Stormin’ into Round 2
After 3 comeback wins, Rangers set for ’Canes
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Hurricanes needed to finish the regular season strong to hold off the Rangers for the Metropolitan Division title. They are benefiting from that push as the teams meet in a second-round playoff series starting tonight.
The division title secured home-ice advantage through at least two playoff rounds. The Hurricanes needed every bit of that edge in grinding through a seven-game, first-round series against Boston, with all four victories coming in front of a rowdy home crowd.
“I guess I always wondered what does home ice really mean,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Well, I think it did mean something last series for sure, so I guess we’ll see.”
The Hurricanes finished with the NHL’s third-best record, but didn’t secure the division title until they beat the Rangers in their second-to-last game on April 26. That came after the Rangers surged to tie the Hurricanes atop the division.
“You had to just keep winning,” Brind’Amour said. “I think the whole Eastern Conference, really, the top eight teams pushed each other I think all year that way. New York being there at the end when they were battling for us, that helped us stay sharp, too.”
Carolina ended up taking three of the four regular-season meetings with the Rangers, who rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Penguins in a seven-game thriller.
“They outplayed us in at least three of those games for sure,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said of the regular season against Carolina. “It means nothing to me right now. We’re a confident team right now, we feel good about our team, we just beat a hell of a good Pittsburgh team.”
Igor Shesterkin is a finalist for both the Vezina Trophy for the league’s top goalie and Hart Trophy for most valuable player after a season in which he went 36-13-4 for the Rangers with a 2.07 goals-against average and .935 save percentage, both league bests.
He stopped 79 shots – the second-most in NHL history – in a triple-overtime Game 1 loss to
Pittsburgh, but he was torched for 10 goals over three periods in Games 3 and 4 before bouncing back to win the last three games with a 2.93 GAA and .917 save percentage.
“He really gives us a chance to win every game,” center Mika Zibanejad said. “He’s such a calm presence back there, just gives us the confidence to go get the next one.”
The Hurricanes’ roster is loaded with former Rangers.
Antti Raanta, who has taken over the crease with No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen sidelined by injury, played from 2015-17 with the Rangers. The list also includes defensemen Tony DeAngelo — who is tied with fellow blueliner Jaccob Slavin with a team-best eight playoff points — Brady Skjei and Brendan Smith, winger Jesper Fast and reserve forward Derek Stepan.
“I could care less who the opponent is,” DeAngelo said. “We’ve just got to worry about what we’re going to do here.”
The Rangers recorded 27 comeback victories during the regular season, only two behind Florida for the league lead. They added three against the Penguins, becoming the first team in NHL history to notch three straight comeback victories in a series when facing elimination.
In Games 5 and 6, they rallied from two-goal deficits in the second period. In Game 7, they trailed after two before tying it in the third and winning in overtime.
“The belief’s always there,” defenseman Jacob Trouba said.