Rangers surrender lead late in third, drop Game 1 to Hurricanes in overtime
Ian Cole #28 of the Carolina Hurricanes scores at 3:12 of overtime against Igor Shesterkin #31 of the Rangers in Game One of the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on May 18, 2022 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Credit: Getty Images
RALEIGH, N.C. — Sometimes, there can be two truths.
For instance, the Rangers’ 2-1 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of their second-round series on Wednesday night at PNC Arena suggested they can match — or even play better than — the Metropolitan Division champions.
However, it’s also true the fast-skating Hurricanes can beat the Rangers when they play at what coach Gerard Gallant considered their absolute best.
“I was really happy with our game,” Gallant said. “They put a big push on in the third period, the first 10 minutes, and we weathered that storm.
“But the first two periods was perfect hockey for us. We didn’t spend a lot of time in our zone. We got pucks out. We had real good offensive chances, didn’t capitalize on all of them. But I thought it was our best game of the year.”
It was an unlikely hero who won it for Carolina. Defenseman Ian Cole scored the winner through traffic off defenseman Ryan Lindgren’s stick at 3:12 of the extra period after Sebastian Aho finally scored the equalizer on a backhander near the crease at 17:37 of the third period.
Cole entered with one goal in 103 career playoff games. His last playoff goal came in 2016 with Pittsburgh.
The Hurricanes took seven shots in the opening 4:50 of the final period and the Rangers didn’t get their first shot until 11:19.
Game 2 is Friday night.
“We would like to score more goals,” Mika Zibanejad said. “But, at the same time, I thought we controlled the play. We did a lot of good things. If we get those chances again, I’m sure we’ll score a couple more.”
Igor Shesterkin made 24 saves after stopping the sparse, 14 shots he faced in the first two periods behind a structurally sound defensive effort. The Rangers, particularly through the first two periods, kept most of the Hurricanes’ chances to the outside. More importantly, they kept the puck up ice.
“We know they’re a good forechecking team,” Zibanejad said. “Part of that defending was not defending much. Making the little plays. Getting the pucks out, getting the pucks in. We wanted the win. But we get a chance again on Friday to try and get the split and go home.”
Antti Raanta made 27 saves, including some spectacular ones from in tight to keep the Hurricanes within one goal. That included stretching to get his toe on Filip Chytil’s chance at the right post off Kaapo Kakko’s feed from the slot at 14:44 of the first period.
“We had good chances, we hit a couple of posts. He made some good saves,” said Chytil, who scored in the first period and whose Kid Line with Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere was the Rangers’ best trio. “I think we have to make a little more traffic in front of him and score these goals.”
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Game 1 for the Rangers is the need to do more with any lead they get after often playing from behind in their seven-game, first-round series win over the Penguins. The Hurricanes play a faster, more dangerous game.
The Rangers entered the series a perceived underdog despite finishing second in the Metropolitan with 110 points, just six behind the Hurricanes.
That’s likely to be a rallying point for the Rangers after they rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the Penguins with a come-from-behind, 4-3, overtime win in Sunday’s Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers also overcame two-goal deficits in both Game 5 and 6 and lost that Game 1, 4-3, in triple overtime.
“I don’t pay no attention to that,” Gallant said. “I’m sure the players look at it and say ‘well we’re the underdogs again. I think it’s good. I think it’s good for the group.”
The Rangers nearly survived the Hurricanes’ third-period push and Shesterkin preserved the 1-0 lead by squeezing his pads to rob Teuvo Teravainen from in tight at 2:05. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour shuffled his lines in the third period to place Teravainen with Aho.
Kakko lost a chance to make it 2-0 when he missed a wide open net from a sharp angle with just over six minutes to go. That came back to haunt the Rangers.
After the Rangers chased the puck through a couple of sluggish opening minutes to the game, they quickly established control through the first period.
Chytil made it 1-0 at 7:07 from just inside the right circle. Lafreniere created the play, intercepting ex-Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo’s neutral-zone pass and starting a transition rush before finding Chytil open.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
