Hurricanes score four in third, stay alive with win over Rangers
NEW YORK — Jordan Staal and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored 3:06 apart in the third period, and the Carolina Hurricanes got four goals in the final period for a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the second-round NHL playoff series on Monday night, staving off elimination for the second straight game.
Jordan Martinook and Martin Necas also scored in the Hurricanes’ big third period, and Frederik Andersen — starting for the fourth time in five games in this series and ninth time in 10 games in the post-season — had 20 saves.
Jacob Trouba scored a shorthanded goal and Igor Shesterkin stopped 24 shots for New York, which has lost two straight after taking a 3-0 series lead.
Game 6 is Thursday night in Raleigh, N.C.
The Hurricanes won despite going 0-for-3 on the power play to fall to 1-for-20 in this series while giving up a short-handed goal for the second time.
Staal tied it 1-1 at 3:33 as he got a pass from Dmitry Orlov, skated around one Rangers defender in the left circle, came in on Shesterkin and beat him with a backhanded shot that went around the leg of the sprawled goalie. It was Orlov’s first goal of the playoffs.
Kuznetsov then gave the Hurricanes the lead as he knocked in the rebound of Brady Skjei’s shot from the right side for his fourth of the post-season.
Martinook made it 3-1 just before the midpoint of the period. Necas sent a centring pass from the end boards, and the puck went off Jack Drury’s stick to Martinook, and he quickly sent a shot that beat Shesterkin.
The Rangers pulled Shesterkin for an extra skater with 3:44 to go, but Necas sent a long shot that went into the empty net 15 seconds later.
• In Colorado, the Dallas Stars beat the Avalanche 5-1 to take a 3-1 lead in that series.
Wyatt Johnston led the way with two goals and an assist. The series returns to Dallas on Wednesday.