RALEIGH, N.C. – Something special is happening with these Rangers.
It could be argued that they were dominated in back-to-back games by the Carolina Hurricanes, who consistently applied pressure and won penalty shootout battles by wide margins. But the Blueshirts win where it counts – on the scoreboard – with a 3-2 overtime victory Thursday in Game 3 at PNC Arena, giving them a 3-0 hold in this second-round series.
It was New York’s second straight victory, with Alexis Lafrenière scoring the go-ahead goal with 13:35 left in the third period and Artemi Panarin ending the game in overtime. Canes forward Andrei Svechnikov equalized between those two goals, threatening to deflate the Rangers with 1:36 left in regulation, but they responded with the determination that has become an undeniable trait of this year’s team.
“They’re a resilient group, and they’ve been in situations like this before,” said head coach Peter Laviolette. “The message (before overtime) was that we were doing the right things. ‘We’re going to finish this because of what we’ve been through and the way we’re playing the game right now.'”
The decisive goal came 1:43 into overtime, Panarin redirecting a pass from Vincent Trocheck for his fourth goal of the playoffs, each of which was scored as a game-winner.
Suddenly, any talk of last season’s playoff disappointment and inability to make it this time of year was silenced.
“I’m so happy,” Panarin said, smiling but still stunned. “It was a lot of emotion. I can’t really explain it to you. I don’t really understand what happened. I need 10 more minutes.”
Clutch efforts and a memorable comeback
Those efforts helped the Rangers set a franchise record with seven straight playoff victories, matching the high mark of their last championship 30 years ago. It also handed the Canes their fifth loss in their last 20 home playoff games.
New York accomplished this feat thanks to outstanding special teams, outstanding goaltending from Igor Shesterkin and timely goals from their stars – the same recipe that propelled them to the Presidents’ Trophy during the regular season.
“I think it’s just a process for us,” said Chris Kreider, who scored his fourth playoff goal in the second period. “It’s something our coaching staff has preached from day one of camp. The mentality, the way we approach the game, the competitive nature of our practices. You guys (the media) are there every days. You see our little mini games that we play. I think that’s something that has kind of kept us building over the course of the year.
To this occasion was added the long-awaited return of Filip Chytil.
The 24-year-old’s return after more than a six-month absence due to concussion-related complications on November 2 is a feel-good story in itself, but it’s Rangers’ collective determination that place on the edge of the abyss. their second appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in the last three years.
They will have the chance to close out the series here on Saturday, with Game 4 puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m.
“This team is amazing, and you can see right now in the playoffs how we play,” said Chytil, who finished with five shot attempts, two hits and a takedown in 12:02 on the ice. “Everyone is together. Everyone is blocking shots, hitting people, going to the dirty zones, and that’s what we need to win games. I just have to work hard every day now to be even better and help even more.”
Filip Chytil:Forward returns for Game 3, more than six months after initial injury
Weather the storm
It was no surprise to see the desperate Hurricanes come out with a strong push and dominate possession in the first half.
They outshot the Rangers 47-25, including a 17-7 advantage in the first 20 minutes while taking a 1-0 lead on Jake Guentzel’s third goal in the final two games. This one happened the same way as his first tally in Game 2, with Carolina’s prized addition at the trade deadline lurking around the net and tipping in a pass from Shesterkin.
“We knew we were going to have to deal with their heat in the first period,” Laviolette said. “We took a few penalties that were ours to take – a few that we just shouldn’t take. And so, that fuels them too. But from the first half, I thought we were getting better every minute of the match. “.
The Canes continued to pepper Shesterkin, living up to their reputation as one of the highest-volume teams in the NHL, but quantity often lacked quality. They were credited with just four high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five in two periods, according to Natural Stat Trick, with the Blueshirts goaltending swallowing up all of their long-range attempts while limiting rebound opportunities.
He finished with 45 saves, two days after making 54 in Game 2’s double overtime victory.
“You have to take out some shots from the outside, and then you have to look at the shots that are actually quality scoring chances,” Laviolette said. “And our guys, after the first period, I thought we did a really good job of playing better defense. A little better in the neutral zone, better in defensive zone coverage, and I thought we actually started to generate offense.”
More shine PK
More time at 5-on-5 likely would have benefited Carolina, but a choppy third game turned into another penalty fest, with a total of 15 called Thursday. This benefited the Rangers, as it has throughout the first few weeks of these playoffs.
New York’s streak of scoring at least one power play goal in five straight games ended, but the penalty made up for it. Mika Zibanejad sparked the tying goal on a second-period PK with a takedown and quick move to start a two-on-one run, ending the impressive streak by feeding Kreider for the finish to make it 1-1 at 8:30. brand.
“A lot of times a lot of it is due to good batting from (K’Andre Miller) or Mika,” Kreider said. “They both have incredible hockey instincts, incredible range, and I just try to skate fast.”
The assist tied Zibanejad for the most points (12) in franchise history through seven playoff games while giving the Rangers their third shorthanded goal in the playoffs.
They went 5-for-5 on the PK for a third straight game and killed 23 in a row overall. Their overall success rate in these playoffs is 93.8% (30 of 32), as they continue to dominate the ever-important special teams battle.
But they were also able to come through when they needed to, with equal strength. Lafrenière scored on the run to temporarily give them the lead in the third period, his third goal in the last two games.
The 22-year-old forward added an assist to Panarin’s game-winning goal, giving him nine points (three goals and six assists) in seven playoff games.
“(Former Ranger) Ulf Samuelson told our team a while ago that you don’t raise your game in the playoffs; you rely on your habits – and he has incredible habits for a young guy,” Kreider said of Lafreniere. “The way he presents himself on the ice. The way he works on his craft. He just wants to get better. He wants to make an impact. He wants to win. He’s an incredible player, and we’re fortunate to to see her. “
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Learn more about his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
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