5 Things That Make 2022 Stickout for the New York Rangers
By Conor Power
Round 2
The only way to get better than a game 7 victory in round 1 has to be a round 2 victory in the same playoff run. After the Rangers’ tough battle with the Pittsburgh Penguins, they would find their next opponent to not be any easier. It was the team that pipped the Blueshirts to the Metropolitan Division title, as the Carolina Hurricanes and the epitome of playoff depth would be the next test for the Rangers.
This one doesn’t have the same ebbs and flows that the games against Pittsburgh did, In fact, this was a rather weird series because the Hurricanes had not seen a team win on the road in the postseason so far. They eliminated Boston in game 7 by winning all four of their home games, and they would have home ice against the Rangers. It would not be an easy task for New York to come out victorious against this vicious storm.
With the Rangers not having home ice, they would need to win against a team that had not lost at home in the postseason to this point, and it would not start well. Carolina would overcome a 1-0 lead late in game 1 to turn the game around and take the win in overtime. In game 2, the Rangers were shutout and the Canes would bring a 2-0 lead to Madison Square Garden. New York would need to make the Garden a fortress.
New York would do just that as they would hold Carolina to a goal in each of the two games at the Garden. They’d tally a total of seven across the two games to tie the series up at 2. Going back to PNC Arena and that booming building in Raleigh, the Rangers still needed to overcome this Canes team in their own building. It was becoming a larger and more difficult task. Chances to do it were running out.
Game 5 would not see that change as the Rangers were defeated 3-1 in Raleigh, and the Canes pushed the Rangers to the brink. A 3-2 series lead for the Hurricanes meant that they could eliminate the Rangers in New York. However, a 5-2 win for the Rangers would shatter that idea. It was another game seven and for this one, we’d go back to Raleigh.
New York’s powerplay would explode in game 7 as the Rangers routed the Hurricanes 6-2 and eliminated the Metropolitan Division winners, and the 3rd best team in the NHL as the Blueshirts went back to the Eastern Conference Finals in their first playoff appearance since the rebuild. It was the perfect way to announce that the New York Rangers were back to being a competitive roster.