New York Rangers make a statement in a 5-2 win in Carolina

My three stars of the game

1. Mika Zibanejad just keeps going. He has seven points in his last two games.  He leads the NHL in scoring since the All-Star Break with 20 points.  He led the way by scoring the first goal of the game, crucial in a game like this.
2. Igor Shesterkin kept the Rangers in the game when they were most vulnerable in the first period. His series of  saves during the Hurricanes’ first power play was spectacular.
3. In his own way, Adam Fox keeps getting better and better.  He deserves a star because he was targeted by the Hurricanes for some heavy hits. He and Ryan Lindgren led all blueline pairings in ice time and they were very effective in keeping the Sebastian Aho line off the scoresheet until late in the third period.

The official three stars

1. Mika Zibanejad
2. Artemi Panarin
3. Jaccob Slavin

What’s next

It’s a quick turnaround for the Blueshirts as they return home to face the San Jose Sharks.  It’s a winnable game against an injury-ridden team and could draw the Blueshirts to within two points of a playoff spot.

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