Second Round, Game 2: Hurricanes v. New York Rangers (Carolina leads 1-0)

The first game of this series on Wednesday night was one of the most-exciting finishes Raleigh has seen in the last few postseasons. Igor Shesterkin kept the Canes off the board for almost 60 minutes, while Filip Chytil scored early to put the Canes behind in a game on home ice for the first time in five games. The Rangers were the better team through the first two periods, but something clicked for the Canes in the third. They took control of the game and came inches away from tying it twice had it not been for the iron surrounding the net. After Rod Brind'Amour shuffled his lines around a little, the top line finally broke through with Sebastian Aho picking up his own rebound and tying the game with less than 2:30 left in regulation. Neither team wanted to win the game in regulation, so the Canes had forced their way into overtime for the first time this postseason. Just over three minutes into the extra frame, noted goal scorer Ian Cole spun and threw a shot on the net that deflected past Shesterkin off the stick of Ryan Lindgren to give the Canes the win and the lead in the series. We shouldn't take too much stock in winning the first game, but it's better to play from in front. The Canes will use the same personnel with the line combinations being the same as at the end of the game and Antti Raanta back in the net after an excellent performance in Game 1. The Rangers are expected to deploy the same lineup too with Shesterkin opposite Raanta. Getting this second win before heading to New York would be huge, even if doing it in the first round didn't mean much in hindsight. Come out strong, play a complete 60 minutes, and win in front of your fans should be the only thing on the Canes' minds tonight. 

1st Period

Scoring

None

Thoughts

Outside of taking a few too many penalties and not scoring a goal, this was exactly the type of start the Canes needed. They controlled the play for most of the period, getting the best chances even while down a man, and they locked down defensively to not allow too many great chances for the Rangers. The penalty kill looked amazing on both of their kills with shot-blocking being the most notable part outside of Teravainen ringing the post. Brendan Smith may have been the busiest player on the ice. He laid some huge hits, took two penalties, and likely has a target on his back now. Antti Raanta wasn't tested much and the Rangers' best chance was blocked by DeAngelo with a wide-open net. The Canes need to stay out of the box, which is something the broadcast has said numerous times already. Each line had its good moments in the first period and they'll need to carry it over into the second period by scoring some goals. 

2nd Period

Scoring

(CAR) 15:54- Brendan Smith (1) SH (assisted by Sebastian Aho (4) & Teuvo Teravainen (7))

Thoughts

Special teams were the name of the game in the second period as the Rangers had a prolonged power play and the Canes had a two-man advantage. While neither team scored on the power play, the Canes' penalty kill came up huge by not only killing the double-minor to Brady Skjei but also getting the first goal of the night on a backdoor tip from Brendan Smith late in the period to break the ice. They had a chance to add to the lead with a 5-on-3, but the Rangers killed it off to get into the locker room down a goal. The Rangers came alive midway through the second period by hemming the Canes in their defensive zone for a prolonged period, eventually leading to the Skjei penalty. Getting that goal was huge in swinging the momentum back in the Canes' favor momentarily before finishing the kill. Things have been quiet in front of Raanta for most of the night, so playing another strong period in the third and keeping the Rangers from getting any high-danger chances. 20 minutes from a 2-0 lead, but we've learned that one-goal leads don't always last. 

3rd Period

Scoring

(CAR) 19:58- Sebastian Aho (4) EN (unassisted)

Thoughts

Give credit to the Rangers for pushing in the third period, but give even more credit to the Canes' defense for making sure they didn't get anything good for a majority of the period. The best chances were from the Canes for the most part until the Rangers pulled Shesterkin. Even then, Raanta made some huge stops, and the defense only iced it once before Sebastian Aho scored into the empty net with less than two seconds left. They were knocking pucks off sticks and creating chances on Shesterkin, never letting the Rangers get comfortable. The Canes played a complete game tonight and made sure they'd head to New York with a 2-0 series lead. 

Canes' Three Stars of the Game

Third Star- Brett Pesce (5 Blocks, 22:43 TOI)

We already know that the Canes have an embarrassment of riches on defense and they've made life miserable for the Rangers in the first two games. Pesce was huge on the penalty kill tonight coming up with some timely blocks. He put his body on the line to make sure the Rangers couldn't get set up and get anything on Raanta. 

Second Star- Sebastian Aho (Goal, Assist)

For the second game in a row, Aho has stepped up and made some huge plays that led to goals. His pass to Smith on the short-handed goal in the second period through the legs of Fox was beautiful. His passing abilities are not talked about as much since he's an excellent goal scorer. He put the game away with the empty-net goal and he's proven to be the best forward on the ice thus far in this series. 

First Star- Brendan Smith (Goal)

The "unlikely hero" portion of the tour continued tonight. Brendan Smith scoring a goal short-handed for the game-winner isn't a collection of words I thought I'd ever see together in a sentence before. From the start of this game, Smith was engaged physically, and the penalties he took in the first period were fine since they made it 4-on-4. I should've known from the jump that he'd be a big factor tonight. 

Final Thoughts

If you told me at the beginning of the postseason that in a three-game stretch that Max Domi, Ian Cole, and Brendan Smith would be the heroes of three consecutive games, I'd have laughed in your face and called you an idiot. I have all the faith in the world in all of the guys on the ice, but those three in that order would be near impossible odds. Not to be lost in the shuffle is the performance of Antti Raanta tonight. His 21-save shutout is the first of his career in the postseason and he outdueled Igor Shesterkin for the second game in a row. I thought that most of the guys were very noticeable tonight and that's what the Canes need as the series moves up north to Madison Square Garden. Now is where the job gets harder. The Canes, for the second series in a row, have defended home ice and now must do something they were unable to do against Boston. They must now go to New York and win a game. Winning both games would be ideal but when it comes down to it, they need to be up 3-1 if this series comes back to Raleigh. This means they'll have to deal with another rabid fanbase in their barn and that's no easy task. We've been treated to two very close games, so we might be in for two more on Sunday and Tuesday.