Rangers 4, Hurricanes 2

The Rangers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes today by the score of 4-2. For a box score, click here.

It took the Rangers a full period and a half to wake up but once they did, they grabbed control and never looked back.

I get that it was a one o’clock game and it took the Rangers quite a bit of time to find their legs, but they were incredibly lucky that they got out of that first period with a lead after they were outshot 15-3, but thanks to Stepan’s backhander that just trickled over the goal line after a review that was flipped in the Rangers’ favor and the 1-0 lead.

Hank had to be good again early on with the Rangers still meandering, but Lundqvist still seems to be fighting it a little bit, simply missing the puck with his glove hand on Carolina’s first goal and was late to react to Rask’s shot on Carolina’s second goal, although a high screen by Kreider may have been the cause of that. If that was the case, Kreider would more than make up for it later.

The defense was a mess early on, although it did get better as the game progressed. McDonagh had a second period to forget. Klein looked a bit more engaged following his healthy scratch Thursday. I thought Girardi played a decent game and that was before his shot that pinballed between Stepan and Kreider in front for the game winner. On Carolina’s opening goal, Girardi correctly played against the cross ice pass, so no issues with that from me. Staal might have been the best defenseman on the ice today, but AV has to get him away from Holden somehow. 

As a team, the Rangers have had incredible puck luck this season and that’s reflected more so on a micro level, with the lone exception of Chris Kreider. who has gotten a some additional defensive responsibilities this season. Kreider’s game winner and insurance goal a bit later on was well deserved and hopefully gets him off the mat going forward.

At one point in the game, Stepan had 4 of the Rangers first 7 shots. Also exactly halfway through the game, the shots were 25-5 in favor of Carolina. The Rangers had two late power plays in the second period which generated nothing, but gave them some momentum heading into the third, which the Rangers controlled.

Somebody get the ice bath ready for JT Miller. Has anybody blocked more shots than him lately?

Worth noting that Carolina defensemen Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin had a 5:01 shift early in the second period. In which the Rangers got off just one shot.

The Rangers have a couple days off before hitting the road all next week. Their next game is a quick jump across the East River to play the Islanders on Tuesday.

(Photo credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)