The New York Rangers traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina and defeated the Hurricanes 4–3 in a hard fought battle that was decided by a shootout. The Rangers and Hurricanes are placed seventh and eighth in the Eastern Conference standings respectively meaning this was a very important matchup.
In a game that could have ended with the Hurricanes defeating the Blueshirts 3–2, Wojtek Wolski scored a huge goal with only a 1:50 left to play in regulation.
And in the shootout it was Wolski who got the only goal. He beat Cam Ward with a hard wrist shot high glove side.
Initially the Rangers came out of the gates fast, scoring the first goal of the game just two minutes in, but they couldn’t hold on to the lead as the momentum shifted to the Canes.
The Rangers played a hard fought second period against a team that on some days is as young as they come.
The youth of the Rangers showed throughout the game in a good and bad way. There were several opportunities where they missed passes, fanned on shots, and gave away the puck in the neutral zone. On the other hand, their youth kept them in it, giving them a spurt of energy when needed.
The Rangers second leading scorer Marian Gaborik was not in the squad and will more than likely not play against Washington. He suffered a concussion on Sunday when the Rangers lost to first place Philadelphia.
In the game against Philadelphia, the Rangers had no power play chances. They got their power play chances against Carolina and were able to capitalize on a 5-on-3 when Ryan Callahan scored with a deflection on a shot from Mats Zucarrello. That gave the Blueshirts a 2–1 lead at the end of two periods.
Off course All-Star goalkeeping was a huge factor in this close game. Both Cam Ward and Henrik Lundqvist showed off their athletic skills stopping several quality scoring chances for both sides.
The play of Carolina’s Jussi Jokinen cannot go unmentioned as he was the difference maker for the Hurricanes, scoring two goals in the third period giving the home team their first lead of the night.
But with the Wolski heroics, the Rangers maintained their position in the standings and put some distance between themselves (four points) ahead of the Hurricanes.
It was unorthodox but with this victory the Rangers now have a 21–0 record when leading after two periods.
Next up for the Rangers is a trip to Washington on Friday as the battle to secure a playoff spot continues.
In a game that could have ended with the Hurricanes defeating the Blueshirts 3–2, Wojtek Wolski scored a huge goal with only a 1:50 left to play in regulation.
And in the shootout it was Wolski who got the only goal. He beat Cam Ward with a hard wrist shot high glove side.
Initially the Rangers came out of the gates fast, scoring the first goal of the game just two minutes in, but they couldn’t hold on to the lead as the momentum shifted to the Canes.
The Rangers played a hard fought second period against a team that on some days is as young as they come.
The youth of the Rangers showed throughout the game in a good and bad way. There were several opportunities where they missed passes, fanned on shots, and gave away the puck in the neutral zone. On the other hand, their youth kept them in it, giving them a spurt of energy when needed.
The Rangers second leading scorer Marian Gaborik was not in the squad and will more than likely not play against Washington. He suffered a concussion on Sunday when the Rangers lost to first place Philadelphia.
In the game against Philadelphia, the Rangers had no power play chances. They got their power play chances against Carolina and were able to capitalize on a 5-on-3 when Ryan Callahan scored with a deflection on a shot from Mats Zucarrello. That gave the Blueshirts a 2–1 lead at the end of two periods.
Off course All-Star goalkeeping was a huge factor in this close game. Both Cam Ward and Henrik Lundqvist showed off their athletic skills stopping several quality scoring chances for both sides.
The play of Carolina’s Jussi Jokinen cannot go unmentioned as he was the difference maker for the Hurricanes, scoring two goals in the third period giving the home team their first lead of the night.
But with the Wolski heroics, the Rangers maintained their position in the standings and put some distance between themselves (four points) ahead of the Hurricanes.
It was unorthodox but with this victory the Rangers now have a 21–0 record when leading after two periods.
Next up for the Rangers is a trip to Washington on Friday as the battle to secure a playoff spot continues.
