The Rangers enterprise to Carolina on Friday with a lot extra than simply first place within the Metropolitan Division on the road.
A win wouldn't solely preserve the Blueshirts’ solo place atop the division, however it will reverberate across the NHL and silence anyone who has written off their success on Broadway this season. To say it will be an announcement victory can be an understatement.
For a workforce that has strived all season to show — to itself and the remainder of the league — that it could hold with respectable Stanley Cup contenders, the Rangers have the chance to do exactly that after they take the ice at PNC Area on Friday. The Hurricanes certified for the playoffs every of the final three seasons, getting so far as the convention finals in 2018-19, and have established themselves as one of many quickest and hardest forechecking golf equipment within the NHL.
Requested how a lot he’s interested by the standings heading into the sport, Rangers coach Gerard Gallant didn’t mince phrases.
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“Under no circumstances, to be completely sincere with you,” he mentioned Thursday after apply at MSG Coaching Heart. “Clearly, we all know the standings are actual shut within the high of our division. Nevertheless it’s simply one other recreation, huge two factors and taking part in in opposition to an actual good workforce. I imply, arguably one of the best workforce within the league proper now. So we’ve bought to play our greatest, we bought to be able to play and we all know what the problem we’re going through with a workforce like that.”
It’s been practically a 12 months and a half because the Rangers and Hurricanes final squared off, as a result of the groups had been in numerous divisions through the truncated 2020-21 season that featured solely intradivision play. The Rangers haven’t seen the Hurricanes since Carolina hung 11 complete objectives on them and cruised to a three-game sweep within the qualifying spherical of the 2020 bubble playoffs.
There’s little question that sequence left a foul style within the Rangers’ mouths. However that was then, and this can be a completely different Rangers workforce — or so that they’d wish to validate. Nonetheless, regardless of how a lot time has handed, the Rangers aren’t letting the previous dictate how they method this recreation.
“I didn’t even know that, it looks like so way back,” defenseman Jacob Trouba mentioned of going through the Hurricanes for the primary time since August 2020. “For me, no probably not [I don’t think about the qualifying-round sweep]. I believe it’s simply nonetheless plucking alongside on the season, I imply, we’re mainly on the midway mark. So I don’t suppose there’s an entire lot of backstory to it.”
Carolina has received 5 of its final seven video games, together with the latest 7-1 drubbing of the Bruins on Tuesday. Tied with the Rangers in wins (26), the Hurricanes enter Friday’s contest simply two factors shy of the highest seed within the Metro.
Following the Rangers’ come-from-behind victory over the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Gallant mentioned he believes the style by which his workforce defeated Toronto will definitely pad its confidence heading into Friday’s recreation.
“I believe it doesn’t matter who we’re taking part in,” Gallant mentioned. “I believe the arrogance comes from coming from behind, taking part in the way in which we performed, scored 5 straight objectives. … I believe it’s good for our workforce, not simply because it was in opposition to Toronto — I don’t care what workforce it’s in opposition to — nevertheless it was an enormous win for us.”
There can be various acquainted faces in Carolina, which has change into a touchdown spot for former Rangers. Trouba mentioned it’ll be “distinctive” to see former teammates Brady Skjei, Tony DeAngelo, Jesper Quick and Brendan Smith don the purple, white and black. Former Blueshirts Antti Raanta and Derek Stepan additionally play for the Hurricanes.
“It’s an enormous problem, I believe we actually really feel like we’ve grown as a workforce and we’re able to take that subsequent step,” Kevin Rooney mentioned. “And to be able to take these subsequent steps, we bought to beat the highest groups. Identical to that different night time [against the Maple Leafs], going out and taking part in in a troublesome constructing. I believe lots of the blokes are excited for the problem.”
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