The Rangers knew before the match that in order to advance into the top four of the competition, they had to break the 100% home balance of the Hurricanes in this playoff. That’s why they flew into the match and after eight minutes they led 2: 0 in the PNC Arena. Adam Fox, the defender, scored the first goal of the away team in the 4th minute, and Kreider managed a two-goal lead for the New Yorkers at 08:00.
With 36 minutes played, the home side managed to get a 1 – 0 lead as Antti Raanta flipped the ball in after a cross from the right. Substitute Pjotr Kočetkov didn’t even have time to warm up and he was already hunting the puck out of his goal. Ryan Strome beat him after 42 seconds and increased to 3: 0 for the guests.
The home team did not even have the beginning of the third part. Kreider passed the defense in the 44th minute and with his 60th goal of the season practically decided the Rangers’ progress. The Hurricanes hockey players, who could not find a recipe for the great catcher Igor Šestorkin in the first two thirds, first prevailed in the 49th minute, when Anthony DeAngelo reduced to 1: 4.
Instead of the final onslaught and the effort to break the match, however, there was a mistake in the defensive zone, after which Chytil appeared in front of Kočetkov himself, who returned the four-goal lead to the Rangers with a shot between the legs of the Russian goalkeeper.
In the end, the home team reduced Max Domi, but the guests had the last word. Andrew Copp sealed the Rangers’ shot with an empty goal in 57:08.
| 2. kolo play off NHL: |
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| Eastern Conference – Match 7: |
| Carolina – New York Rangers 2:6 (0:2, 0:1, 2:3) |
| Goals: 49. DeAngelo, 57. Domi – 8. and 44. Kreider, 4. Fox, 37. Strome, 49. Chytil, 58. Copp. Shots on goal: 39:31. Attendance: 18,922. Match Stars: 1. Sixties, 2. Kreider, 3. Zibanejad (all NY Rangers). Final state of the series 3: 4. |
