Rangers defeat Hurricanes in OT
Rangers 3 Hurricanes 2
RALEIGH, N.C. — Artemi Panarin redirected a pass between his legs at the crease to beat Pyotr Kochetkov just 1:43 into overtime and the New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the second-round playoff series.
Panarin scored after Carolina defenseman Dmitry Orlov lost control of a puck in the corner in the defensive zone. Vincent Trocheck collected it on the right side and sent it toward the crease to Panarin, who tipped the puck behind him as defenseman Jalen Chatfield tried to push him away from the crease.
The puck slipped under the right elbow and past the ribs of Kochetkov, sending Panarin into celebration and the Rangers soon joining him near the door toward the tunnel off the ice.
The Rangers can complete the sweep in Game 4 here Saturday night.
“I think Orlov, the puck bounced off his stick,” Trocheck said. “And then I just saw a little bit of daylight, saw Bread crashing the net, and it was a great tip by him.”
The Rangers, who are 7-0 in the postseason after sweeping Washington in Round 1, can complete the sweep in Game 4 here Saturday night.
Chris Kreider scored a shorthanded goal in the second period on a tying rush up the ice, while Alexis LaFreniere also scored in the third period for New York to take a 2-1 lead.
The Rangers were on the verge of a regulation win when Svechnikov gave Carolina another shot.
That play started when Brady Skjei fired a shot from outside that sent the puck bouncing off the stick of Sebastian Aho — breaking Aho’s stick — near the right post.
But the puck came back out into the slot, and Svechnikov was able to zip the puck past a diving Adam Fox and over the shoulder of Igor Shesterkin (45 saves) to tie it at 2.
Jake Guentzel had a first-period goal for Carolina, while the 24-year-old Kochetkov had 22 saves in taking over the net from Frederik Andersen after the veteran had started the first seven playoff games.
STARS 5, AVALANCHE 3
DALLAS — Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen scored two power-play goals, Roope Hintz had a goal and three assists and Dallas beat Colorado in Game 2 to even the second-round Western Conference series.
Tyler Seguin got his first goal this postseason on a shorthander at the end of a 3-on-1 breakaway for the Stars that put them up 4-0 late in the second period. Esa Lindell added an empty-netter with 20 seconds left.
Jake Oettinger had 28 saves against a Colorado team that led the NHL in scoring during the regular season and had averaged an NHL-high 5.33 goals in its first six games this postseason.
Joel Kiviranta, Andrew Cogliano and Brandon Duhaime scored in the third period for the Avalanche, who failed to score on a power play in the final three minutes that turned briefly into a 6-on-4 after goalie Alexander Georgiev skated to the bench.
Hintz, whose only previous point this postseason had been an empty-net goal in Game 4 of the opening series against Vegas, put Dallas up 2-0 less than two minutes into the second period.
That came after the Avalanche had failed to score on a power play that carried over from the end of the first period, when Oettinger had a couple of impressive saves in the closing seconds.
It also was soon after Miles Wood, who scored in overtime for Colorado in Game 1, had a shot blocked by Oettinger and the Stars took the puck the other way. Hintz was to the left of Alexander Georgiev when he got a cross-ice pass from Nils Lundkvist.
Dallas led 3-0 with four minutes left in the second period when captain Jamie Benn and Hintz had assists as Heiskanen scored on a shot that went off the stick of former Stars center Cogliano.
Georgiev stopped 26 shots. Game 3 is Saturday night in Denver.