Second Round, Game 5: Hurricanes v. New York Rangers (Series Tied 2-2)

Before writing this introduction, I went back to look at how I reacted after Game 4 and before Game 5 against Boston. I was very optimistic that the Canes could get the job done against Boston in a best-of-three situation. While I hold the same feelings about this series with the Rangers, I can't lie that this time around I'm a little more concerned about the Canes' chances. While I didn't think their effort in New York was as bad as it was in Boston, it doesn't erase the fact that they weren't able to capitalize on their 2-0 series lead and now face a big game tonight. The Rangers dominated Game 4 from the jump, winning the game 4-1 to even the series as the stars of the Rangers played well for the second game in a row. Teuvo Teravainen scored the lone goal for the Canes. Otherwise, Igor Shesterkin played like the Vezina goalie he was all season. He's helped play the Rangers back into the series and his equally stellar performances in Raleigh for Games 1 and 2 make Game 5 even more important. Getting two chances to close out this series is going to be huge with as good as New York has been looking. The Canes are shaking things up tonight throughout the forward lines. Jordan Martinook is back into the lineup for Steven Lorentz and we'll see a lot of different line combinations as Antti Raanta continues to hold things down in the net. He's been the best player for the Canes the entire series which is great, but it also means that the team's stars need to show up tonight and have a huge game. It's time for the guys that haven't shown up yet in this series to put something together and get this team to a win. A loss tonight makes winning this series a Herculean task against the likes of Shesterkin. Let's get the job done tonight and then look ahead to Saturday. 

1st Period

Scoring

(CAR) 12:57- Vincent Trocheck (4) SH (assisted by Jordan Staal (5))

(NYR) 17:06- Mika Zibanejad (6) PP (assisted by Artemi Panarin (6) & Adam Fox (10))

Thoughts

Special teams were huge in the period as each team capitalizes despite the Canes not getting a power play. The effort from the jump was far better to begin the game than it was in either game in New York. The Canes attempted three wrap-arounds on Shesterkin in the first eight minutes, none of which they could convert on. Svechnikov took the first penalty of the game, but it ended up playing in the Canes' favor. Vincent Trocheck forced a turnover as the Rangers tried to enter the zone, triggering a 2-on-1 with Jordan Staal. Staal lays a beautiful saucer pass on the stick of Trocheck as he beats the goalie for the Canes' second short-handed goal of the series. A little late, Cole takes an unnecessary cross-checking penalty that got helped along by the Oscar-worthy acting of Trouba, and Mika Zibanejad drills a one-timer from the same spot he scored from in Game 3 to even the game. The Canes spent most of the period on offense, which is good. They need to create even more traffic in front of Shesterkin because they haven't done much of that yet. I'm sure they'll get a power play at some point tonight, so being able to capitalize on it the same the Rangers have been is going to be important from the way the first period played out. 

2nd Period

Scoring

(CAR) 9:47- Teuvo Teravainen (4) PP (assisted by Seth Jarvis (4) & Tony DeAngelo (8))

Thoughts

It's amazing how just a matter of inches can determine who's winning and by how much. New York thought they'd scored early in the period to take the lead for the first time tonight on a shot from Strome that beat Raanta. It turns out that Copp was offsides and the goal is waved off. A few minutes later, the Canes draw their first penalty of the night and it leads to a beautiful passing sequence that is finished off by Teuvo Teravainen to give the Canes their lead back and that's how the score would stick after 40 minutes. The Canes, if not for three shots off the post, could be up by much more than one goal if the puck had gone a few inches in a different direction. Aho was the reason for two of these shots, including one from the dead slot while he was all alone in front of Shesterkin. The shot beat him clean, it just couldn't beat the iron. This was another period where the Canes spent most of their time in the Rangers' end. They've allowed ten shots to this point, so I'm sure the Rangers will have a lot to say in the third period. It will remain to be about discipline with the lead because the Rangers have shown they'll capitalize on mistakes. I've liked the Canes' game to this point. Let's bring it home and head back to New York with the lead. 

3rd Period

Scoring

(CAR) 13:01- Andrei Svechnikov (4) (assisted by Martin Necas (4) & Brett Pesce (2))

Thoughts

The third period for the Canes was a master class on how to defend a lead in the third period of an extremely important game. The defense showed some bend but didn't break whatsoever. Raanta only faced seven shots, yet it was the most he faced in any period tonight. The dagger in the Rangers' hearts tonight was a breakaway goal from Andrei Svechnikov with just under seven minutes left as he beat Shesterkin five-hole to put the Canes up two goals and that was all she wrote. The only real threat the Rangers had before pulling Shesterkin was a great pass from Trouba to Kreider that Raanta got a pad to right before they took the 3-1 lead. It was a pretty good way to end a game where the Canes were the better team for 60 minutes. They stay undefeated at home and now get the chance to finish it with their first possible road win in New York. 

Canes' Three Stars of the Game

Third Star- Martin Necas (Assist)

There's going to be a common thread for all three of my stars of the game tonight. All three needed to have good games after struggling to be consistent in this series. Starting with Necas, this was his most noticeable game in a while. He picked up his fourth assist on the Svechnikov goal and it felt like he was better with the puck tonight. It's only a matter of time before he gets a goal to bring things full circle.

Second Star- Vincent Trocheck (Goal)

Of my three stars, Trocheck has had the better postseason overall, but he hasn't been the same guy he was against Boston. He'd been held scoreless this series despite putting pucks on the net. His short-handed goal, the second of the series for the Canes, was a huge way to counter-balance a power play that had been struggling. Getting goals in different ways has been the key to success and tonight his goal got the ball rolling. 

First Star- Andrei Svechnikov (Goal)

No one needed a goal more than Svechnikov did, other than the Canes' power play maybe. His goal late in the third period helped me breathe a little easier given the way the Canes had been playing. He took his obligatory penalty early in the first, but he was solid from that point. He did a little bit of everything tonight, leading the team in shots with five, while also blocking two shots, and laying two hits. 

Final Thoughts

It feels almost like deja vu. I've seen this story already once this postseason. The Canes followed up two less-than-ideal results in New York with a solid 60-minute effort to earn a 3-2 series lead as the two teams head back north to play Game 6 on Saturday. That's where I'm hoping the similarities end. The Canes are now 7-0 at home and the eighth game could either be another Game 7 or Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. I know which one I'd prefer it to be, but I'm sure New York would like to be back in Raleigh on Monday night. Antti Raanta continues to be an absolute beast at home in the playoffs, moving to 6-0 and allowing one goal or less all but one time. It was an excellent game for the guys that had been quiet to this point while also making sure the Rangers' stars didn't get going at 5-on-5. They won the most important game of the series to this point. Now, it's time to get the job done on the road and break a losing streak that could force them to tempt fate again if they don't.