3 key factors for Hurricanes-Rangers Game 7
The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers are set to battle in a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday night in Raleigh, with a berth in the Eastern Conference Final on the line.
Both teams have been here before, surviving nail-biting first-round series that went the distance. The Hurricanes eliminated the Boston Bruins, while the Rangers ousted the Pittsburgh Penguins. The victor on Monday will meet the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning, who've been resting for a week after sweeping the Florida Panthers.
Anything can happen in a Game 7, but to tee up the final game of the second round, here are three factors to watch for as the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division fight to extend their seasons.
Canes' Jekyll & Hyde act
Carolina's postseason has been baffling. The Hurricanes are a perfect 7-0 at home but are the first team in NHL history to start the playoffs 0-6 on the road.
The Hurricanes' splits between PNC Arena and opposing rinks this spring - which, to be fair, have been hostile environments in TD Garden and Madison Square Garden - are jarring through 13 games.
| Home | Stat. | Away |
|---|---|---|
| 3.57 | Goals per game | 1.67 |
| 1.14 | Goals against per game | 4.33 |
| 19.2% | Power play | 4.2% |
| 89.5% | Penalty kill | 67.9% |
Carolina won 25 road games during the regular season, tied for the most in the league. It's hard to understand what's gone wrong during the playoffs, but it's safe to assume Rod Brind'Amour's crew is glad they earned home-ice advantage with their season at stake.
Goaltending battle
The Rangers have to be content relying on Igor Shesterkin to come through in a must-win game. On paper, plotting the Vezina Trophy favorite up against Antti Raanta is a clear advantage for New York. Raanta enters the biggest game of the season on the heels of a horrific Game 6, where he was yanked after allowing three goals - two of which were easily stoppable.
Shesterkin, meanwhile, dominated the contest. Beyond making 37 saves, the Rangers netminder also registered two assists and even logged a minor penalty for interference. It was clear from the get-go he was eager to make his mark on the game, and if that carries over to Game 7, the Hurricanes face a difficult task to advance.
Raanta's start went so poorly that many fans and pundits questioned whether the injured Frederik Andersen would be available for an emergency start on Monday, but Brind'Amour already confirmed Raanta will get the nod.
Rangers' resilience
The Rangers weren't expected to be on the cusp of a conference final this soon in their rebuild, but here we are.
With Shesterkin leading the charge, New York has undeniably come up clutch when facing adversity this postseason. The Rangers have already played four elimination games combined against the Penguins and Hurricanes and are a perfect 4-0 while outscoring their opponents 19-11.
Whether it's luck, voodoo, or resilience, the Rangers have some sort of mojo this postseason that's made them a difficult out. Can they make it last another game, though?
Despite this series being tied 3-3, the Hurricanes have largely been in control of the underlying stats. In 313 even-strength minutes this series, Carolina owns 54.73% of shots, 57.81% of scoring chances, and 56.62% of expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Those numbers would indicate the Hurricanes are in the driver's seat to move on, but the playoffs are won on the ice, not the stat sheet.