Hurricanes 4 – Rangers 1 | Calm as an essence

Ultimately, it’s hockey that wins.

It was quite disconcerting to think that a sweep was looming between two teams that finished first and third overall. Not that the Carolina Hurricanes played badly, but everything seemed to be smiling for the New York Rangers at the start of the series.

The brooms are now back in the cupboard. After narrowly winning the fourth game, the Hurricanes posted a much more convincing 4-1 victory on Monday, setting up a sixth matchup on Thursday in Raleigh.

Another high-quality game took place on the ice at Madison Square Garden. Superb defensive actions, dynamic attacks, alert goalkeepers. Let us insist: hockey has already won this series.

If the Hurricanes aren’t already on vacation, it’s because they’ve returned to what they do best: keeping calm.

In the second and third games, they flooded the net defended by Igor Shesterkin with shots. A glance at the dangerous scoring chances, however, confirmed that quantity was largely favored over quality. During the last two games, Rod Brind’Amour’s men found their means and managed to distance themselves from their opponent.

Monday, it didn’t happen from the start. The Rangers, galvanized by the idea of ​​ending the series in front of their fans, had the upper hand in the first period and even gave themselves a 1-0 lead in the second.

However, the visitors, we insist, were patient. Despite the urgency of the moment, we stayed the course, even if the chances did not turn into goals. Failing to score, we did a careful job in the defensive zone.

Then, in the last third, everything came together. Captain Jordan Staal equalized with a sublime individual effort. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored what would become the winning goal following a counter-attack made possible by a critical save from goalkeeper Frederik Andersen. And a scramble from Jacob Trouba behind his net led to Jordan Martinook’s insurance goal. End of programs.

Through this demonstration, the Hurricanes regained their signature. During the season, both clubs certainly finished very close in the overall standings, but the fact is that the former Hartford Whalers had a much better campaign at five on five.

In terms of goals scored and allowed, the Rangers only finished with a differential of +1; the Hurricanes were rather at +23, despite the setbacks of their goalkeepers in the first half of the schedule. The Canes were also among the best in puck possession and scoring chances. The New Yorkers, on the other hand, relied more on their goaltenders and special teams to be successful.

After exploding with four goals in the first two games of this series, the Rangers’ power play has just been shut out three times in a row, including Monday.

The Hurricanes’ five-man offense isn’t doing any better, but when the special teams are silent, it’s safe to assume that the better five-on-five team will prevail. In this case, these are the players in red and white.

Andersen almost perfect

We rarely make a big deal about the performance of a goalie who only received 21 shots, but let’s talk about Frederik Andersen, who had one of his best games of the playoffs so far.

In his career, the veteran has a strange record in the playoffs. In 2015, with the Anaheim Ducks, he came within one victory of the Stanley Cup Final. Then, in five seasons in the Toronto Maple Leafs uniform, from 2016 to 2021, he never passed the first round.

In Raleigh, since 2021, a mix of injuries and collective collapses – last season, for example – has limited its number of playoff starts. So at 34 years old, and while young Pyotr Kochetkov is emerging as the organization’s goalkeeper of the future, Andersen may be given his last chance to take his team to the end.

Against the New York Islanders, and again against the Rangers, he was sometimes extraordinary, sometimes ordinary. He even skipped his turn last week. Monday, however, was almost perfect.

A rapid elimination of the Hurricanes in the second round could have had an effect on the near future of Frederik Andersen, but also on that of the entire squad, coach included: Rod Brind’Amour and 11 regular skaters will in fact be without a contract on the 1st^er next July.

The team therefore needed its goalkeeper, and the goalkeeper, his team. All these beautiful people kept their calm, preserved their essence, in short. And there will be a sixth match.

We repeat it every year: history is not on the side of the clubs which find themselves behind 0-3. However, more than anyone, the Carolina Hurricanes have the right to remain hopeful. If there’s a club that can do the unthinkable, it’s him.

Especially if he stays true to himself.