The Rangers are on to the second spherical of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the primary time since 2017. Their opponent, the Hurricanes, are again right here for a second straight season and the third time within the final 4 years. There’s little doubt the Rangers are the underdogs, however this can be a staff that made NHL historical past in Spherical 1 by recording three consecutive comeback wins in elimination video games inside the identical collection.
By no means depend the Blueshirts out.
Nonetheless, Carolina has confirmed to be a hurdle the Rangers have but to have the ability to clear. Courting again to the 2020 bubble, the place the Hurricanes swept them within the qualifying spherical in three video games, the Rangers have solely gained as soon as of their final seven conferences. That one victory got here on March 20, when backup goalie Alexandar Georgiev stole the present with a 44-save efficiency in a 2-0 shutout.
“We all know it’s a problem,” Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant mentioned. “Carolina is an actual good hockey staff. They went by way of a troublesome collection, too. They performed Boston for seven video games, so I believe each groups are on even keel. We’re going to take it one recreation at a time and go from there. However we be ok with our possibilities.”
Entry the Rangers beat like by no means earlier than
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The Submit’s Mollie Walker takes a have a look at how the groups match up:
Goaltending
The Hurricanes’ No. 1 goalie, Frederik Andersen, has been battling a lower-body damage because the finish of the common season and didn’t play of their first-round matchup with the Bruins. Former Blueshirt Antti Raanta has primarily been Carolina’s beginning netminder. A journeyman who spent two seasons in New York, Raanta has first rate playoff numbers for the pattern measurement that it's (11 video games, 3-3 report, 2.74 goals-against common and .908 save proportion), however the Rangers nonetheless take this class simply.
Andersen was one of many few NHL goalies who stored up with the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin this season. Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour mentioned there wouldn’t be any extra updates on Andersen till he practices with the staff.
Shesterkin received his first style of playoff hockey on the street in Spherical 1 and he steadily improved away from residence because the collection progressed. His 39 saves and .929 save proportion within the Rangers’ Recreation 7 win in opposition to the Penguins proved he can rise to the event.
Edge: Rangers
Protection
The Rangers and Hurricanes each had the 2 lowest goals-against averages and goals-against totals in the course of the common season, with Carolina holding a slight edge at 2.44 and 200, respectively, in comparison with the Rangers’ 2.49 and 204. The Hurricanes additionally completed with the bottom shots-against common within the NHL at 28.2 per recreation, whereas the Rangers had the third highest at 30.8.
This can be a testomony to how the Hurricanes seemingly at all times have the puck, which naturally permits them to play much less protection. The Hurricanes’ high two defensemen, Jaccob Slavin and former Ranger Tony DeAngelo, lead the staff with eight factors every within the playoffs. Brett Pesce and former Ranger Brady Skjei have additionally had impactful seasons.
The Rangers have gotten some manufacturing from their defensemen as properly. Adam Fox is second on the staff in factors with 10, whereas Ok’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba have chipped in a few objectives as properly, along with drawing the highest opponent matchups.
Edge: Hurricanes
Forwards
The Rangers are buying and selling in a troublesome matchup with the Penguins’ high line of Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust for one that's simply as troublesome within the Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov-Sebastian Aho-Seth Jarvis. Nevertheless, this Hurricanes staff can get offensive contributions up and down its lineup. It’s a bunch that averaged 3.38 objectives per recreation in the course of the common season.
Carolina’s one-two punch down the center in Aho and Vincent Trocheck is a handful. There’s one other one on the left wing, too, in Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen. These skaters can push the tempo and know easy methods to tilt the ice.
The Rangers’ Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Frank Vatrano will probably be preoccupied defensively, once more. But it surely wasn’t till that high line received sizzling — which was partially attributable to Crosby lacking a part of Recreation 5 and all of Recreation 6 — that the Rangers have been in a position to separate themselves from the Penguins. The center six, particularly Artemi Panarin, Andrew Copp and Alexis Lafreniere, must contribute much more on offense than they did within the earlier collection.
Edge: Hurricanes
Particular groups
The Rangers have gotten lots out of their particular groups this postseason. Each energy play and each penalty kill seemingly offers the staff a lift and supplies scoring possibilities, with the man-advantage and whereas shorthanded.
With Tyler Motte and Ryan Lindgren again within the fold, the Rangers’ PK is in its finest kind. The ability play wasn’t as efficient in Spherical 1 because it was within the common season, nevertheless it nonetheless generated super offensive-zone time and objectives in large moments.
Edge: Rangers
Teaching
Brind’Amour has been with the Hurricanes for the previous 11 seasons, the primary seven as an assistant earlier than he took over as head coach in 2018-19. Along with having a pulse on his staff and realizing what makes it go, Brind’Amour has coached within the playoffs every season since he turned the bench boss in Carolina.
Gallant has performed a serious position in pulling the very best out of this Rangers staff this season, there’s no debating that. His model and strategy empowers his gamers, however each choice and matchup selection is amplified within the playoffs.
Edge: Hurricanes
Prediction
The Rangers have confirmed they deserved to get so far, however the Canes have been banging on the door to the Japanese Convention finals for a while now and are constructed to really do it this season.
Hurricanes in six
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