2023-24 Regular Season, Game 11: Hurricanes at New York Rangers (Pregame)

The Hurricanes are on a winning streak. After back-to-back wins at home last week, the Canes traveled to Philadelphia on Monday night for the first division battle of the season. Stefan Noesen struck early, finishing a pass from Andrei Svechnikov with a beautiful move to open up Carter Hart's pads. The good start came to an abrupt halt in the final five minutes. Owen Tippett and Garnet Hathaway scored goals that Frederik Andersen likely wants back. The Canes thought they'd tied the game early in the second period on a goal by Jack Drury, but Noesen was deemed offside, so it was taken away. On the power play later in the period, the tying goal materialized as Michael Bunting drove one under the arm of Hart. Both Andersen and Hart were incredible in the third period, making excellent saves to keep it tied. Teuvo Teravainen wouldn't be denied in the final minutes, snapping a pass from Bunting off the post and in to give the Canes a late lead. Hart could not get to the bench late, allowing the Canes to melt the remaining time, earning a 3-2 lead to extend the winning streak to three games. 

The Opponent: New York Rangers (7-2-0, 14 Points- 1st in the Metropolitan Division)

The Rangers suffered a disappointing end to last season, getting knocked out in the 1st Round by the New Jersey Devils one year after making it to the conference finals. They brought in many depth players in the offseason, highlighted by former Jets captain Blake Wheeler and former Kings goalie Jonathan Quick to back up Igor Shesterkin. Their offseason has turned into an excellent start. After splitting their first four games, the Rangers have won five straight on the road while on a long Western road trip through Seattle and Western Canada. They outscored their opponents 17-7 on the trip, highlighted by their power play going 7-for-17. Their most recent win was on Monday night in Winnipeg. Artemi Panarin opened the scoring in the first period, and Chris Kreider scored on the power play in the third to tie the game, forcing overtime. Mika Zibanejad won in the final 30 seconds to complete the perfect trip. 

Last Season's Meetings- The Rangers won three of the four meetings, including both games in Raleigh. They didn't meet until early January at MSG. The Canes led the game 3-2 after two periods, but goals by Artemi Panarin, K'Andre Miller, and Filip Chytil helped the Rangers complete the comeback, winning 5-3 and snapping the Canes' 17-game point streak. In February, the Rangers made the trip to PNC Arena, and the Canes again held the lead through the halfway point in the second. Then, Panarin took over, scoring four goals in the final 22:11 to rout the Canes 6-3. The Canes finally got one back in New York in late March. New York led 1-0 after two periods before Jalen Chatfield tied it. Kaapo Kakko scored 31 seconds later to regain the lead, but Stefan Noesen answered 18 seconds later. Teuvo Teravainen netted the deciding goal with 2:33 left to ensure the win for Carolina. Two days later, the Rangers took the final game in Raleigh. Sebastian Aho scored in the first period, but goals in the final two periods by Panarin and Adam Fox helped gain another win for New York. 

Stories of the Night

1. Madison Square Garden: The Place of Nightmares

When the Hurricanes travel to MSG, it's always a dogfight. Playing on the road is tough, regardless of the location. Madison Square Garden is a different animal. I always get an uneasy feeling when I see it on the schedule because there's something about that place that makes me nervous for the Canes. Last season was a mixed bag. The Canes split at MSG in separate one-goal decisions. They lost all three meetings in the postseason the year prior. Today, the foreboding feeling has returned. 

2. A New Month Begins

As someone who loves the final two months of the calendar year, I'm more than aware that November has begun. This means we've completed the first month of the season. November is a light month to begin for the Hurricanes. They only play seven games in the first 21 days of the month. There are five multi-day breaks between games and only one back-to-back against Florida and Tampa Bay next weekend. Even better, after their back-to-back, they only play one road game for the rest of November. This should be a well-rested group by the time the every-other-day portion of the schedule begins. 

3. A Never-ending List of Stars

With the New York Rangers, there are plenty of players you have to worry about. Since joining the Rangers in 2016, no player has more points (29) against the Hurricanes than Mika Zibanejad. Artemi Panarin, who joined a few years later, is close behind in third (24). The top five in goals during that span include Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Panarin. This team has so much fun making our lives miserable as Caniacs. That doesn't even include former Norris winner Adam Fox or tonight's starting goalie and former Vezina winner Igor Shesterkin. This team has an embarrassment of riches all over the ice, making them a nightmare to play against.