The Caniacs were treated to late afternoon hockey in Raleigh on Saturday as they welcomed the New York Rangers to begin their final homestand of the regular season. The Carolina Hurricanes were winless on their recent four-game road trip, but salvaged a point against Washington in a 5-4 shootout loss on Thursday to clinch home ice for the first round.
William Carrier took the ice for the first time in over three months, last suiting up for a game on January 4th against Minnesota. He replaced Taylor Hall, who got the day off to rest. Shayne Gostisbehere also missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. A pair of Russian netminders squared off as Pyotr Kochetkov battled Igor Shesterkin for the second time this season.
In a must-win game for the Rangers, the visitors had a slight edge early, but that quickly changed with one turnover. Seth Jarvis knocked down a clearing attempt and set himself up for a 1-on-1 with Shesterkin, though he was stopped. From that point, the Canes took control, earning them the first goal. Jalen Chatfield's shot from the point went bar-down to put the Canes ahead nine minutes in.
The pressure kept coming in waves from all four lines late in the period. The captain nearly got one after a weird bounce and a beautiful touch pass from Jordan Martinook. The top line would get the Canes their second goal. Vincent Trocheck was stung by a shot, making him a step late to a battle against Jackson Blake. Sebastian Aho set up Jarvis in front of the net for his 32nd to make it 2-0.
The top line came out of the first intermission at the speed of light. Their hard work and battles won along the boards led to their third goal. Blake swooped around the net and buried a loose puck after all three forwards put together an insane shift. Opening up a three-goal lead, the Hurricanes were in complete control.
Artemi Panarin should've cut into the Canes' lead midway through the period. Alexis Lafreniere did a great job creating the chance, but Panarin rang the post with an open net. Seconds later, Carrier found Mark Jankowski from below the line for the snipe, making it 4-0. Will Cuylle scored with 16 seconds left to break the shutout, but the Canes maintained their large lead through two.
Jordan Staal extended the lead back to four goals early in the third period, going coast-to-coast, working past Braden Schneider, and sneaking a shot under Shesterkin's arm. The Rangers pushed it back down to three goals on their first power play of the game. JT Miller was left unmarked in the slot as he snapped the puck over Kochetkov's glove.
Things got very tense less than three minutes later as the lead fell to two goals. Adam Fox jumped into the play and finished a backhand before the sides skirmished. During the long stoppage, the Canes challenged the goal for goalie interference, but their challenge was unsuccessful. The Rangers went back onto the power play, only to be met by a textbook penalty kill.
The tension continued building until the Rangers pulled Shesterkin for the extra attacker with under four minutes left. Jordan Martinook made them regret the early pull by hitting the empty net to regain their three-goal lead. In a last-ditch effort, the Rangers pulled him again, allowing Logan Stankoven to end it for good. The Canes triumphed 7-3, eliminating the Rangers from postseason contention.
There is no denying that the Rangers eliminating the Hurricanes from the postseason in two of the last three years is more meaningful, but this felt pretty good. It's not just that they beat them to end their chances of playoff hockey, it's how they did it. Carolina dominated most of the game, outside of a decent stretch in the third, and scored a touchdown while doing it.
The tone was set by the top line. In just over 27 minutes of hockey, Sebastian Aho, Jackson Blake, and Seth Jarvis combined for two of the three goals and five assists. Jarvis already had a three-point game, assisting on the two goals he didn't score. They were winning every battle, finding every loose puck, and making the Rangers' defense look silly.
The third period was a little too close for comfort as the Rangers made their push. New York outshot Carolina 17-8 over the final 20 minutes, forcing Pyotr Kochetkov into action way more than he'd been during the first 40. This was Kochetkov's best game in a while, and while he allowed three goals, his performance in the third was more accustomed with what we're used to. It was a welcome sign.
Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes conclude their weekend back-to-back tomorrow night, welcoming the Toronto Maple Leafs for the final home game of the regular season. They'll finish their 82-game schedule in Canada with another back-to-back against a pair of playoff teams, facing Montreal on Wednesday and Ottawa on Thursday. After that, the new season begins.