The Carolina Hurricanes fell 4-3 to the New York Rangers after Rangers center and former Hurricane Vincent Trocheck ended the game in double overtime, capitalizing on a defensive flub to score in his fifth straight playoff game.
Carolina’s special team effort could only be described as a comedy of errors — the team went 0-5 on the power play and 5-7 on the penalty kill throughout the night.
Outside of the top line for the Hurricanes and the defenseman pairing of Brady Skjei and Tony DeAngelo, almost everyone else has been unnoticeable versus the Presidents’ Trophy-winning team.
Accumulating an assist on every goal in Game 2, center Sebastian Aho now has five assists in the first two games of the second round, a franchise record for assists in any postseason two-game span.
On the other end of those assists was center Jake Guentzel. Guentzel scored twice, once on a tip from an Aho shot from the blue line and another on a one-timer in the slot after Aho shielded the puck from a swarm of blue jerseys.
Right wing Andrei Svechnikov was once again a physical presence on the ice, getting into the heads of Rangers players with his usual antics. Notably, in the first period, Svechnikov tripped New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin while circling behind the net, sending him to the box and causing a scuffle along the boards.
In the next period, Svechnikov’s rough antics cut short a Canes’ power play opportunity right on the opening faceoff of the man advantage, the second time he has done so this series. However, Svechnikov wasn’t the only player committing needless penalties on the ice in Game 2.
After the whistle, Guentzel punched Rangers defenseman Adam Fox in the face, sending him to the box. Four different Canes players were called for tripping, including three instances in the third period while Skjei was called for an easily avoidable cross-checking penalty in double OT which led to the game-winning goal.
Giving the Rangers seven power play opportunities will only work against the Hurricanes, especially when their power play can’t get the puck to the middle of the ice. Through two games at Madison Square Garden, the Canes’ power play is 0-10 and the Rangers are 4-9.
Unlike Game 1, the Hurricanes didn’t have trouble getting pucks to the net — they recorded 57 shots on goal. Shesterkin was doing everything in the net to keep his streak of postseason games letting in three or fewer goals alive and the Canes had no answers. While Shesterkin looked unfazed by many of Carolina’s attempts, Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen seemed lost in his crease.
Through two games, Andersen has been thoroughly outmatched in net. Superb to start the playoffs, Andersen’s play has been slipping. Having trouble making routine stops and limiting rebounds, Andersen seems to lose all his poise when the puck gets close.
Coming back to Raleigh, head coach Rod Brind’Amour needs to make some changes if the Hurricanes are going to have a chance to win the series. The next two home games are must-wins — going down 3-0 or 3-1 means almost certain death in playoff hockey.
Not having seen game action since April 14, goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov needs to be in net to start Game 3. With home-ice advantage, it is time to turn to Kochetkov in net, who will need to shake off the rust early. The goaltender will be needed when things get heated between the two teams, as they already have.
Line changes made in the postseason have seemed more like a game of 52-card pickup than a systematic change to resolve offensive production issues. Center Martin Necas desperately needs to be on a line with guys who can keep up his game as he has been one of the only consistent O-zone entries on the team.
Against a quick forecheck and high-pressure defenseman, Brent Burns’ one-dimensional gameplay and speed have been exposed so far in this series. The power plays need a new quarterback on the first and second units as Burns and Skjei have struggled to facilitate the offense.
Game 3 is set for May 9 at PNC Arena in Raleigh with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m.
