Oh boy. Are there are lot of storylines for this Game Seven between the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes or what? A must-win seventh game between two teams that won seventh games in the first round. A must-win seventh game between two teams that haven’t lost a home game in this series. A must-win seventh game in a series that has featured schizophrenic performances from both teams. A seventh game between two teams separated by only two wins in the regular season.
There is no one on this planet who has any idea which team will show up for this game on either side. The last two games were one-sided affairs with the Hurricanes dominating Game Five while winning 3-1. The Rangers matched that effort in Game Six, winning 5-2, the biggest offensive output of the series for either team.
The Hurricanes have a chance to become the first team in NHL history to win seven consecutive Game Seven’s. Meanwhile, the Rangers are four for four in elimination games this postseason with no other playoff team playing more than two elimination games. The Lightning and Oilers have both won two win-or-go-home games, second to the Blueshirts’ four.
In the Rangers’ favor
You can sum up the biggest advantage going into this game in one word. Igor. The Rangers’ all world netminder has been getting better with every game and you know that he will need to be ready to steal Game Seven.
Though Shesterkin has lost all three games in Raleigh, it’s more from a lack of Rangers’ scoring than the Hurricanes’ offense. In three games he has allowed six goals on 81 shots for a Save Percentage (Sv%) of .926 with a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 2.02.
That pales in comparison to his numbers at Madison Square Garden in this series where he is 3-0 with a .965 SV% and 1.34 GAA. In seven home games Shesterkin has a .949 SV% and a 2.04 GAA.
Also in the Rangers’ favor is the play of two of their elite players, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox. With 16 points each, they have more points in the playoffs than anybody not named McDavid or Draisaitl. Zibanejad in particular has been a clutch player in big games, with four goals and eight points in four elimination games.
Fox has very quietly been piling up points while averaging 26:54 minutes per game, the most ice time of any player still skating. Fox and Zibanejad have both been responsible for the revival of the Rangers’ power play.
A lot has been written about the Rangers’ Kids Line and the team has to hope that those young players continue to disregard the pressures of the playoffs and continue with their superlative play. They’ve been the spark the Blueshirts have needed.
Hurricanes question marks
Just as goaltending is a strength for the Rangers, it’s a question mark for the Hurricanes. Antti Raanta finally showed some vulnerability in allowing three stoppable goals in Game Six and the question is how he will respond to that.
The Hurricanes also have shown a lack of discipline whether it be Tony DeAngelo’s chirping, Max Domi’s agitating or Steven Lorentz’s ill advised fisticuffs. With the pressure of a seventh game, will these players be able to maintain their cool?
Special teams are important. The Rangers have to hope that the Hurricanes’ power play remains dormant. They are 1-14 this series, a pathetic 7% success rate. Meanwhile, their penalty kill has allowed five goals in 18 chances, a 73% kill rate.
We will also find out how important that hometown crowd is. Both arenas have been very loud and the players have given full credit to their fans for spurring them on. We shall see how much it matters in a crucial Game Seven.
The biggest question
The biggest question remains, which team will show up for the Rangers and the Hurricanes in Game Seven. We won’t know until the game start, but there are absolutely no excuses.
Projected starting lineups
The lineups will be the same as in Game Six.
NEW YORK RANGERS
20 Kreider – 93 Zibanejad – 77 Vatrano
10 Panarin – 16 Strome – 18 Copp
13 Lafreniere -72 Chytil – 24 Kakko
64 Motte – 21 Goodow – 75 Reaves
55 Lindgren – 23 Fox
79 Miller – 8 Trouba
61 Braun – 54 Schneider
31 Shesterkin
40 Georgiev
CAROLINA HURRICANES
86 Teuvo Teravainen- 20 Sebastian Aho – 24 Seth Jarvis
37 Andrei Svechnikov – 16 Vincent Trocheck – 88 Martin Necas
21 Nino Niederreiter – 11 Jordan Staal – 71 Jesper Fast
48 Jordan Martinook – 82 Jesperi Kotkaniemi – 13 Max Domi
74 Jaccob Slavin – 77 Tony DeAngelo
76 Brady Skjei – 22 Brett Pesce
7 Brendan Smith – 28 Ian Cole
32 Antti Raanta
52 Pyotr Kochetkov
How to watch and the live conversation
Game time is 8pm EST and the telecast will be on ESPN with the livestream available on ESPN+. As always, the MSG Network will provide full pre and post game coverage starting at 7:30pm EST and as soon as the game ends.
Blue Line Station’s live conversation is a give now. Please join in as watch the Rangers beat the road jinx and get back to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2015.