NEW YORK – The Rangers are not making it easy for themselves. Evgeny Kuznetsov’s rebound goal at 6:39 of the third period was part of a four-goal explosion in the fourth quarter.
Carolina’s 4-1 victory sent this second-round series back to Raleigh for Game 6 on Thursday.
Jacob Trouba’s second-period goal was the only goal in the first 40 evenly played minutes and the Rangers killed off an early Carolina power play in the third period to put the series’ finish line in sight.
But Carolina captain Jordan Staal made a move around Braden Schneider and then another around Igor Shesterkin to tie the game 3:33 into the third.
On the eventual winner, Brady Skjei unleashed a great shot that Shesterkin deflected. But Kuznetsov outrebounded Artemi Panarin for his second goal in as many games to give Carolina the lead.
Jordan Martinook added another at 9:56 and the Canes stunned the Garden crowd, hoping to return here for what would be an improbable Game 7 on Saturday.
Down 1-0 and on the brink of elimination, the Hurricanes scored three unanswered in the third period 🔥
🚨 3:33 – Jordan Staal
🚨 6:39 – Evgeny Kuznetsov
🚨 9:56 – Jordan Martinook🎥 @Sportsnetpic.twitter.com/iNL5DadIoq
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) May 14, 2024
The cane plumbers play again
It wasn’t the big-name kids from Carolina, but a group of wily old veterans who helped the Canes stay alive. Staal, playing in his 141st career playoff game, made the play on Carolina’s first goal, driving the net for a nice move around Shesterkin when his Hurricanes had been going side-to-side and looking for space most of the time. part of the night.
And Kuznetsov, firmly entrenched as the fourth-line center this postseason, scored another big goal as he did to open the scoring in Game 4. It’s no coincidence that Staal and Kuznetsov are the only two Canes players with Stanley Cup rings.
Martinook, who scored a big goal in Carolina’s comeback victory over the Islanders in Game 2, then sealed it.
Jacob Trouba recovers
Trouba had what could generously be described as a difficult Game 4 when he had a hand in all four of Carolina’s goals and was caught wandering in the neutral zone before Sebastian Aho’s goal made it 3-1 late in the first period on Saturday.
But the Rangers didn’t make him captain before last season for nothing. In a Game 5 that required more strength in the defensive zone than offensive style, Trouba was much more stable. He even found time to land a big open-ice hit in the first period, taking down Jack Drury to the roars of the Garden crowd.
But the real roars came in the second, with Carolina’s first power play of the game. He blocked a shot from Aho at the top of the right circle, dodged it around Aho after the Canes center slipped, and began a two-on-one with Barclay Goodrow. Brady Skjei played the pass and Seth Jarvis ran back, but Trouba still managed a low shot that went under Andersen’s right pad for the Rangers’ second shorthanded goal of the series and fourth in nine games of the series. playoffs.
It was also just the second goal by a Rangers defenseman in the postseason, and both were shorthanded, with K’Andre Miller shorting in Game 2 against the Caps.
Lazarus: Game 4 thriller plants seeds of hope in Hurricanes and seeds of doubt in Rangers
A rare collapse
The Rangers were 34-3-2 when leading after two periods of the regular season. But strange things happen under the pressure of the playoffs, especially when the opponent faces elimination.
The Rangers had done a lot of good things to frustrate Carolina through 40 minutes, including 21-shot blocks and making sure they had a forward covering the weak side every time the Canes threw a puck at Shesterkin. That’s a staple of Carolina’s offense.
But the one time the Canes beat the Rangers with a weak-side rebound it cost them. Panarin had no position on Kuznetsov and the game turned upside down.
Returning to Raleigh for Thursday’s Game 6 means, of course, a potentially bigger collapse.
special teams
The Rangers’ goal was the only special teams score of Game 5 and seemed to bode well, as Carolina’s power play fell to 1 for 20 in the series. But it was the Rangers’ 3-0 night on the power play that also stood out: The Rangers had five shots on Freddie Andersen in their three chances, but nothing dangerous.
With some special teams’ momentum on the PK in the last two games, Carolina might be starting to feel a little good. That may offset any power play failures Carolina has had so far.
There was some good news Monday morning: Filip Chytil returned to the ice with his teammates at the Rangers’ morning skate. He skated without restrictions after missing Game 4 with what the Rangers called an illness, but he stayed on the ice at the team’s practice facility for extra work, essentially ruling him out for Game 5.
It was still encouraging given Chytil’s concussion history and concerns that his return to action in Game 3 may have led to some late symptoms that emerged the next morning.
Jonny Brodzinski got the majority of the morning reps with Jimmy Vesey and Goodrow in the spot Brodzinski played in Game 4, but it was fan favorite Matt Rempe who got the call on Monday, drawing cheers from the Garden crowd every time he stepped on the ice. Which, as expected, was rare, but Rempe performed well again in the fifth game.
Blake Wheeler also took off his red no-contact sweater for the first time as a full participant on Monday morning.
“Everyone was there to practice,” Peter Laviolette said. “That’s a positive thing.”
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