Nick Geddes
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Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got a Game 7.
The New York Rangers, once facing a 2-0 deficit in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Carolina Hurricanes, have battled back to tie things back up in the series. The Rangers continued their winning ways at home, defeating the Hurricanes, 5-2, at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.
To advance to its first Eastern Conference Final since 2015, New York will have to win on the road — something no team has done against Carolina in these playoffs. The Hurricanes are now 0-6 on the road and 7-0 inside PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. So far, betting on Carolina at home has been the move, but in a Game 7, all bets are off.
Game 6, however, was an opportunity for the Hurricanes to do away with the trends and punch their ticket to their first Eastern Conference Final since 2019. Igor Shesterkin had other plans, as he stopped 37 shots on Saturday night. The Hart Memorial and Vezina Trophy finalist has now allowed just four goals in three games at home this series.
Shesterkin found himself a contributor on the offensive end as well, becoming just the fifth goalie to record two assists in a playoff game in NHL history. Shesterkin’s first secondary assist came on Mika Zibanejad’s power play goal at 9:51 in the first period, which slipped through the five-hole of Antti Raanta to give New York a 2-0 lead.
The goal was Zibanejad’s seventh of the playoffs and 16th point, which is third most in the NHL and first among skaters not on the Oilers. Bottom-six center Filip Chytil, who came into Game 6 with just two goals, scored two more on the night, including a back-hander that was elevated enough over Raanta’s shoulder to give New York a 4-1 lead at 6:47 in the second.
Artemi Panarin would score his fourth goal of the playoffs in the third, another power play snipe to extend the Rangers’ lead.
Game 7 will take place Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN in Raleigh. The winner will face the Tampa Bay Lightning, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Tampa Bay last played this past Monday, sweeping the Florida Panthers, who won the Presidents’ Trophy after having the most points during the regular season.
Unless Vasilevsky goes on an epic bender while waiting for this series to end, the Lightning will stomp either one of these teams. Could be a good cup series, though.