2022-23 Regular Season, Game 70: Hurricanes (46-15-8) v. New York Rangers

The Hurricanes and Rangers met on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, hence why I'm not rolling out the full format for tonight's game. The Rangers entered the game with a seven-game point streak and hadn't allowed a goal in the last two games, scoring 15 unanswered goals. The Hurricanes pulled a rabbit out of a hat in their last game, scoring with 0.3 seconds left to force overtime before Sebastian Aho finished his hat trick in overtime. The game with the Rangers marked the beginning of a tough five-game stretch for the Canes. After two bad decisions against New York, the Canes really needed this one. It took a while for the first goal but it would be the Rangers striking first with Tyler Motte finding the back of the net with 3:00 left in the first. Frederik Andersen and Igor Shesterkin battled it out in the second period and after 40 minutes, the Rangers' lead remained 1-0. After a quiet second, the goals started to roll in during the third. Jalen Chatfield broke the shutout streak with a perfectly placed shot over the shoulder of Shesterkin to tie it. The tie didn't last long as Kaapo Kakko scored 31 seconds later to restore the Rangers' lead. That also didn't stand for long as Stefan Noesen broke his goalless drought 18 seconds after the Kakko goal to tie it 2-2. We'd have to wait a little longer for the next goal but it would come from the Canes as Teuvo Teravainen redirected a pass from Brent Burns into the back of the net with 2:33 left to give the Canes their first lead. The last-ditch effort from the Rangers would fall short as Andersen made a huge save before time expired to earn the Canes the 3-2 victory and their 99th and 100th points of the season. The Hurricanes preserved their lead in the division and kept some distance between them and the Rangers. It also sets up tonight's meeting in Raleigh, the fourth and final of the season between the division rivals. It's also big because the Canes can clinch a playoff spot tonight with a win, an OT/SO loss paired with either a Panthers loss of any kind or a Penguins regulation loss, or a regulation loss and a Panthers regulation loss. 

Projected Lines/Pairs

Seth Jarvis-Sebastian Aho-Martin Necas

Jordan Martinook-Jesperi Kotkaniemi-Teuvo Teravainen

Stefan Noesen-Jordan Staal-Jesper Fast

Jesse Puljujarvi-Derek Stepan-Jack Drury

Jaccob Slavin-Brent Burns

Brady Skjei-Brett Pesce

Shayne Gostisbehere-Jalen Chatfield

Frederik Andersen

Pyotr Kochetkov

Injuries/Scratches- Paul Stastny (healthy), Calvin de Haan (healthy), Dylan Coghlan (healthy),

Antti Raanta (lower-body injury; day-to-day)

IR- Andrei Svechnikov (Torn ACL), Max Pacioretty (Achilles), Ondrej Kase (concussion)

There are absolutely no changes to the Canes' lineup tonight. The same group will go again against the Rangers, including Frederik Andersen. He made 29 stops on Tuesday's win. There are a few milestones for the Canes tonight. Jordan Staal will play in his 730th game with the Hurricanes, the second-most since relocation. He now trails his brother for first. Jordan Martinook will play in his 300th game with the Hurricanes. Jalen Chatfield will also be playing in his 100th NHL game tonight. 

New York's Starting Goalie: Igor Shesterkin (32-12-7, 2.58 GAA, .913 SV%)- Just like the Canes, the Rangers will be sending out the same goalie from Tuesday night. Shesterkin had his win streak snapped by the Canes in Tuesday's loss. He was still very good, stopping 36 shots. 

New York Player to Watch: Filip Chytil- New York's Kid line with Chyil, Lafreniere, and Kakko has been one of their most effective against the Canes. I'm choosing to focus on the first name because of how well he's played against Carolina in his short career. He has seven points in 15 games in the regular season and scored four goals in last season's second-round meeting. Chytil is having a career season, cracking 20 goals and on the verge of 40 points. He's a major piece of this team moving forward. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

(CAR) 16:47- Sebastian Aho (31) (assisted by Martin Necas (38))

2nd Period

(NYR) 10:33- Artemi Panarin (24) (assisted by Mika Zibanejad (41) & Vladimir Tarasenko (28))

3rd Period

(NYR) 4:01- Adam Fox (11) (assisted by Artemi Panarin (58) & Mika Zibanejad (42))

Let's Talk About the Game

The effort was there tonight from the Canes and they probably should've one it but they didn't. It stings more because it's the Rangers because, as I've stated in the past, I hate the Rangers with a burning passion. Their fanbase is obnoxious and I hate them. Nevertheless, the Canes might've lost the game but they clinched a playoff spot thanks to the Toronto Maple Leafs, their opponent on Saturday night. Toronto demolished Florida 6-2 to ensure the Canes would be dancing for the fifth straight season. Nothing looked like it changed between Tuesday night and tonight for the Canes. The difference in the game tonight was the Rangers' stars made an impact. Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad each had two points. Adam Fox decided to break his goalless drought. Igor Shesterkin stole the win for the Rangers. The Canes came out flying. They were throwing the kitchen sink at Shesterkin and the Rangers goalie had an answer for everything. It looked like the Rangers were going to get something when Jack Drury and Jordan Staal were called for penalties close together to give the Rangers an extended 5-on-3. The penalty kill gave no inches and killed the penalty off. A few minutes later, Sebastian Aho would beat Shesterkin with a wire shot that beat him clean under his glove to give the Canes a late lead in the first, where it would stand after 20 minutes. 

After the Aho goal, Shesterkin was locked in. If he could see it, Shesterkin was going to stop it. The difference in this game was a save he made a little before the halfway point of the second period. The Canes got in on a 2-on-1 and after Derek Stepan made a beautiful pass to set up a one-timer for Jesse Puljujarvi, Shesterkin went into a full split and got his outstretched blocker on the shot to deny Puljujarvi his first point as a Hurricane. Shortly after that, the Rangers found their answer as Panarin buried a one-timer after a legal pick took Aho out of the play and Zibanejad slid a perfect pass over as Andersen had no chance on the shot. The Canes had their chances in the second period to get back ahead but Shesterkin continued to stop everything as the period ended tied at one. The Rangers didn't wait long to get their first lead of the night as Fox jumped into the play and sniped one over the shoulder of Andersen. From there, the Rangers prevented the Canes from setting anything up. Andersen did everything he could to keep the deficit at one goal, making a few huge stops down the stretch but it wouldn't be enough as the Rangers earned the win on the back of 29 saves from Shesterkin. 

Obviously, you want to win the game that you clinch the playoffs in. That wasn't the case for the Canes tonight. Still, you take everything you can get. As has been the case in the previous three meetings, the team that wins the third period is going to win the game. Tonight, the Rangers scored the only goal of the third and they won the game. The penalty kill continued to look amazing but the power play has continued its streak of lackluster play. The Canes gave the Rangers so few chances to score, yet they were able to capitalize on them more than the Canes were able to. Andersen played well tonight and I can't put either goal on him. Winning both games against the Rangers would've been ideal but I can't be mad about a split, especially when the two games were as good as these. The focus shifts now from making the playoff, which we all knew was going to happen, to securing the division. The Canes' lead remains two points over the Devils with just one game in hand after tonight. By the end of the weekend, the Canes will still hold a game in hand and they really need to find ways to earn points during this tough back-to-back. 

Canes' Three Stars of the Game

Third Star- Jesse Puljujarvi (3 Shots)

The offense hasn't quite come for Puljujarvi in his brief stint with the Canes but he has found ways to be impactful on the game. He was inches away from putting the Canes up 2-0 had it not been for the blocker of Shesterkin. His line was good all night with he and Drury leading the forwards with three shots each. Puljujarvi is going to get one and the building is going to explode. 

Second Star- Frederik Andersen (14 Shots)

The final statline for Andersen isn't going to tell the entire story. Stopping 14 of 16 shots doesn't leave you with a great save percentage for the night but he made some huge saves at critical times. He made some big stops on Panarin, robs Lafreniere on a partial breakaway, and closed his pads on a puck after Trocheck hit the post. He played two very good games against the Rangers this week and should carry this play into the weekend. 

First Star- Shayne Gostisbehere (4 Shots, 2 Hits, 2 Blocks)

Without finding the scoresheet, Gostisbehere had his fingerprints all over this game. He and Burns finished the night with a team-leading four shots, put his body in the line with a few blocks, and threw his weight around with a few hits. His biggest play of the night was one he made from his stomach as he got his stick around the break up a 2-on-1. Even if the points aren't pouring in, he's been an excellent addition to the defense. 

What's Next for the Canes

The "Homestand from Hell" continues into the weekend with a back-to-back beginning on Saturday night with the Toronto Maple Leafs coming to town for the second meeting in nine days. As I mentioned earlier, the Leafs helped the Canes clinch a playoff spot tonight with a 6-2 win over the Panthers. Auston Matthews scored twice, Mitch Marner scored in his fourth straight game, and John Tavares added three assists as Matt Murray made 33 saves in the win. They'll then have to refocus for Sunday night's tilt with the Boston Bruins, who are well on their way to winning the President's Trophy. Boston will also be in action on Saturday with the Tampa Bay Lightning in town. The homestand will end next Tuesday with the Lightning visiting Raleigh. While not an exact science, if the Canes can win two of those three games, they should be in a good position heading into April. 

What's Next for the Teams in the Playoff Hunt

New Jersey (98 Points, 2 Points back of the Canes with one fewer game left to play)- The Devils have been off since their overtime loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. They'll begin a back-to-back tomorrow in Buffalo before hosting Ottawa on Saturday. 

New York (R) (94 Points, 3rd in the Metro, and will likely play whoever doesn't win the division)- The Rangers have a beneficial schedule with a little time in between games. They play in Sunrise on Saturday, then will have two days off before hosting Columbus on Tuesday. A big game to watch will be their meeting with New Jersey next Thursday. 

New York (I) (82 Points, 1st Wild Card, and the Canes' opponent if the postseason began today)- The Islanders have also been off for the last two days after beating down Toronto 7-2 on Tuesday. They have a Friday-Saturday back-to-back, traveling to Columbus tomorrow before hosting Buffalo on Saturday. 

Pittsburgh (80 Points, 2nd Wild Card, 2 Points back of the 1st Wild Card)- The Penguins are currently tied 1-1 with Dallas after the second period. With a win, they'll pull even with the Islanders. They have a similar schedule to the Rangers, hosting Washington on Saturday before not playing again until Tuesday in Detroit. 

Florida (79 Points, 1 Point out of the Wild Card)- After tonight's big loss to Toronto, the Panthers were unable to get back into a playoff spot. They'll host the Rangers on Saturday before starting a Canadian road trip, playing in Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal over four nights.