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.

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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

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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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Gallant teases line tweaks for today’s big Game Three

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Derek

In less than an hour, they’ll drop the puck for a huge Game Three at MSG. The Rangers need to respond.

After losing the first two games at Carolina, it’s imperative that they come out strong and get a win today.

That means finding more offense. Thus far, only Filip Chytil has scored on Antti Raanta on a good pass from Alexis Lafreniere. That goal came early on in Game One.

The game they’re kicking themselves over. They led for nearly 50 minutes until Sebastian Aho tied it with 2:23 remaining. Ian Cole got the overtime winner.

Game Two saw both teams again clamp down defensively. There wasn’t much room for high end players to make plays with the puck. The shots and scoring chances were down.

As it turned out, a four-minute power play proved costly. Failing to even test Raanta due to lousy puck management and sloppy turnovers, the Rangers gave up a crushing shorthanded goal to Brendan Smith. It proved to be the game-winner.

They did have chances to score. Notably Ryan Strome. He couldn’t bank in one from am impossible angle. Then had an open net on a delayed penalty. But shot the puck right into Tony DeAngelo’s backside. He leads the team in shots this postseason, but only has one goal.

With the Hurricanes blanketing Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, Gerard Gallant teased line tweaks for Game Three. As usual, he did it with a smile and laugh.

What does it mean? Probably that the third line will be broken up in search of more offense from the struggling top six. What could I see Turk possibly coming up with? Lafreniere up with Zibanejad and Kreider. Either Kaapo Kakko or Tyler Motte moved up.

Possible lines

Kreider-Zibanejad-Lafreniere

Panarin-Strome-Kakko

Copp-Chytil-Vatrano

Motte-Rooney-Reaves

Frank Vatrano has cooled off after a good start to the postseason against the Pens. He can still be used in the top nine. He’s a shoot first right wing with speed. I also could see Motte being elevated due to his combination of speed and grit. He’s created some chances.

The game will be televised on ESPN at 3:30 PM. Roughly two hours after Panthers and Lightning which began at 1:30 on TNT. Why would the schedule makers do that? I have asked it. So has JD of our chat thread.

He’s been on a roll lately. So, he makes the blog for a third consecutive time. Call it a hat trick! Exactly what we’re all hoping for this afternoon. Offense!

Whatever Gallant decides, it’s up to the players to raise their level a couple of notches. Ditto for the power play. I believe four goals gets it done. We’ll see if they have the resolve to make it a series.

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Hurricanes lock up Rangers in 2-0 mind numbing shutout to go up two games to none, Key stars missing, Raanta and Smith haunt former team

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Derek

In what can best be described as a very frustrating game to watch, the Rangers were shutout by the Hurricanes 2-0 in Game Two at PNC Arena. They now trail the second round series two games to none.

How bad was it? Old friend Brendan Smith scored the backbreaking shorthanded game-winner with 4:06 left in the second period. A hardworking, high character player they let go to Rangers South Carolina has been more of a factor so far than Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox.

The fact that Smith has now scored and set up the big goals in the first two games is mind numbing. But that’s what the Stanley Cup Playoffs are all about. It’s where unsung heroes rise up. It was Ian Cole in Game One. Then Smith tonight.

While ESPN also correctly pointed out Smith’s no-nonsense second intermission interview when the Canes were getting shutout in Game One, it doesn’t explain what’s happened to key Rangers’ stars Panarin, Kreider, Zibanejad and Fox. They’ve been blanketed so far by the very system Hurricanes’ coach Rod Brind’Amour likes to play.

The quartet have really struggled to get going. They combined for 5 total shots and 14 attempts for the entire game. Even more alarming, they don’t have a single point. Kreider’s been held to one shot while Panarin’s been blanketed by the Canes’ team defense. Zibanejad and Fox each have four shots.

If the top guns don’t figure it out by Sunday at 3:30 PM, then the chances of a comeback from an 0-2 deficit are slim. They must produce starting in Game Three when the series shifts to MSG.

Gerard Gallant tried tweaking his lines after they fell behind. In the third period, he moved Alexis Lafreniere up to the Panarin line with Ryan Strome, who had the best looks. Unfortunately, one was too tough an angle and the other was shot right into the backside of Tony DeAngelo on a delayed penalty. Bad luck.

Gallant would mix up some more combos to try to spark his offensively inept team. Andrew Copp was shifted to the third line where he centered Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. The reason being that Chytil isn’t winning face-offs. If he had Barclay Goodrow available for this round, you better believe Turk would’ve moved him up.

The Hurricanes controlled the face-offs, going 35-for-62. Jordan Staal dominated his match-up with Zibanejad. Overall, the Canes’ captain went 14-for-21. Zibanejad finished 10-for-22. He improved after a bad start. The issue is not having the puck enough to create offense.

With the Hurricanes storming Panarin with a swarming defense, he’s had little time to make plays with the puck. Making matters worse, it was his turnover on a crucial four-minute power play that Lafreniere drew where Teuvo Teravainen pushed the puck out for Sebastian Aho, who set-up Smith for a shorthanded goal.

That cannot happen. It’s very obvious that Panarin isn’t quite himself. But while it’s easy to critique him for his inconsistency, they aren’t even in this round. He got them here with his clutch power play goal to eliminate the Penguins in the first round. If he’s compromised, then the Bread Man is playing through it.

What’s less explainable is the quiet first two games Kreider’s had. The key to the offense all season highlighted by his 52 goal year and franchise record 26 power play goals, he really has to step it up. Ditto for sidekick Zibanejad, who was the only forward of the top guns to look engaged.

It’s true that the Canes have a lot to do with the offensive struggles. They play like a five-man unit. Brind’Amour is able to roll four lines and three defensive pairs while dictating the match-ups. It’s gone in their favor so far.

At the start, I said this about what the game boiled down to.

Boy. Was it not their night. For a second straight game, each coach started their fourth lines. Advantage Hurricanes. That checking line of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Steven Lorentz and Marty Necas is more capable of contributing than Kevin Rooney, Tyler Motte and Ryan Reaves.

The Kotkaniemi line got the puck in deep and were able to create a couple of early chances. A diving block by Motte prevented a shot. Then Jacob Trouba continued to be a turnover machine. His failure to get the puck out led to an early Lorentz tester on Igor Shesterkin.

Following that sequence, you had the Panarin line get their best opportunity early on. On a rebound down low, Strome was unable to steer in a loose puck with Antti Raanta out of position. He had no angle and sent it wide. He has no luck.

Shesterkin then stopped a long Smith point shot off a good cycle from the Vincent Trocheck line. The Canes went back to their normal lineup. Trocheck was between Teravainen and Max Domi. Aho centered Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis.

The one aspect this game differed was the intensity. There were a lot more physical battles and scrums. Unlike Game One where only two penalties were called, you had some animosity between the teams.

Following a Cole shot block on Rooney, he and Smith got into it to lead to matching roughing minors. On the four-on-four, a Panarin wide backhand was nearly put in by Ryan Lindgren, who just missed around the net. His rebound went into Raanta for an awkward save.

When the four-on-four expired, there were more early fireworks. After he came out of the box, Smith finished a check on Filip Chytil along the boards. He responded with a cross-check. Smith immediately went back with a slash.

That meant more four-on-four. Shortly following a Kreider deflection going wide, Aho high-sticked Trouba to give the Rangers a four-on-three power play. It was abominable. Nobody wanted to shoot the puck between Panarin, Fox and Zibanejad.

This was a harbinger of things to come. Back to full strength, Smith leveled Chytil again with a good hit. He then was on the receiving end from Trouba, who caught him against the boards. Good honest playoff hockey.

After that, the Chytil line was able to get some sustained pressure. But Lafreniere had his shot blocked by Brady Skjei. It was a theme. The Hurricanes blocked 11 shots in the first periods. The Rangers had 20 attempts, but only got five shots through.

As the period went on, it was the Canes who picked it up. But not before Strome had a glorious scoring chance. On just a great feed from Copp that resulted in a DeAngelo slashing minor, Strome had time. But his shot went right into a lucky DeAngelo to get a whistle. He was in the right spot at the right time.

Then came another mindless five-on-four. It was hideous. A Panarin giveaway allowed Aho to come two-on-one with Teravainen. But Teravainen’s shot rang off the goalpost. The over reliance on the top unit is hurting so far.

Gallant stuck the little used second unit out late in the power play. They were able to set up a Trouba point shot that Raanta covered. Then Lafreniere exchanged pleasantries during another scrum. He sure has edge to his game.

On a shift at even strength, the third line had some puck possession in the Canes’ end. With Lafreniere battling Cole for position in front, Kaapo Kakko’s centering pass missed connection. There wasn’t a lot of operating room.

After going to the locker room again due to taking a puck to his face that bloodied him, Lindgren returned with 4:34 left. He’s a warrior. He’s been their best defenseman when he’s played in these playoffs.

As time expired, it was scoreless. By the conclusion, you could feel the Hurricanes coming on. They overtook the Blueshirts in shots and were dominant on face-offs.

In the second period, there continued to be tough battles. That’s how Carolina plays. It’s what makes them such a hard opponent to play at five-on-five.

After he lost a battle behind his net, Trouba let Staal come out and center a pass for a Jesper Fast shot that Shesterkin handled. That line is very responsible defensively and hard on the puck.

Following losing the puck, Copp took it back to create an opportunity for Panarin up top. Rather than shoot or do something with it, he waited too long and turned the puck over.

With the Hurricanes’ puck pressure intensifying, Trouba took a tough hit from Skjei. He got brutalized. It seems like part of the Carolina strategy is to finish checks on Trouba and force him into mistakes. It’s worked so far.

As the Rangers approached 10 minutes without one shot attempt, it really felt like whoever scored first would prevail. To their credit, they didn’t give up a lot defensively. The Canes aren’t as good offensively. But they make it tough.

After Raanta finally had to make a save on a Chytil shot to take the shades off from his beach chair, Kreider took a bad penalty when he slashed Jaccob Slavin.

The Carolina power play didn’t do much. Off a good DeAngelo cross-ice pass, Teravainen had his shot from the right circle stopped by Shesterkin. Following a Jarvis shot that deflected wide, Shesterkin made a great glove save to deny DeAngelo up top. He also kicked out another DeAngelo one-timer late in the penalty kill.

Following another lost draw in the defensive zone, Brett Pesce had two wide open looks. He skated in and missed both shots. These were good chances. But fortunately, he didn’t hit the net.

After a Rooney face-off win which was only the team’s 10th of 33 at that point, the fourth line had a strong forechecking shift. But Motte missed on two shots after utilizing his speed. I think he should be moved up in the rotation. We’ll see. He plays the tenacious game they need to have.

On what was his best opportunity, Zibanejad took a good pass from Frank Vatrano and was denied by Raanta. That was the best save he made at that point.

During a better shift from the second line where they had the puck deep in the Canes’ zone, Lafreniere came on and drew a high-stick on Skjei with under seven minutes remaining. Following a video review, they kept it as a double minor to protests from Brind’Amour. Lafreniere might have been cut on the nose. It was hard to tell.

Rather than take advantage of a critical five-on-four situation, the Rangers managed to turn it into a circus. With both Kreider and Panarin playing around with the puck, the top unit got zero shots in the first half. You could feel something bad coming.

Sure enough, a very bad turnover by Panarin allowed Aho and Smith to come in two-on-one. With Fox back, he was able to slide a perfect pass between Fox’s skates for a Smith finish for a shorthanded goal with 4:06 left. Brutal. There’s no other way to describe it.

Then with time still left on the Skjei penalty, Gallant stuck out Rooney with Kakko and Motte. Why? They were on the power play. He tries a totally different combo at a critical point.

Rooney foolishly boarded Cole for a bad penalty. That ended the five-on-four. Then, Kreider took another undisciplined slashing minor to hand the Canes a five-on-three with 2:30 left.

Following a timeout by Brind’Amour, his team couldn’t cash in. Lindgren blocked a Teravainen shot. They were able to escape still trailing by one. That was despite some really brutal play.

After two, shots favored the Canes 16-13. That’s over 40 minutes! That’s a period total for Oilers and Flames. My god.

I agree with JD’s assessment. It wasn’t so much that they weren’t trying. But rather how they played. They didn’t work smart. You have to at this stage. It’s the second round. It gets harder.

Even still down by a goal, it felt over. That’s the sense I got once Smith scored. 1-nothing feels like 4-nothing versus the Hurricanes. They literally smother you in the neutral zone and collapse defensively.

In the third, Copp was with Chytil and Kakko. Primarily to take face-offs because Chytil isn’t winning any. It was also to see if Lafreniere could provide a spark for Panarin and Strome.

Personally, I would’ve broken up the Zibanejad line. Lafreniere has more chemistry with him than Panarin. He’s also played more with Zibanejad and Kreider. If Gallant wasn’t gonna do that, maybe he should’ve loaded up by moving Panarin up on the big line.

Although they had eight shots in the period, they never seriously threatened Raanta. He made the saves.

With Shesterkin off for a six-on-five, the best opportunities came on one sequence. A Fox point shot was denied by Raanta. The rebound came to Lafreniere, whose shot was also stopped by Raanta with under two and a half minutes left.

That was it. From there, the Canes locked it down. With it basically over, Panarin decided to give away one more puck for an Aho gimme into an open net with two seconds to spare. It was the perfect end to a miserable game.

I got nothing else to add. They can say whatever they want. Now, it’s about figuring out a way to be better on home ice starting on Sunday.

Win Game Three. Make it a series. In order to do that, their best players have to wake up. They also must chip pucks behind the aggressive Carolina defensemen and get in on the forecheck. Create counters. Finish checks. Make it harder on them.

I’ve seen quite a few fans blast Kreider. ‘He’s not captain material. He’s disappeared.’ Horse shit! The Canes are paid to play hockey too. They handled business and protected home ice.

Now, it’s time for the Rangers to. Short memories. Game plan differently. Get the crowd into it early tomorrow afternoon. Score early. Get bodies in front of Raanta. Make him uncomfortable.

They can play much better. Even if they held the Canes down in the first two games, one goal in over six periods won’t get it done. They must show the urgency and resiliency that we saw last round.

This team has character. Now, we find out if they can respond. It’s not over. Don’t count them out.

THREE STARS 🌟 ✨️ 🤩

3rd 🌟 🤩 ⭐️ Antti Raanta Hurricanes 21 saves for shutout, 1 GA on 49 shots in series

2nd 🌟 ⭐️ Sebastian Aho Hurricanes primary assist on shorthanded goal, empty net goal (4), 9-for-13 on draws, +2 in 18:51

1st ⭐️ Brendan Smith Hurricanes scored the shorthanded game-winner at 15:54 of 2nd, 2 SOG, 5 attempts, 2 hits, +1 in 13:35

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Playoff Kuch equals Klutch for Lightning, Kucherov’s brilliance sets up Colton winner to stun Panthers in Game Two

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Derek

With the Rangers busier this postseason, I haven’t had as much time to devote to other series. Even though I’ve caught most games, it isn’t easy to write about them when I’m preoccupied with the Blueshirts.

Tonight provided a moment of these Stanley Cup Playoffs that could prove large. It was Game Two of the Atlantic Division Final between the Lightning and Panthers. It didn’t disappoint.

Coming off a 4-1 home defeat to the Bolts in Game One, the Panthers needed a better effort to tie the best-of-seven second round series. They definitely brought a lot more to the table.

Even without Mr. Overtime, Brayden Point, the Lightning are proving to be a difficult roadblock for the Panthers. They held the edge in play, but were only able to score once on Andrei Vasilevskiy.

The best goalie of this era turned in another stellar showing by making 35 saves on 36 shots. He backstopped the Bolts to a stunning 2-1 victory in Game Two. Over the last three games dating back to the Game Seven elimination of the Maple Leafs, Vasilevskiy has allowed only three goals on the last 101 shots.

Even a lethal offense such as the Cats are being clawed by the 27-year old ace netminder. However, he’s had help from teammates. They went above and beyond by sacrificing their bodies to block 24 shots to keep the Panthers’ offense at bay.

A Corey Perry power play goal on a great deflection of a Steven Stamkos shot had held up for the game’s first 38 minutes as the only goal. But Eetu Luostarinen’s long wrist shot surprised Vasilevskiy to trickle past him with 1:53 left to tie the game.

The tying goal was made possible by Florida defenseman Gustav Forsling, who after setting up the Luostarinen shot, drove the net to distract Vasilevskiy just enough to give the Panthers momentum. Buoyed by the crowd coming to life, they drew a tripping minor on Nikita Kucherov with 47 seconds to go in the period.

There were two key saves made by each goalie before the conclusion of the second. First, Sergei Bobrovsky denied Nick Paul’s shorthanded bid. Then Vasilevskiy got across to rob Anthony Duclair on a one-timer with nine seconds left. He also made a tricky stop on a Sam Reinhart deflection before time expired.

Throughout the intensely fought second game, there was plenty of physicality dished out from both interstate Florida rivals. The hitting included Erik Cernak taking a very tough check from Radko Gudas into the Tampa bench. He’d stay in the game.

The Panthers out-hit the Lightning 52-35. Gudas paced them with seven while Ben Chiarot had six. Only two skaters didn’t register a hit. The hard-nosed Cernak paced the Lightning with five hits. Three other players had four including the gritty Anthony Cirelli.

That’s the kind of game it was. It had that classic in your face playoff hockey we’ve grown accustomed to. A lot of hard fought battles which typified last year’s Battle Of Florida. A first round series won by the Lightning, who went on to repeat.

While the Panthers peppered Vasilevskiy with shots, they also had many that never reached him. In a determined defensive performance, the championship caliber Bolts blocked 24 shots. Fourteen of eighteen skaters hit the score sheet led by Cernak’s four blocks.

At one point, Stamkos went to the locker room twice for repairs due to leading by example. After a diving block, Brandon Hagel limped off. But of course he would return. Hockey player. What Cernak, Stamkos and Hagel showed is why the Lightning lead the series two games to none.

While both Vasilevskiy and Russian counterpart Bobrovsky made big saves at each end during a hard fought third period that saw the Panthers hold a 10-8 edge in shots, it was a stunning play by Kucherov that left the building in a state of shock.

With the game still tied and looking destined for overtime, Ondrej Palat made a hustle play to keep the puck in at the Panthers’ blue line. He was able to get it deep for Kucherov, who was parked behind the Florida net. Ever a dangerous player, he made an unbelievable play to break Panther hearts.

With Forsling behind the net committed to occupying Kucherov, partner Mackenzie Weegar made a cardinal mistake. Instead of staying home in front of the net, he chased Kucherov. That allowed the clutch Kucherov to make an astonishing backhand centering feed for a Ross Colton finish with 3.8 seconds left in regulation.

It was insane. That quickly, a great game between two bitter rivals that looked ready to go to overtime, was over. Oh. They put time back on after the scoreboard read 0.9 seconds when Colton celebrated his team-leading fifth of the postseason. But for all intents and purposes. Game. Set. Match.

Checkmate. Lightning. Or rather Kucherov. One of the game’s biggest stars, the electrifying 28-year old former Hart and Art Ross winner is as clutch a player as there is. A look at his career highlights why the second round gem stolen at number 58 in the 2011 NHL Draft, proves why he must be paid close attention to.

For his eight-year career, Kucherov is averaging over a point-per-game with 616 points (246-370-616) in 562 games. A dominant five-on-five player who’s also lethal on the power play, he’s a plus-129.

Even better, Kucherov produces when it matters most. Nicknamed Kuch by coach Jon Cooper and teammates, he steps it up in the postseason.

As evidenced by the brilliant pass for the Colton game-winner last night to put the Panthers in an 0-2 hole with the next two games at Tampa Bay this weekend, just call him Playoff Kuch. The primary helper padded his career playoff point total to 138 (47-91-138) over 122 games.

Playoff Kuch equals Klutch. He can elevate his game to another level when the stakes are raised. Kucherov led all scorers the last two postseasons. Both resulted in Stanley Cups for the Lightning.

After putting up 34 points (7-27-34) in the playoff bubble to help the Lightning win their second Cup, Kucherov was a beast in the repeat with 32 points (8-24-32) last year. He paced everyone in assists and points for a second consecutive postseason.

What’s Playoff Kuch doing this Spring? So far, he has three goals with eight assists for 11 points. That leads the Lightning in scoring. That’s after going 25-44-69 in only 47 contests over an injury riddled ’21-22.

Insane production for a remarkable player. The thing about Kucherov is he prefers to set up shop in the right circle and find open teammates for goals. Rather than shoot when he possesses a howitzer (beat Bobrovsky in Game One), he’s an unselfish player by nature.

The Lightning have burned the Panthers for four power play goals in the first two games. Kucherov has two power play points. In the seven-game first round win over the Leafs, he had five power play points. None bigger than his five-on-three goal that forced overtime in Game Six.

That was the same elimination game where Toronto controlled most of the play in sudden death. But Point won it on a rebound to force Game Seven which Tampa took 2-1 on Nick Paul’s pair to again oust the Leafs in the first round.

If there’s been a noticeable difference so far, it’s the special teams. While the Lightning have struck for four power play goals (4-for-9), the Panthers are 0-for-7. They have yet to score a power play goal in these playoffs. A shocking change from the regular season when they tied for fifth at 24.4 percent.

The question for the Panthers is can they win Game Three on the road to get back in the series. Don’t forget last year’s series saw the road team take the first three games before the Lightning won Game Four and Six to close it out.

They can’t come back unless Aleksander Barkov wakes up. He’s without a point over the first two games. The fact that the Panthers only have scored twice is remarkable.

It’s a credit to how the Lightning are playing. They’re keeping the explosive Cats from opening it up. The defense from stalwarts Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh are huge keys.

It’s a team effort with Cernak and Mikhail Sergachev continuing to do the heavy lifting with Cooper opting to play seven D including Zach Bogosian, Cal Foote and Jan Ruuta without Point.

When you have the game’s best goalie getting hot at the right time, it makes it even harder on opponents. All the pressure is on the Panthers after winning the President’s Trophy. They finally won their first playoff series since ’96.

It’s not over yet. The experienced Lightning know that. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when the series shifts to Amalie Arena on Saturday.

One thing is certain. Playoff Kuch has been activated.

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Second Round: Hurricanes come back to take Game One over Rangers 2-1 in overtime, Aho ties it late, Cole wins it, Chytil gets only goal, Good effort wasted

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Derek
Antti Raanta makes a stop on Kaapo Kakko with Alexis Lafreniere in front. The Rangers lost a tough one to the Hurricanes 2-1 in overtime to drop Game One. Photo by Carolina Hurricanes

This one was tough. In the first game of the second round series, the Rangers dropped Game One to the Hurricanes 2-1 in overtime. Ian Cole scored the winner at 3:12 to help the Canes complete the comeback.

They lead the series one game to none. Carolina prevailed due to Antti Raanta. The former Ranger made 27 saves on 28 shots to earn the game’s Second Star as selected by the media. He stopped 22 of 23 shots in the first two periods.

Without that, we’re talking about a Rangers’ win instead. They certainly played well enough in a tough atmosphere before 18,705 screaming fans at PNC Arena.

Truth be told, they did a lot of things well. It was mostly Blueshirts during the first two periods. They had the better of the play out-shooting the Canes 23-14 and out-chancing them.

However, only Filip Chytil was able to beat Raanta. His second goal of the postseason came 7:07 into the game. It came off a good rush from Alexis Lafreniere, who along with Chytil were their best players. He made a bullet pass across for a sweet Chytil finish to cash in off a Tony DeAngelo turnover.

Their line mate Kaapo Kakko was good too. He looked more confident with the puck, making plays in the offensive zone. He nearly had Chytil for a 2-0 lead. But Raanta made the biggest save of the game when he got across and made a great left pad save.

Kaako also could’ve shot on that chance. However, it would be two missed opportunities in the third period that he’ll really be kicking himself. On one, he was led in by a good Lafreniere pass. But he lost his balance as he made his move on Raanta.

The second was even crazier. On a broken play, a loose puck came right to him with a wide open net staring at him. But Kakko missed the great scoring chance wide right through the crease. That would come back to haunt the Rangers.

Eventually, after applying all kinds of pressure in a much more lopsided third period, the Hurricanes were able to get it tied when Sebastian Aho put in his own rebound after a great save by Igor Shesterkin with only 2:23 left.

On the play, Brady Skjei made a good play to get the puck up for Teuvo Teravainen. He then made a pass for Seth Jarvis, who found an open Aho cutting in behind for a point blank chance. His initial shot was denied by Shesterkin. But he flipped in the rebound to force overtime.

The guilty Blueshirts were K’Andre Miller, Jacob Trouba, Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. Both Zibanejad and Panarin were spectators while Miller was off to the side leaving Trouba to defend Aho. He got dusted by the leading Canes scorer.

For as much as they struggled with a relentless Hurricanes attack in a conservative third where Rod Brind’Amour shook up his top two lines, the Rangers nearly survived the onslaught.

At one point, the Canes led in shots 7-0 with only Zibanejad having an attempt that missed wide 38 seconds into the period. But the Rangers settled down and played better defensive hockey in the last half of the third.

In fact, they got four straight shots before the final push from the Hurricanes. That included the two Kakko sequences where he couldn’t score on two glorious chances. If he buries one, the Rangers are likely up in the series.

However, that doesn’t explain the lackluster third period. Neither does it excuse Zibanejad and Chris Kreider for their disappearing acts. The heroes of the first round combined for three total shots and four attempts. Neither got going.

Panarin was more noticeable. But didn’t factor in offensively. He finished with two shots in four attempts. Andrew Copp and Ryan Strome were also kept quiet by the Canes. They had three combined shots. Hardly enough to be successful.

Of the top six, only Frank Vatrano looked dangerous registering three shots and five attempts. The top two lines must be much better if they’re to gain a split on Friday night in Game Two.

The third line can’t be their most consistent to win this series. The trio of Lafreniere, Chytil and Kakko had superb games. They were effective offensively at creating chances while playing solid defensive hockey.

Unfortunately, both Kakko and Lafreniere were caught on for Cole’s overtime winner. A fluke play that had a Brendan Smith shot go wide and kick out to Cole, who followed up his own shot which went in off Ryan Lindgren past Shesterkin with 16:48 left in OT.

That’s how some of these close fought games get decided. Sometimes, all it takes is a bounce. Luck was on Carolina’s side.

Before the game started, Mollie Walker reported a hint of positive news on Sammy Blais. The injured forward who’s been out since P.K. Subban tripped him to cause a torn ACL, skated in a non-contact jersey at practice. Barclay Goodrow didn’t skate.

As expected, Gallant stuck with the same lineup that got it done against the Penguins. Here’s how they lined up:

Kreider-Zibanejad-Vatrano

Panarin-Strome-Copp

Lafreniere-Chytil-Kakko

Motte-Rooney-Reaves

Lindgren-Fox

Miller-Trouba

Braun-Schneider

Shesterkin

Initially for the Hurricanes, Brind’Amour went with the same winning formula from Game Seven over the Bruins.

Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis

Teravainen-Trocheck-Domi

Niederreiter-Staal-Fast

Lorentz-Kotkaniemi-Necas

Slavin-DeAngelo

Skjei-Pesce

Smith-Cole

Raanta

In an interesting way to begin the second round series, both coaches went with their checking lines. Following some play by Tyler Motte, Ryan Reaves and Kevin Rooney in the Carolina end, the Staal line had the puck down low against the Zibanejad line. Niederreiter high-sticked Fox for the game’s first power play.

Before they could do anything, Vincent Trocheck had Jordan Staal open for a shorthanded bid. But the Hurricanes captain fired wide. Once on the puck in the Carolina zone, Strome took one of his specials. He took down Jaccob Slavin to even it up just 27 seconds into the five-on-four.

The two teams skated four aside before the Canes got an abbreviated 12-second power play. A Zibanejad clear ended it.

Afterwards, Motte used his speed to create an opportunity for Kevin Rooney. But it didn’t connect. Finally, the Canes transition created an open shot for Jarvis. But Ryan Lindgren broke it up with a block.

Initially, the Rangers had the first four shots. They were much sharper. For some reason, the Canes seemed to be a step behind. They weren’t able to generate much that threatened Shesterkin. It was perplexing.

Part of that was the Rangers’ structure. They were getting back in position and managing the puck well. A big improvement from the first round.

That attention to detail led to the first goal of the series. Tony DeAngelo forced the issue to cause a turnover. That allowed Lafreniere to skate in on a two-on-one and slide a pass across for a Chytil one-timer for his first goal of the second round with 12:53 remaining.

Amazingly, it took the Hurricanes nearly nine minutes to get their first shot. DeAngelo got it on Shesterkin, who had no problem with his long shot. He must’ve felt like he was on vacation.

Strome then had a strong shift. After making a good clear to help the Justin Braun, Braden Schneider pair get out versus the Aho line, he took the puck aggressively to the net, forcing Raanta into a tough save.

At the 8:45 mark of the period, Lindgren took his fifth shift. It was the final one of the period. He went back to the locker room for repairs. He played 3:01 in the first. Fortunately, he did return.

Suddenly down a defenseman, Gallant worked in a five-man rotation. He used Miller a lot with Fox while Braun spent most shifts with Trouba.

Late in the period, Lafreniere went wide with a shot. Then Kakko recovered the puck and drove towards the net into the slot. Rather than shoot, he passed across for Chytil, whose one-timer in tight was denied by a great Raanta pad save.

That close to a two-goal lead. It was the biggest save of the game. That’s how badly the Canes needed Raanta to deliver in that spot. They were badly outplayed.

Following that incredible stop, Jarvis got behind the defense for the Canes’ best chance. Miller was able to deny him with good positioning. Note that for later.

After holding a 12-8 edge in shots with a 1-0 lead, the Rangers got good news. Lindgren returned for the second period. That meant a regular rotation on the blue line.

In the period of the long change, there were some dicey moments. Early on, Fox was out for a 1:32 shift with Lindgren. He took a good Andrei Svechnikov hit.

Eventually, some strong work from Lafreniere got the puck out of the zone. He then skated into the Canes’ zone for a counter and tested Raanta with a low wrist shot from the circle. His game is more instinctive. He’s playing like a top pick.

Then, things opened up. First, a good shift from the Zibanejad line against two-thirds of the Staal line with Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce nearly resulted in a second goal. Vatrano did some strong work down low and passed for a Zibanejad shot that just missed.

On a counter, Staal was able to carry the puck into the Rangers’ zone and get a good shot on Shesterkin. He had help from Kreider, who made a good play along the wall to get out.

Following a Raanta save on Strome, the Canes had their best sustained pressure of the game. They had Trouba pinned in his end for an Ironman 3:12 shift. While Miller got off, he couldn’t. A fresh Braun helped along with the Zibanejad lime after Lafreniere was on for nearly two minutes. When he got to the bench, he looked gassed.

Then came the first great Kakko tease opportunity. Able to forecheck, he was stopped by Raanta to keep the game at 1-0. As the period moved along without many stoppages, Jarvis got behind the defense. But a hustling Miller came back to deny him and delivered a clean check to knock him off the book. It was a great defensive play.

After an outstanding play from Miller, Lafreniere again used his speed to get a dangerous scoring chance. With 5:37 left, he had a shot go off the far goalpost. That close to a two-goal lead.

At that point, shots were 22-13 overall. Late in the second, Miller broke up a potential tying goal on a backdoor feed. Shesterkin also shrugged off a high Jarvis shot with a blocker save.

Panarin nearly caught the Hurricanes napping in the closing seconds. He was able to test Raanta with a high riser that he made a big save on. After two periods, the Rangers still led by one. They outshot the Hurricanes 11-6 and led 23-14 overall.

But in the pivotal third period, the Hurricanes woke up. Brind’Amour made some good in game adjustments by breaking up his top two lines. He reunited Teravainen with Aho and Jarvis. Svechnikov was moved onto the second line with Vincent Trocheck and Marty Necas.

It really worked. Sparked by the line changes, the Canes came at warp speed. Before their big push that saw them get the first seven shots of the period, Zibanejad had a look at a wide open shot off a turnover. But he sent it wide. It wasn’t his night.

Right afterwards, here came a Hurricane. On just a great pass by Aho across the ice, Teravainen somehow didn’t finish. It looked like a lay-up. But Shesterkin must’ve kept it out.

At that point, I knew what was in store. A Hurricanes storm surge. They applied tons of forecheck pressure. With the crowd revved up, a great shift from Trocheck, Svechnikov and Necas nearly had it tied. But Shesterkin didn’t buckle.

He then denied DeAngelo on a tough low shot with a player in front. It looked like the Rangers wouldn’t even muster a shot. They looked like they were skating a man short.

There weren’t many whistles. No penalties were called after the early two. It was all played at five-on-five during the second and third. The better team at even strength started to to flex their muscles.

On some more pressure from the Canes, DeAngelo moved into a shooting position at the point. But Kreider was in the right spot to make a good defensive read to break it up and force him out. You could see DeAngelo visibly frustrated as he went to the bench during a rare stoppage.

Then came the play that could’ve been. On just a smart read by Lafreniere, he chipped the puck off the wall to lead Kakko for a one-on-one with Raanta. In on the goalie, he tried to cut it too fine and fell down on his forehand deke attempt. There was no call.

But JD said that Kakko lost his balance. At what point does he start burying these kind of chances? He played well. But the Rangers need more offense from him.

Right after that miss, Nino Niederreiter was sent in behind Schneider. His laser rang off the crossbar. That close to a tie game.

Even more hair-raising was Kakko blowing a gimme. He had a puck bounce off a Canes’ defenseman right to him with a wide open net. Somehow, he missed. That really proved costly.

On another strong shift by the Chytil line, Kakko was stopped by Raanta with 4:07 left. Shots were 7-2.

That’s when a desperate Canes made their final push. After he hit the goalpost with a shot, Aho was sent back in by the combination of Teravainen and Jarvis. Able to get behind both Zibanejad and Trouba, he had his first shot stopped. But potted the rebound past Shesterkin to tie it with 2:33 remaining.

It was a nightmare for the Rangers. They fell asleep on the tying goal. Can anyone explain what Panarin was doing out there when they were nursing a one-goal lead? He was loafing. It wasn’t a good look.

It never is when your best players are out trying to protect a 1-0 lead. Why was Panarin out with Zibanejad and Copp? Why not a defensive forward like Motte or Rooney? A screw-up for sure by the bench.

In the last minute of regulation, Gallant put out his best line. Indeed, the Chytil line was trusted to get something done. A strong cycle nearly led to the winner. But Fox sent his point shot wide.

After Jarvis got a hit on Zibanejad, Kreider returned the favor before the buzzer. That caused some commotion. But the refs and linesmen did a good job breaking it up and sending each team off the ice.

So, they went to overtime. The second straight one for the Rangers and third of the playoffs. Before the start, ESPN put up a stat that they’ve lost eight of their last nine Game One’s where it’s gone to OT. I shook my head.

Maybe I knew how it would end. It’s so hard to recover from giving up a late goal the way they did. Especially in enemy territory. I wasn’t nervous for it. I also didn’t expect it to last long.

It didn’t take long for the Hurricanes to prove they were the aggressor. Following a good offensive shift by the Trocheck line that saw the center get off a backhand that Shesterkin stopped, the Blueshirts ran into more trouble.

With Rooney, Lafreniere and Kakko caught on with Lindgren and Trouba due to the long change, they got hemmed in by the Hurricanes’ fourth line. Sure enough, their depth shined when it mattered most.

After Trouba was unable to clear the zone, it was just a matter of time. Kotkaniemi worked the puck up for a Smith shot that took a wide carom back to Cole. After his initial shot was blocked, he was able to fire it through where it deflected off Lindgren and underneath Shesterkin for the overtime winner at 3:12.

Had Lindgren not been in the path, Shesterkin makes the save. Maybe the Rangers escape. Who knows what might’ve happened. Instead, they skated off the ice with a disgusted Lafreniere slamming his stick. He was next to Cole on the shot. It wasn’t on him. He played a great game.

There isn’t a whole lot to add. This was one they could’ve won. But a bad third period really hurt. Play like they did in the first two periods and it’s a win. They never got the key insurance marker to put the Hurricanes away.

Credit the Canes for responding. That’s why they’re a very good team. Brind’Amour made smart moves which got his team going. It isn’t possible without Raanta, who was my first star over Cole. He actually stopped 22 of 23 in the first two periods.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1527111397229973506?t=yGF8KujEmOO92Xfyyj68GQ&s=19

You never know who the hero will be in the playoffs. Who had Josh Manson winning it for the Avalanche the other night 3-2 over the Blues? Did anyone take Cole on the #bucciovertimechallenge? I took Lafreniere for our side and Svechnikov for the Caniacs.

In a more wild and wacky Game One, the Flames recovered from blowing a 6-2 lead to beat the Oilers 9-6. The Battle Of Alberta isn’t going to disappoint. Connor McDavid willed his team back with four points (1-3-4). But Rasmus Andersson and Matthew Tkachuk scored to help Calgary pull away.

In the other series, the Lightning won 4-1 over the Panthers by getting three power play goals minus Brayden Point. Corey Perry, Nikita Kucherov and Ross Colton tallied for the two-time defending champs. Game Two is later tonight.

The Avalanche look to go up two-zip on the Blues, who got great goaltending from Jordan Binnington to push it to overtime despite being severely outplayed. We’ll see what he does for an encore.

I’m most interested to see how the Panthers respond to being down 1-0 to the Lightning. Especially with the next two in Tampa where they have a better home ice advantage. That should be fun.

For more observations on the postseason, please follow me on Twitter on our official account at BattleOfHudson. Or send me an email at kovy274hart@yahoo.com.

Peace.

Derek

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The Excitement Is Real

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Derek

Who else can’t contain their excitement about tonight? It’s been a long time since this team played in the second round.

Honestly, it feels like much longer than five years. So much changed since then. The Letter. The commitment to a rebuild. Some of our favorite players leaving for other teams. New faces arriving.

It required patience. Missing the playoffs was tough. I don’t count the silly Play In Qualifying Series either. We know what happened. Henrik Lundqvist played for the final time. Igor Shesterkin arrived.

That was then. This is now. Finally a T-E-A-M we can get behind. They never quit. The Never Say Die Blueshirts didn’t against Sidney Crosby and the more experienced Penguins last round. They battled to come back and win the last three games in historic fashion.

Resilient. That’s what these New York Rangers have been all year under the very even keel Gerard Gallant, who never gets too high or low. He is a calming influence which has helped his players not panic.

Tonight is the start of the Metropolitan Division Final against the Hurricanes in Raleigh. The loudest fans in the NHL will be rocking. There will still be some support for the Rangers due to fans who live in the area. It’ll be a fun environment.

It’s a step up in weight class. They can’t expect to fall behind like the opening round. The Canes can storm surge when they get the lead early. Sam Rosen is correct when he told Steve Serby of The NY Post that the Rangers must play with the lead. That should bode well.

It’s ironic that you have a goalie match-up featuring Shesterkin versus former Lundqvist pupil Antti Raanta to start the series. Who would’ve ever believed that after the season Frederik Andersen had. His status remains unknown. He’s skated, but hasn’t practiced.

Tony DeAngelo is now public enemy number one. A role he enjoys. The half dozen ex-Rangers will have something to say about this series. DeAngelo is the biggest of those guys after his eight points in Round One versus Boston. Can the Blueshirts get underneath his skin like Brad Marchand did? A master at it.

I’d love to see Gallant get the match-up of Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Frank Vatrano against Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and gifted rookie Seth Jarvis (13th overall in 2020 Draft). But they’re likely to see a lot of Jordan Staal, Nino Niederreiter and Jesper Fast in Carolina.

Who will Gallant use to slow down the Aho line? Aho has had a good past against the Blueshirts. Will it be Artemi Panarin, Andrew Copp and Ryan Strome? Or might he try to mix and match with K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba getting the early assignment. But if the pair has issues, it could fall on Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox.

Having Tyler Motte back gives that checking line a boost due to his speed and grit quotient. He is tough. Maybe he,, Kevin Rooney and Ryan Reaves see a few shifts against the Canes’ top line or even the underrated second line centered by Vincent Trocheck. That features Teuvo Teravainen and Max Domi.

How much can Alexis Lafreniere make an impact? He had a good first round scoring twice and adding two assists. He and Filip Chytil have chemistry due to their simple approach. Can Kaapo Kakko keep up? He’s going to have to absorb some hits.

How long before Gallant bumps up Lafreniere to Zibanejad and Kreider if Vatrano struggles? That’s my wildcard.

Can they win enough critical face-offs to keep the aggressive mindset of the Canes at bay? Puck possession is their team strength along with depth. Puck management must be much better to withstand the Carolina attack.

The battle of special teams is crucial. That means capitalizing on the power play and doing a good job on the penalty kill. Maintaining discipline is the key. Get enough pucks through on Raanta. Shoot the puck Panarin. Get traffic. Make it hard on him.

We know the Blueshirts must be sturdier around Shesterkin. The Canes will crash the net similar to the Penguins. They will look for greasy goals. Clearing the net front is huge. Forwards must come back.

It’s all very exciting. It should be. Let’s enjoy it. Game One is next. I’ll have a full game recap later.

Follow me on Twitter at BattleOfHudson. See you later.

Derek

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