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Hurricanes-Rangers Game 3: Carolina falls to New York, 3-1, in Game 3 of playoff series

Chip Alexander, Luke DeCock, Justin Pelletier
·7 min read

***LIVE UPDATES FOR THIS EVENT HAVE CONCLUDED. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST GAME NEWS AND ANALYSIS***

The Carolina Hurricanes go for their first road win of the playoffs at the New York Rangers in Game 3 of their second-round NHL playoff series Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden after posting a 2-0 win in Game 2 on Friday to go up 2-0 in the series.

Game 4 is Tuesday 7 p.m. The NHL has not yet set a time for a potential Game 5 at PNC Arena on Thursday.

The News & Observer’s Chip Alexander and Luke DeCock are at MSG and will have live observations from the scene, with Justin Pelletier chipping in from Raleigh.

How to watch

Sunday’s game — and the rest of the series — is available only on ESPN (Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan). Bally Sports South will broadcast a Hurricanes-focused post-game show featuring Abby Labar and Shane Willis. Mike Maniscalco and Willis have the call on the Hurricanes Radio Network (WCMC-99.9 in the Triangle).

Third period

Empty netter for NY: And that will just about do it. Tylor Motte into the empty net.

Canes pull the goalie: With 2:29 to play, Brind’Amour elects to pull Raanta for a sixth skater. And Kreider misses an empty net??

Big kill for New York: With now fewer than 5 minutes to play, the Canes PP remains atrocious, and the Rangers snag the momentum back now after killing that off. Canes now 9 for their past 92. Yeesh.

Big PP moment for Carolina: Tyler Motte knocks the stick out of the hands of Brett Pesce along the boards. He’s a key PK player for the Rangers, too. Big moment for the Canes.

Raanta with the big save: Antti Raanta with an explosive save on Kaapo Kakko. Keeps the Canes in the mix here with about 11 minutes to play in regulation.

Lines back to form for Rangers: Rangers back to their lines that they had been using before today, so “Kid Line” is back together, Vatrano with Kreider and Zibanejad, Copp with Strome and Panarin.

Shesterkin playing like ... Shesterkin: The Vezina Trophy finalist is playing like it tonight. He’s up to 40 saves on 41 shots as the Canes comintue to press here in the third. The Canes didn’t score on the PP to start the period, but seized all of the momentum and have carried most of the play through the first media timeout.

Smith streaking: During the intermission, a second assist was added on Nino Niederreiter’s goal and Brendan Smith now has a three-game point streak, tied for longest on the team this postseason.

Second period

Broken record: Stop us if you think that you’ve heard this one before: Hurricanes dominating five-on-five (scoring chances 26-12) but an opposing PPG is the difference. Rangers up 2-1 through two. Hurricanes get 93 seconds of power play on fresh ice to start the third.

Late penalty call to NY: The Rangers get unlucky as Alexis Lafreniere is whistled for a high stick after contacting Staal in the head. Canes to the PP for the final seconds of the second, and will have a PP for 1:34 to start the 3rd.

Rangers back to the PP: Carolina had the momentum, but... Svechnikov goes to the box for interference. Canes on the PK again. Hurricanes had been coming since the goal. Necas has been active. Then Svech goes for interference after running into Fox. First penalty since the Rangers’ PPG.

Jump in their step: Canes with some jump now. Putting more heat on Shesterkin. Svechnikov nearly stuffs one in on the wraparound. Almost had time to get that on his blade.

Lead cut in half: Nino Neiderreiter sneaks a backhand through Shesterkin to halve the lead. A little puck luck for the Canes, as Shesterkin would almost always have that. At 8:18, puck found a seam between the arm and body.

Big goal for New York: The Canes did a good job coming back from 1-0 down late in Game 1. If they’re going to come back, it’ll have to be from two goals this time. Chris Kreider with the goal, and the first two-goal lead for either team in the series NOT ties to an empty-netter.

Up and down action: Brendan Smith breaks up a four-on-one, going to the ice in front of Artemi Panarin, and then Max Domi at the other end hits Shesterkin with a shot that pops up and into the Rangers crease, but laid flat, and was swept away.

First period

Brief recap: Canes did some good things in the first — put 17 shots on net, won 14 of 21 draws, were solid 5 on 5. But Shesterkin is 17-17. Canes are 0-1 on the power play and 0-1 on the penalty kill.

Shot advantage: Canes through 1: Big pileup in front of Antti Raanta as the seconds tick down in the first period. Raanta made all the necessary stops, and through one period, the Rangers lead, 1-0. Shots are 18-13, 5v5 shot attempts 21-20, both favoring Carolina.

Shesterkin engaged early: Jesperi Kotkaniemi comes in fast on a line change and is set up by Andrei Svechnikov, but Shesterkin ove forward with a kind of body poke check to deny the chance.

First PP, first goal: The Rangers cash in at home, and grab the lead in the first period, the first first-period goal of the series. Zibanejad scores from the left circle on a pass from Panarin.

Rangers get a chance on the PP: The Rangers will get a chance with the extra skater after Brady Skjei was tangled up behind the net with Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers’ forward went down, the referee’s arm went up, and here we are.

Canes’ ‘D’ stifling early: It took the Rangers more than six minutes to register a shot on goal, and that was a weak backhander easily smothered by Antti Raanta.

First PP to the Hurricanes: Lindgren called for a crosscheck and the Canes got the first power play of the contest. The Canes were 5-for-40 on the power play in the playoffs to this point, and need to generate more on special teams. Update: No goal for the Canes on the PP. 5-for-41.

Good start for New York: As we mentioned in the pregame, the Rangers shuffled the lines, and that starting line had a great first shift against the Canes.

Pregame

The Rangers shuffle: Gerard Gallant said he would tweak his lines. And he’s done so. Starters for the Rangers include a line of Copp-Kakko and Vatrano, one player from each of the lines that were together in Carolina.

Lineup consistent: Pregame lines in warmups looked the same as they did in Game 2, with Teravainen-Aho-Jarvis, Svechnikov-Trocheck-Necas, Niederreiter-Staal-Fast and Domi-Kotkaniemi-Lorentz up front and the normal back end pairings on the blue line.

Presence of Great One-ness: According to the Rangers, celebrities at the game include Wayne Gretzky (as a fan, not a Turner broadcaster), “Stranger Things” actor David Harbour and punting legend Sean Landeta.

Morning update

No changes to the Hurricanes’ lineup, although Frederik Andersen made the trip with the team to New York. He has yet to join the team for a full practice and Rod Brind’Amour said again he will have no update on Andersen until the goalie reaches that point.

“I don’t have anything to tell you,” Brind’Amour said. “Nothing to say. I’d love to say he’s practicing and he’s right there, but he’s not there yet.”

Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said he plans to ice the same lineup, but will shuffle his lines again after doing that late in Game 2.

Jean Hebert and Chris Rooney are the referees. Hebert worked Game 6 of the first-round series against the Boston Bruins. Jonny Murray and Ryan Gibbons are the linesmen for the second straight game.

Goals aside, the Hurricanes’ third defensive pairing has already done what’s expected

Pregame reading