Vincent Trocheck scored a power-play goal 7:24 into double overtime as the host New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Tuesday night in Game 2 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.
New York took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and improved to 6-0 in the postseason.
Less than a minute after Trocheck drew a cross-checking penalty on Carolina defenseman Brady Skjei in the offensive zone, the former Hurricanes forward won the four-plus-hour marathon by going to the crease and redirecting a cross-ice pass from Mika Zibanejad past goaltender Frederik Andersen.
“On the goal, I couldn’t tell you what happened, it went in,” Trocheck said after netting his fifth marker of the playoffs. “Typically those games, whenever they go into overtime, double overtime, anybody can win those games.”
Alexis Lafreniere scored twice for the Rangers, and Chris Kreider scored the game-tying goal on a power play 6:07 into the third. New York’s Artemi Panarin collected three assists, and Trocheck had two points.
Carolina’s Jake Guentzel scored twice for his eighth career multi-goal playoff game, three of which have come against the Rangers. Dmitry Orlov also tallied for the Hurricanes, while Sebastian Aho matched a playoff career high with three assists.
“We’re right there,” Guentzel said. “It’s a small margin for error in the playoffs. We got to buckle down on the power play and find a way to get one there.”
New York goalie Igor Shesterkin made 54 saves, including seven on Aho.
“Obviously Shesty (Shesterkin) played outstanding, and he kept us in the game multiple times,” Trocheck said. “He was outstanding. … Whenever he’s on like that, it’s tough to beat him and it’s tough to beat our team whenever he’s making saves like he was tonight.”
Andersen made 35 saves.
The Rangers went ahead with 9:07 left in the first period following a miscue in the corner by Andersen, who lost the puck to New York center Alex Wennberg. After K’Andre Miller had his shot blocked, Lafreniere gained possession in the left circle and lifted a shot over Andersen’s left arm.
The Rangers held the lead until Guentzel deflected a point shot by Aho over Shesterkin’s pad with 4:53 left in the first. Carolina took a 2-1 lead with six seconds left in the period during a four-on-four when Orlov tipped in a shot from the point by Skjei.
New York tied it with 12:28 left in the second after withstanding an early Carolina barrage. Panarin made a drop pass to Adam Fox, Fox cut to the left circle and Lafreniere sent the cross-ice pass into the net.
Shortly after a neutral-zone turnover, the Hurricanes got the puck deep into their offensive zone, and Guentzel snapped a 2-2 tie at 18:18 of the second. He got between the circles and sent a one-timer past Shesterkin while his left knee hit the ice.
Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday in Raleigh, N.C.
Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said, “There’s double overtime with a lot of chances to end the game. It’s been a good series. They’re a good team. We’re a good team. We’ll find a way to get it done at home.
“It was a hard-fought game obviously. It’s going to sting, but we got to find it … at home and we’ll move on from there.”
–Field Level Media
