of game that involve many details under coach Rod Brind’Amour.

It’s inexplicable. In the first round, the Hurricanes ran the table at home by going 4-0 to defeat the Bruins in seven games. The same series that saw them lose all three at Boston. They’re using the same exact script against the Rangers.

The home team improved to five for five in this very perplexing second round series. On the road, Carolina is 0-5. They improved to a perfect 7-0 at PNC Arena. They’re a much better team on home ice due to Brind’Amour dictating the match-ups. Along with a rowdy crowd, it’s a winning formula.

Now, the Rangers are once again up against it. They’re facing elimination for the fourth time in these playoffs. One strong characteristic they have is that they’ve been resilient all season. They seem to play their best hockey when their backs are up against the wall.

Indeed, Gallant’s close-knit group will again have to call upon that never say die attitude to force a deciding Game Seven back on Tobacco Road. They’ll need to play much better to win for a third time when the best-of-seven series returns to MSG on Saturday.

Tonight was mind numbing hockey played by the league’s youngest remaining team in the postseason. They never gave themselves a chance. Not even after Mika Zibanejad scored on the power play to tie the game in what was basically a lopsided first period.

Instead, they got dominated by the very detailed Hurricanes’ defense and forecheck. Also buoyed by controlling face-offs 31 to 25, they used their puck possession style to frustrate the Rangers. That number isn’t even that bad compared to other games. But it’s how they played that made a huge difference.

They doubled up the Rangers in shots 34-17 and out-attempted them 68-51. If you exclude the Zibanejad drive off a face-off win set up by the combination of Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox, you won’t find one tough save Antti Raanta had to make. He stopped 16 of 17 to continue his dominance in Carolina.

While it was easy picking for Raanta with the momentum shift coming on a successful offside challenge by Brind’Amour to reverse a Ryan Strome go-ahead goal with 15:03 left in the second period, the Canes made life hard for Igor Shesterkin. He was peppered throughout by a relentless Hurricanes’ attack.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1529979295606931456?t=tT5R2vfPOzQZDBTEjETg1w&s=19

None of the three goals he gave up were soft. They were earned by the Canes on good plays. Some poor play from a lethargic looking Blueshirts also proved costly. Shesterkin did well in making 31 saves on 34 shots. It wasn’t enough.

How could it be when the team was MIA in a pivotal Game Five? It really was hard to watch. Outplayed. Outgunned. Outworked. Out-hustled. Out-everything’d.

There isn’t much else to say. This was an atrocious game. They looked tired. Mistakes doomed them. Now, it’s do or die tomorrow night. Start time is 8 PM. Win or go home for the summer.

Before I get into the lightning recap (no reason for it to be long), I’ll say one more thing. Would you take a series where they’re trailing three games to two with a home Game Six for a shot at a deciding seventh game? If you told me before the season they’d have a chance with a win in Game Six to get one crack at the Conference Finals, I’d take it.

We all would. Look at how this team has been all year. Whenever they’re counted out, they rise up to the challenge. They did it against the Penguins. They were the comeback kids. Now, it’s a 3-2 scenario. Hold serve. Then it’s a pressure packed Game Seven. All the pressure will be on the Hurricanes. Win and then we find out.

As bad as Thursday night was, it doesn’t matter now. It’s over with. They’ll erase it and move on. The Garden will be rocking on Saturday night. They’ll have plenty of support to take this one the distance.

It doesn’t guarantee anything. But don’t count these Blueshirts out. There’s a lot of character in that room. They don’t want it to end.

Rather than fuss around with the lineup which was the same one Gallant used in Game Four, I’ll just note that Brind’Amour got key checking forward Jordan Martinook back. He plays with a lot of energy by finishing checks and being strong on the boards. He helped the Canes’ fourth line. Steven Lorentz sat out. That was the only change.

In the early going, it was the Vincent Trocheck line that created scoring chances. Marty Necas again got open for a good shot that Shesterkin stopped. When they weren’t taking wrist shots, they attempted wraparounds. Jesper Fast had two attempts that didn’t connect.

On a good play from Andrei Svechnikov, who finally broke through later, Trocheck appeared to have a beat on Shesterkin for a potential goal. But Brendan Smith shoved Alexis Lafreniere from behind into the net to knock it off its moorings. Despite Trocheck protesting, the puck never went in. Besides, Smith got away with one.

Lafreniere has had some battles with Smith throughout the series. He competes hard on both sides of the puck and isn’t shy about mixing it up. In this case, he saved a goal. Although in my book, there would’ve been a strong case to wipe it out.

As for the match-up, Brind’Amour got his Jordan Staal line with Nino Niederreiter and Fast against Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Frank Vatrano. They were blanketed by the Canes’ third line along with shutdown pair Brady Skjei (yes) and Brett Pesce. Too often, the Zibanejad line was pinned in. They hardly created anything.

With the exception of the third line that had Lafreniere with Filip Chytil and Tyler Motte, they could barely get much going. When the second line got some attack time, they couldn’t quite connect with Game Four hero Andrew Copp. Skjei broke it up.

Following another stop from Shesterkin on Necas, Svechnikov took a bad penalty by knocking Motte down to give the Rangers a power play. Unfortunately, it was hideous.

With the top unit unable to do anything, Gallant actually sent his second unit out early. But a lousy read by Jacob Trouba led to a two-on-one Canes’ rush with Staal feeding Trocheck for a shorthanded goal at 12:57.

It was a brutal decision. Pressured up high, he made a poor pass to nobody for a sloppy turnover. Staal and Trocheck did the rest. That is the second shorthanded goal they’ve allowed in the series. Overall, they’ve given up three. One more than the whole regular season.

Continuing to struggle with Carolina’s defense, it took the Rangers almost 10 minutes to get their fourth shot. They had gone a while without one until Braden Schneider’s slap shot was blocked away by Raanta.

With three minutes left in the period, Ian Cole cross-checked Trouba for a bad penalty. The second power play cashed in immediately. Off a Zibanejad face-off win, Panarin and Adam Fox played catch. Then, Panarin dished across for a laser from Zibanejad that Raanta had no chance on six seconds into the power play.

Zibanejad’s third of the series tied the game with 2:54 remaining. It was their fifth and final shot of the first period. Despite getting outplayed by a wide margin, the Rangers were tied with the Hurricanes at intermission.

Shots were 11-5 in favor of Carolina. They held a 10-4 edge at five-on-five. One of the noticeable things in the first were their physicality. They finished every check. That seemed to be a strategy.

The second period was a repeat. If you didn’t watch, you missed nothing. The Rangers couldn’t or wouldn’t sustain any consistent pressure. Too often, it was the guys in the black and red Canes’ jerseys who controlled play.

After Lafreniere had a shot blocked during an effective shift by the third line, out came the Staal line. They had the Zibanejad line running around during the long change. Tony DeAngelo nearly had Sebastian Aho for a goal. But his shot rang off the crossbar.

Then came the turning point. On a good hustle play by Strome near the blue line, he kept a puck in and then had it come back to him for a shot that beat Raanta five-hole for what looked like a 2-1 lead.

However, it didn’t take long for Brind’Amour to challenge for offside. At first look, it seemed close. But after looking at it again, it was apparent Copp never got back to tag up. It was an easy reversal. The refs put five seconds back on the clock making it 15:08.

I thought Strome was the one top six forward who was effective at even strength. The problem is Panarin. He is really struggling. The upper-body injury (shoulder or back) that’s nagging him is noticeable. He’s avoiding contact and not shooting the puck.

Following a Raanta stop on a Chytil shot off a Lafreniere pass, it was Igor time. On a dangerous shot pass by Pesce, a Martinook redirect was harmlessly gloved by Shesterkin for a stoppage. That wasn’t easy. But you’d never know it.

After a close call by the Canes off an offensive draw while Emily Kaplan reported, Vatrano hooked into Svechnikov near the midway point. It was a lazy penalty.

This time, the Canes made him pay. Their power play issues have been well documented. Once I saw them set up, I had a bad feeling. Sure enough, DeAngelo moved the puck to Seth Jarvis. He then found an open Teuvo Teravainen, whose wrist shot beat Shesterkin high blocker for a power play goal with 10:13 left.

That gave Carolina the lead for good. They made it impossible once they retook the lead. It wasn’t only the Canes. The Rangers were miserable. Awful defense had Shesterkin under siege. If Carolina had a better offense, it would’ve been a blowout.

How bad was it? While the Hurricanes storm surged looking for more goals, the Rangers only had nine shots at the 36:25 mark. It was pitiful. They couldn’t mount anything.

The Canes again came close to putting it out of reach. But hit another goalpost. They hit three during the first two periods.

Through two periods, the Hurricanes led 19-9 in shots at five-on-five. It was 21-10 overall. By that point, it was time for Gallant to tweak the lines.

At the start of the third, he did. Chytil was up with Zibanejad and Kreider. Lafreniere was with Strome and Panarin. Copp was down on the third line with Motte and Vatrano. The fourth line remained intact. That meant Kaapo Kakko stuck with Kevin Rooney and Ryan Reaves, who was not a factor. Honestly, Kakko looked better than Vatrano this game. I’d have bumped him up.

Unlike previous games, Gallant didn’t overuse his top four. With Fox looking run down and both Trouba and Lindgren getting banged around, he played Schneider and Justin Braun more. The wise move.

K’Andre Miller accidentally high-sticked Aho early in the third. The Canes power play again looked better. They threw different looks at the penalty kill. It forced Shesterkin to come up with some saves to keep it at one goal.

It took a while. Following a successful kill, Trouba had a shot denied. Then Motte had his long wrist shot stopped by Raanta from the outside. That was most of the shots. He could’ve had a beer keg next to his crease.

Still only down a goal, Trouba was able to make a good wide move and try a backdoor pass for Kreider. But he couldn’t quite put it in. Somehow, they didn’t credit him with a shot. Raanta got over. Maybe it hit the side of the net. It was the only chance at tying it.

With nothing doing due to the Canes forechecking like crazy and shutting down the neutral zone, it was just a matter of time. On a Fox miscue, Svechnikov took a Necas feed, broke in on Shesterkin and had a sweet backhand finish, going five-hole for his first of the series with 6:59 left.

Game over. There was no reason to watch anymore. If a one-goal Canes’ lead felt like three or four, a two-goal deficit felt insurmountable. They turn into machines on home ice. It’s inexplicable. The only chance of beating them in that building is getting the lead. They did it in Game One. But blew it.

I’ll save you the ridiculous pulling of Shesterkin for a six-on-five. What a waste. They never had a chance. It was the most mind numbing, sleep inducing game I’ve seen from this team.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1530002310176309252?t=L5_aAdM7WhWHO6gIrf863g&s=19

Now, it’s back to being the discounted underdog. A role they’re familiar with. There’s nothing to break down. It’s up to them. I’ll have more later today.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1530004549032869899?t=AB9tIQF2n3jup884hhRkuA&s=19

Posted in NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Copp leads the Rangers to a 4-1 victory to even the series with the Hurricanes, Fox and Lindgren have big nights along with Vatrano, Shesterkin makes 30 saves

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Derek

It’s all tied. Taking the #NoQuitInNY moniker to heart, these Rangers really are never say die. Coming off a hard fought win in Game Three behind 43 saves from Igor Shesterkin, they delivered a stronger performance to send the second round series back to Raleigh all even.

Moka is part of our Rangers playoff thread on Twitter. Glad she could experience such an exciting game. Great footage.

In his best game so far, Andrew Copp had a goal and two assists to help spark the Rangers to a resounding 4-1 win on home ice over the Hurricanes. Combined with strong support from Adam Fox (goal/assist), Ryan Lindgren (2 assists) and Frank Vatrano (power play goal plus assist), the Rangers took Game Four at MSG to square the best-of-seven series.

Now, it’s a brand new ballgame. A pivotal Game Five is back at PNC Arena in Carolina on Thursday night at 7 PM. It’s the Hurricanes who are feeling the pressure. Their playoff road woes continued tonight. After losing all three games at Boston in the first round, the Canes have dropped two more in NYC to fall to 0-5 on the road this postseason.

They are a perfect six-for-six back on home ice. That included a 3-2 win over the Bruins in a deciding Game Seven they dominated. It also includes the Game One win in overtime and shutout in Game Two against the Rangers.

The question becomes obvious. Can the Blueshirts steal a game in Raleigh? If they can behind Shesterkin, who wasn’t as busy in making 30 saves, then it’s possible they can pull off the upset.

It was some 15 years ago that a different bunch of Blueshirts were in a similar position during a hard fought second round against a heavily favored opponent. In that one, they rallied to take Games Three and Four to send that series with the Sabres back to Buffalo.

In many ways, there are some similarities. It’s again a superb second-year franchise goalie that’s leading them. In 2007, it was Henrik Lundqvist, who was over two minutes away from shutting out the Sabres in Game Five. But current GM Chris Drury had other ideas late to set up a cruel ending. They’d lose the series in six despite a great series from Jaromir Jagr.

This time, the names have changed. It’s Shesterkin playing the role of Lundqvist. He’s only allowed five goals on 122 shots.  That’s a .959 save percentage over the first four games. Not quite Andrei Vasilevskiy level. He stopped a ridiculous 151 of 154 shots to post an ungodly .981 in the Lightning’s sweep of the Panthers. But Igor has been brilliant this round.

The Blueshirts playing starring roles are Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin and Fox. They got going in the two home wins. Particularly Zibanejad, whose rebound of a Lindgren shot gave them a 3-0 lead in a challenging second period.

What will happen? How will the story end? The script is still being written. It’s 2022. A different series. Maybe this one can have a better conclusion.

It’ll be tough. As has been highlighted throughout, the match-ups have mattered. After Rod Brind’Amour had his way at home with Jordan Staal neutralizing Zibanejad, Gerard Gallant controlled the match-up on home ice. He went with his third line against the Staal line.

That freed up Zibanejad and Kreider to create offense. They were instrumental in helping even the series. Gallant also continued to make some line tweaks that paid dividends. He only had one in store tonight by moving Tyler Motte up to a new third line with Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere. Kaapo Kakko slotted down to the fourth line with Kevin Rooney and Ryan Reaves, who was heard from.

It sure worked out. Similar to Game Three when Chytil was elevated up to Zibanejad and Kreider for the first two periods, by going back to the regular top six which includes Vatrano and Copp, it created better balance. The lineup was as follows:

Kreider-Zibanejad-Vatrano

Panarin-Strome-Copp

Lafreniere-Chytil-Motte

Kakko-Rooney-Reaves

Lindgren-Fox

Miller-Trouba

Braun-Schneider

Shesterkin

The Hurricanes went with the same allotment Brind’Amour has used since late in Game One.

For this game, Gallant went with the new third line that included Motte. Brind’Amour again started his checking line of Staal, Nino Niederreiter and Jesper Fast.

The Canes got the game’s first shot. It was taken by Brett Pesce. On a play where they got scrambled in their end, Pesce got a great scoring chance. He sent a high wrist shot towards the net. It looked like it was going in until Shesterkin made an acrobatic jumping glove save to prevent the goal 70 seconds in. It was huge.

https://twitter.com/RTaub_/status/1529239325451472907?t=11crU4Ei65Tah-jMarIRVg&s=19

In what amounted to a frantic pace from both sides, you had plenty of open ice. Following a takeaway, Lafreniere got a tough backhand on Antti Raanta that he handled.

Vatrano would draw the first penalty on Seth Jarvis, whose skate caught him for a tripping minor. He protested due to it being inadvertent. So did the Canes’ bench. It was an iffy call that gave the Rangers an early power play.

For the next two minutes, the top unit managed to keep the Hurricanes’ penalty kill pinned in. Even on some dangerous mishandled passes, they held the puck in. They attempted six shots. Four reached the net. Raanta robbed Zibanejad with a great right pad save on a one-timer. He also denied Ryan Strome and Kreider.

After that close call, Shesterkin was called upon twice. First, he made a tough stop on Garden booing target Tony DeAngelo. Then, he denied Trocheck. Those saves along with the big one on Pesce not even a minute and a half in really loomed large.

On the flip side, Lafreniere had Motte in the slot. But he sent his shot wide of the Canes’ net. From a physical standpoint, Lindgren delivered a solid hit on Andrei Svechnikov, who then responded with one of his own on Copp.

With the game still scoreless halfway through the first period, Shesterkin denied Necas in tight. He had some very good looks. But didn’t have any puck luck.

The turning point came when Jacob Trouba absolutely leveled Max Domi at center ice with a mammoth hit that sent him flying. At first glance live, I thought it was too high due to Trouba making head contact. But the replays later showed that Domi was going down which is why there was helmet contact.

Immediately, Steven Lorentz went after Trouba. He instigated a fight which the stronger Trouba got the better of with 8:22 left. That really got the crowd into it. Wes McCauley made the proper call by assessing an extra two minutes on Lorentz for instigator along with a 10-minute misconduct. Both Trouba and Lorentz received five each for fighting.

That put the Rangers on their second power play. After not being able to take advantage early on, the top unit made a change. With only Fox remaining out, Copp came on with Vatrano, Chytil and Lafreniere. They got it done.

On a smart Fox pass across to Copp, he was able to make a seam pass for a Vatrano shot that beat Raanta at 13:31 for a power play goal. Lafreniere also made a smart play by driving towards the net to distract Jaccob Slavin just enough. That created enough room for Vatrano to fire home his first of the series past Raanta for a 1-0 lead.

With the building into it and making derisive chants every time DeAngelo was on the ice, the Rangers kept up the momentum by getting a second consecutive goal 2:11 later.

On a good takeaway from Copp, he skated in and made a drop pass for a Lindgren shot that was redirected by Fox in front to make it 2-0 with 4:18 remaining. It was a tremendous play. Lindgren took the point shot and Fox pinched up to deflect it home for his fourth of the postseason.

The roof nearly came off on the next shift. But to his credit, Raanta kept his cool by making two straight stops to deny Fox. He’d come up with a couple of more to hold his team in.

Things picked up when the fourth line came out for a shift. It was a Reaves hit on Svechnikov that riled up DeAngelo. When the whistle sounded to stop play, the two exchanged words. It sure was entertaining.

Following an icing from Lindgren with 5.4 seconds left, Jesperi Kotkaniemi won a face-off from Motte back to Brady Skjei. But his last second shot went wide to end the period. Here were my thoughts.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1529249019024777216?t=taTs0f1r6GiX1wOSa7bGEQ&s=19

As far as the overall stats, the Rangers had a good period. Not only did they outscore the Hurricanes 2-0. But outshot them 11-8 and had four takeaways. Face-offs were in favor of Carolina 11-6.

The second period was much different. It started off with the Canes getting a great chance to cut the deficit in half. After a Trouba reversal that K’Andre Miller couldn’t handle, that allowed Sebastian Aho to move in and set up Teuvo Teravainen for a point blank chance. Somehow, Shesterkin got across to make a right pad save. Incredible.

After an initial positive start to their shift, the fourth line got trapped out with Lindgren and Fox. They were able to survive. Reaves made a good clear.

On a line change, Lafreniere had his shot attempt take a weird deflection off Pesce’s stick into his ear. Fortunately, he was okay. Certainly a scary moment. Later on, Lafreniere had Motte open, but he fanned on his shot. That line was very effective all night.

Then, it was Igor time. He made a nice blocker save on a tough Aho shot. Miller then got in a good hit on Aho in the corner. 

Things got a little dicey. On a few turnovers, the more aggressive Hurricanes were finally able to generate better chances at five-on-five. Maybe the best one they had in the second period was when Necas was wide open in the slot. But he somehow missed with Shesterkin out of position. He fired it wide.

On another strong shift where they took advantage of the fourth line struggling to get the puck out, the Canes drew a penalty when Lindgren went off for interference on Aho.

However, that actually was advantage Rangers. The Hurricanes have had so many issues with their power play. They had some lousy puck management that nearly led to Zibanejad scoring shorthanded. Raanta was able to make a great right pad save to kick out the chance that Kreider set up.

Late in the man-advantage, Necas had another shot ring off the goalpost with Svechnikov parked in front. That close to making it a one-goal contest. That summed up his night. Necas is without a goal so far in the playoffs.

Given how poorly they were playing at five-on-five, it felt like only a matter of time before the Canes got back in it. As Jesus pointed out in his accurate assessment above. But it never came.

Despite everything tilted in their direction including a large disparity on face-offs (23-8 at one point) and more shots and attempts, they couldn’t beat Shesterkin. Whether it was him making the saves or missing on chances like Necas, the Canes’ offense was anemic.

Following a good hit, Vatrano led a rush in transition. With Lindgren calling for the puck in the slot, he passed for him. His high shot was mishandled by Raanta. The puck went behind where Zibanejad was able to stuff it home for a critical goal that increased the lead to 3-0 with 3:12 left.

That gives Zibanejad goals in two straight. In the two wins on home ice, he responded with two goals and an assist. That’s the Mika the Rangers need to win this series. Especially with Panarin continuing to be fairly quiet. Whatever is ailing him isn’t helping.

They could’ve had more. But weren’t able to cash in on a Brendan Smith interference minor on Kevin Rooney with 2:01 left. They still took a three-goal lead to the locker room.

Shots were 12-8 Canes. The teams were all even at 20 apiece for the game. The difference was that the Rangers took care of their special teams and were opportunistic. That’s why they led by three.

It was a little over three minutes into the third that Lafreniere bumped into Raanta to take a goaltender interference minor. On a tough play around the Carolina net, he was in a close battle with Smith. It wasn’t a shove. So, Lafreniere served the two minutes.

The Hurricanes had three shots on their five-on-four. However, they never seriously threatened. Shesterkin’s best save was a tricky blocker on an Aho shot which he swatted away like a gnat. That’s how locked in he was.

Since I missed the very beginning prior to the national anthem, I asked about whether there was a moment of silence for all the victims in Texas. It really is sad what’s become of our country. God bless all the children’s families.

I don’t want to say too much else. This is a hockey blog. But I really am at a loss for words at the lack of leadership in DC. While some of our fans chanted, “Tony Sucks,” I’ll tell you what really sucks. The government. They’re clueless.

Back to the game. On a play that you felt coming, Trouba turned over a puck to Aho. This time, he was able to find Teravainen for a wrist shot upstairs that Shesterkin had no chance on. That cut it to 3-1 with still 13:27 left.

There were a few nervous moments afterwards. Too many shifts where our side backed off. They were allowing the Canes to come in with speed and get chances. But they never drew any closer.

It was actually Raanta who made the harder saves. With Fast coming back, he stopped Panarin on a backhand try on a mini break. Then he made a big glove save to deny Kreider off a two-on-two rush.

During a stoppage, ESPN color analyst Ray Ferraro picked up on something Gallant told his bench. He instructed them to stop watching the play. If that was the message, they sure got it.

On another good play that involved Copp who was the game’s First Star, Strome got in on the forecheck and made a nice drop for a Copp shot that found twine. That gave the Rangers the breathing room they needed. They led 4-1 with 8:50 left.

Afterwards, a very active shift from Lafreniere resulted in him baiting Svechnikov into a reactionary roughing minor. To be honest, he probably should’ve gotten two as well. But got away with one. They got the reaction.

Although they didn’t come close to scoring on their fourth five-on-four, Gallant had Kakko out with Chytil, Vatrano, Copp and Trouba. He hardly played. I think Gallant just wanted to get him out. It has to be tough only playing a fourth line role. But Kakko still received over 10 minutes.

As time wound down, Brind’Amour never pulled Raanta. He probably was resigned to the fact it wasn’t his team’s night. The Rangers stabilized following the Copp goal. They defended better. Shesterkin was never under that much pressure. Quite a contrast from Game Three.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1529277808043868162?t=WXKsTfvrxcoO8YXs5dCNOA&s=19

With time running off, out came Reaves for the final shift. You better believe Gallant had one thing in mind. It nearly happened. Reaves went after Domi, who wisely didn’t oblige. It led to some pleasantries exchanged. Nothing more.

Reaves and Domi each got matching roughs while Miller and Ian Cole got slashing minors. Bookkeeping. That’s all it was.

Following that loud ending, the Blueshirts came over to salute Shesterkin. Then they waved their sticks to the crowd. The series is now all tied. It’s a best two-of-three.

Kudos to this team for again showing the tremendous character and heart they have. They are a resilient group. Have been all year. Now, onto Game Five.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1529277360729726976?t=bR0sWWqYkzJG6Q1Rkpgf2w&s=19

They went Lindgren with a star. He easily could’ve been. He’s been their best defenseman since returning against the Penguins. Without him, they’re on the golf course. Lindy is the warrior of this team. Kudos.

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Determined Rangers make it a series behind Shesterkin’s 43 saves in 3-1 win over Hurricanes to take Game Three, Zibanejad and Kreider step up, Gallant has words for DeAngelo, Still trail series 2-1

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Derek
A diving Igor Shesterkin makes a great save to deny Jesperi Kotkaniemi. He made 43 stops to lead the Rangers to a 3-1 win in Game Three over the Hurricanes at MSG. AP Photo by New York Rangers

This was more like it. Facing a must win situation, a determined Rangers rose to the challenge to take a competitive Game Three by a score of 3-1 over the Hurricanes at MSG.

By taking care of business at home on Sunday afternoon, they are back in the best-of-seven second round series. On goals from Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, the Rangers now trail the Hurricanes two games to one.

They wouldn’t have a chance to tie the series without the brilliant play of Igor Shesterkin. The Vezina and Hart nominee was clutch making 43 saves on 44 shots to earn the game’s First Star. That included stopping 34 of 35 in a busy first two periods.

He delivered when it mattered most. To be honest, Shesterkin has played much better this round. He’s only allowed four goals on 91 shots. That’s exactly the reason they’re here. He made the critical saves when his team needed it.

Facing the remainder of a Canes’ power play to start the third period, Shesterkin made a great stop on Teuvo Teravainen in the slot. His shot was ticketed for the top half of the net. But Shesterkin got his glove on it at the last split second to keep it out. That was his best save.

Along with a tricky stop on Tony DeAngelo while shorthanded, his great play in net allowed the Rangers to settle in and defend better. They protected a one-goal lead by limiting the Hurricanes to nine shots in a more evenly played final period.

Following a Kreider miss on an empty net that hit the outside of the post, defensive forward Tyler Motte flipped a backhand clear from his own zone down for the empty netter with 1:23 remaining. That allowed fans to celebrate.

It wasn’t easy. It’s not supposed to be. With Gerard Gallant changing his top three lines for this big game, the style of play was different. It was more wide open. That meant a lot more shots, higher quality scoring chances and plenty of big saves from Shesterkin and former Ranger Antti Raanta (30 saves on 32 shots).

After hinting at changes before the game, Gallant decided to sprinkle his top three lines with kids. In breaking up the third line, he moved Filip Chytil up to the top line with Zibanejad and Kreider. Alexis Lafreniere played with Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin. Kaapo Kakko was with Andrew Copp and Frank Vatrano. Only the fourth line remained intact along with the defensive pairs.

The main point of emphasis for Gallant was getting the Zibanejad line away from the strong checking line of Jordan Staal, Nino Niederreiter and Jesper Fast. With the last change on home ice, it worked. Zibanejad and Kreider were freed up for more offense.

While Gallant tweaked his lines, Rod Brind’Amour stuck with lineup he’s used since the third period of Game One. I misspoke on that last game. To correct myself, Teravainen is now back up with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. Marty Necas is up with Vincent Trocheck and Andrei Svechnikov. Max Domi is down with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Steven Lorentz. The Staal line and D remained the same.

Unlike the first two games, Gallant started the newly formed third line for the opening face-off. That would be the good Copp centering Vatrano and Kakko. K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba anchored the defense. Brind’Amour countered with the Staal line and the top pair of Jaccob Slavin and DeAngelo.

For once, we didn’t get fourth line against fourth line. But they’d see plenty of each other throughout the contest.

I couldn’t agree more. The Who’s “Baba O’Reilly,” has been used before for big playoff games at The Garden. It’s always fired up the crowd. It’s just a great song. Paul O’Neill once used it as his walk-up as a Yankee. Pete Townsend at his best. I love The Who.

In terms of the game’s opening shift, Copp nearly scored on a two-on-one. But his shot missed over the top. He then had Kakko wide open for a potential goal. But he missed the open net. You’d like to see him bury those.

Following that close call, Ryan Lindgren “cross-checked” Jarvis. That’s my way of saying it was a bad call. Way too soft. Especially given how they’ve called the series.

Fortunately, the Rangers were able to have a good penalty kill. But not without help from the goalpost on a Svechnikov shot. He was the best Hurricane. He also nearly had Niederreiter in front, but Shesterkin made a tough save to deny him.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1528464532728909824?t=ORHfe3MTClw3KED_bVawDQ&s=19

Even though they didn’t convert on the gift-wrapped power play, the Canes got momentum from it. They were far sharper when play returned to even strength. Playing their usual strict checking game in the neutral zone, they pounced on early Rangers’ mistakes.

Giveaways were a problem all game. The Rangers turned the puck over way too much. That’s an area they must clean up for next game if they’re gonna send the series back to Tobacco Road tied.

Part of it might’ve been the line adjustments. It fueled the Carolina transition game. That allowed the Canes to get 11 of the first 13 shots.

Fortunately, Shesterkin held up well. He had to deal with three consecutive lost defensive draws that resulted in point shots. That included two key stops on Brady Skjei. When Zibanejad finally won a face-off, the fans cheered. That’s how noticeable it is.

Things finally took a step in the right direction. At the halfway mark of the first, the Zibanejad line was able to get something going. On a slick spin off behind the net, Zibanejad drew a holding minor on Skjei to draw a power play.

After another lost draw to Staal that allowed the Hurricanes to clear the puck down, the top unit finally got set up. Once they did, it allowed them to make a difference.

On a Fox pass up to Panarin at the right point, he made a great pass across for a quick Zibanejad wrist shot that beat Raanta short side at 11:54. It was the first point of the series for all three. It also was their first power play goal against a stingy Canes’ penalty killing unit.

Despite getting outshot 13-6 at one point, the Rangers had the lead with the building rocking. Getting ahead against an opponent that hasn’t won yet on the road is huge. In the first round, the Canes lost all three games at Boston. But held serve in the four home games to make home ice matter.

Following the Zibanejad tally, a strong shift from Carolina’s fourth line nearly produced the tying goal. Kotkaniemi was able to get a step and go one-on-one with Shesterkin. But he made an aggressive poke check by coming out of his net to make a diving save. Hasek like.

On an offensive shift by the Canes’ checking line, Zibanejad made a good read to steal a Staal pass inside his own blue line. He then went two-on-one with Kreider. With the pass taken away, Zibanejad had a backhand graze the crossbar. That close to a two-goal lead.

From his own zone, Miller made a good outlet to Panarin which created another opportunity. It led to a pass for a Kreider one-timer that Raanta stopped.

On the next shift, Ryan Reaves got into it with a couple of Hurricanes between the benches. But cooler heads prevailed. Things would heat up later.

The Hurricanes continued to get chances due to the combination of winning face-offs and sloppy Rangers’ turnovers. A Panarin giveaway allowed the Staal line to generate forecheck pressure. But Ryan Strome made a strong defensive play to get the puck out.

That led to a tricky low shot from Panarin on Raanta, who had to deal with both Strome and Lafreniere searching for the rebound. He’d also deny Zibanejad and Kreider towards the end of the period to keep it a one-goal game.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1528471356089806848?t=TPvC1BR5RFHdd3RGf-Uptg&s=19

My feeling after that more wide open period was that four goals would win the game. Interestingly, our Dad predicted 3-1 prior to the start. Maybe he had good instincts.

The start of the second period was wild. On a good shift created off the forecheck, Zibanejad nearly had Chytil for a goal. After that close call, a Canes’ turnover turned into a four-on-one for the Rangers. But Panarin held onto the puck too long after failing to toe drag for the shot.

That mistake almost became costly. It was the Canes’ fourth line that almost tied it. But Max Domi was stopped by Shesterkin, who was down when Kevin Rooney made a key clear out of harm’s way.

On the next shift, Kreider struck for his first goal of the series. With some sustained pressure down low against booing target DeAngelo, Zibanejad knocked his stick out. Unable to defend properly, he watched Kreider come out and wire a laser high far side on Raanta for his team-leading sixth of the postseason at 5:55.

But with the Blueshirts up by two, things got too close for comfort quickly. On a good defensive play by Brendan Smith, he moved the puck up to Staal, who was able to get it over for Niederreiter. Skating up ice with a step on Zibanejad, he took an innocent looking backhand that went through Shesterkin to cut it to 2-1 at 8:18.

After he gave up the bad goal, the knowledgeable Garden crowd immediately chanted, “Ig-or, Ig-or!!!” They know how much he’s meant to this team. It’s not possible without him. I agree with Tara’s assessment. She has her own YouTube channel where she does fun commentary on the games. It’s worth it.

https://twitter.com/theglovedrop/status/1528479262109483009?t=oiIGPaGb8Z4o774d1eAdBw&s=19

Gaining momentum from the Niederreiter goal that made it a one-goal game, the Canes made a strong push. Svechnikov, who is still without a point in the series, had some good looks. He had a wraparound stuffed by Shesterkin. He also toe dragged Miller and got in, but was unable to finish. He was dangerous.

Shesterkin would come up with a tough save on Trocheck later. He then stopped DeAngelo from the point. He has a way of getting shots through. Even with all the booing, he had his most effective game so far.

Shesterkin continued to hold steady. He denied a tough Kotkaniemi backhand up high. It definitely was uncomfortable. But he made the stop. He also had to deal with a strange deflection that was tricky.

With the Canes still attacking, Svechnikov took an undisciplined interference minor on Fox to hand the Rangers their second power play. Aside from a Trouba shot after he replaced a banged up Fox after a tough Trocheck hit in the corner, they didn’t get much. The best chance was on a Panarin touch pass for a Strome deflection that Raanta kicked out.

Late in the second, Lafreniere got his stick up on Staal to go for high-sticking with over 27 seconds left. That came after a Shesterkin stop on Jarvis. They would easily kill off the remainder of the period to stay ahead.

Despite getting outshot 18-10 in the second and 35-23 overall, they still were nursing a one-goal lead into the locker room. Here’s the rest of the key stats.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1528485797720203271?t=f7eGaNix4FClgifBKuIfXg&s=19

The start of the third proved critical. Still with 1:33 remaining on their five-on-four, the Hurricanes came close to tying it. Shesterkin made his biggest save of the game by getting his glove up to push a Teravainen high shot wide. It would prove to be his best of the nine he saw in a better defensively played third.

He’d also make a tough stop on a DeAngelo low try with some traffic in front. Overall, Shesterkin made four shorthanded saves on the second Canes’ power play. One that’s struggled mightily. They’re 9 for 92 dating back to the regular season after being really good at one point.

On some strong work by Reaves, whose shot popped up in the air, Motte nearly batted the loose puck in. But an alert Raanta got a piece of it to keep it out.

There wasn’t a lot of hitting in this game. But twice, Braden Schneider finished good checks to cheers. He didn’t play a lot, but made the most of his 13 shifts (8:06). Partner Justin Braun got 15 shifts including 1:04 on the penalty kill for 10:17.

Once again, Gallant leaned on his top four to nail it down. Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Miller and Trouba each played over 22 minutes and had their best games so far. Particularly Fox, who made some key blocks in crunch time.

If there was one difference in the third aside from tighter checking, Gallant readjusted his lines. He went back to the four he usually uses. Chytil was reunited with Lafreniere and Kakko. They nearly created some separation.

On a great keep by Lafreniere, he moved the puck down for Chytil. He then centered across for a quick Kakko one-timer that a sliding Raanta got across to deny down low. It was a very good play. It just didn’t net the result.

Following that chance, Steven Lorentz somehow got behind the defense. But on a mini break with back pressure, his shot went over the net. He then centered for Domi, who had his shot go off Fox wide.

With nearly six minutes to go, Motte took an unnecessary penalty when he slashed Brett Pesce. That put Carolina on their third man-advantage.

However, the Hurricanes were unable to get shots through. Give credit to the Rangers’ penalty kill. They buckled down by getting in shooting lanes and making key blocks and clears.

Raanta would then stop Panarin to keep it a one-goal game. He also previously stopped Lafreniere, who tested his glove.

As time began to wind down, DeAngelo had another long shot easily handled by Shesterkin, who was calm, cool and collected.

With 2:29 left and an offensive draw in the Rangers’ end, Brind’Amour used his timeout. He lifted Raanta for an extra attacker. So, it was six-on-five.

They didn’t get much done. The Rangers defended well by protecting the house. On some good defensive work, Kreider got a look at an open net. But he somehow missed it by hitting the outside of the post. He then went to the bench shaking his head.

Fortunately, it wouldn’t prove costly. After another defensive draw, Motte came out with the puck and flipped a backhand clear down that found twine with 1:23 left to end the suspense.

But with the fans saluting Igor, the Hurricanes decided to send a message on the final shift. For some reason, Domi decided to level Lindgten at the buzzer. He reacted like the warrior he is by taking Domi down.

The refs did a good job breaking it up as Rooney and Smith discussed dinner plans. However, the chaos wasn’t over. For reasons only known to him, an incensed DeAngelo lost his cool and started shouting at the Rangers bench. Gallant had no problem going back. It got interesting.

When it ended, Gallant said he didn’t care for what Domi did. He also told the press they don’t do things that way when they lose. That’s true. If they did, they could stick Reaves out who would handle it.

My view on it is it was silly shenanigans by a good team who didn’t need to stoop to that level. Perhaps that was foolish. Not that the Rangers need any added motivation to win Game Four. But it came off bad.

At the end of the day, the Rangers did what they had to do. They shutdown the Hurricanes in the third by holding them to nine shots. They also had nine before the Motte empty netter that sealed it.

That’s how they have to play. There are still some things to work on. Like the 35 giveaways they were credited for. That can’t happen on Tuesday. Managing the puck is essential to evening the series.

It was a good win. Now, we’ll see if they can get this level and make it a best two out of three. Stick taps to the boys for getting it done.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1528501690596474880?t=85NetNWc5RliWIGBblby_Q&s=19

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