2024-25 Regular Season, Game 33 Preview: Hurricanes at New York Rangers

The Carolina Hurricanes were on the wrong side of a 3-1 decision against the Washington Capitals on Friday night. They didn't play a bad game, but the Capitals' timely goals and stops put the Canes in a tough spot. In the final minute of the first period, Aliaksei Protas redirected Andrew Maniapane's shot past Pyotr Kochetkov to steal the lead going into the first intermission. Kochetkov and Charlie Lindgren traded incredible stops midway through the second period, though Lindgren's windmill stop earned all the headlines after the game. Jakub Vrana extended the lead with less than four minutes left in the middle frame, allowing Washington to breathe a little. Connor McMichael pretty much put the game away with his team-leading 16th goal in the final minute of the second. Seth Jarvis broke the shutout bid midway through the third, but that's all they'd get. Lindgren and the Capitals earned two big points to put space between them and the Canes. 

The Opponent: New York Rangers (16-15-1, 33 Points- 6th in the Metropolitan Division)

Last Meeting: The Rangers were in Raleigh the night before Thanksgiving for the first meeting since their playoff series in May. Jack Drury opened the scoring early in the first period, beating Igor Shesterkin from a tough angle near the goal line. Late in the frame, Jonny Brodzinski snapped a shot from the slot to tie it. On the power play early in the second, Seth Jarvis was on the receiving end of a perfect Martin Necas pass, scoring on the backdoor to restore the lead. The Rangers would take the lead before the end of the period. Brett Berard beat Spencer Martin on a 2-on-1 to score his first NHL goal. Then, Reilly Smith won a race to the puck before setting up Adam Edstrom to take the lead with 1:11 remaining. In the third period, the Canes would make their comeback. Jesperi Kotkaniemi surprised Shesterkin with his wrap chance, drawing even by the halfway point. The second power-play unit would provide the winner, scoring their first goal of the season. Jackson Blake would get the goal, snapping one alone in the slot to beat the former Vezina winner. The Canes held on, earning the 4-3 victory.

Since We Last Met: Their loss in Raleigh marked their fourth straight in a streak that would end at five games, but it was just the beginning of the turmoil for New York. They're 4-7-0 since visiting Raleigh and have just four wins in their last 15 games. They have already started trading players, sending captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim and former second pick Kaapo Kakko to Seattle within the last two weeks. Their offense has dried up, scoring just over two goals per game since Thanksgiving. Igor Shesterkin has been doing his best to keep the team afloat, allowing two goals or fewer in six of his last eight starts, including 41 saves on Friday night in the team's 3-1 victory against the Dallas Stars. Artemi Panarin remains the team's leader in goals (15) and points (37), while Will Cuylle and Chris Kreider are the only other players in double digits with 11 each. We'll also be awaiting the length of Matt Rempe's suspension after being ejected for boarding and elbowing Miro Heiskanen in the back of the head on Friday. 

Stories of the Night

1. How Will Each Team Handle Their Back-to-Back?

Both the Hurricanes and the Rangers will be playing the first half of a back-to-back on Sunday afternoon, begging the question of how they'll handle their goalies. Neither of their Monday night opponents are playing on Sunday, Nashville for the Canes and the Devils for New York. Rod Brind'Amour has shown his willingness to play the same goalie in back-to-back games, but I don't suspect he'll be doing it this time. I'd anticipate Pyotr Kochetkov and Igor Shesterkin to square off on Sunday before each team turns to their backup on Monday. This is a big game for both teams, so they'll try to put their best foot forward. 

2. Calling Martin Necas

While he remains in the Top 10 in assists and points, Martin Necas has hit a lull over the last four games, contributing just one assist. He remains on Eric Staal's pace to become just the second 100-point scorer in Hurricanes history, but he needs to find a way to be impactful again. Necas has been targeted by every opponent over the last few weeks, and it is starting to look like years past. Madison Square Garden hasn't been a place where the Hurricanes "find" much of anything, though now would be as good a time as ever for Necas to find his touch.