New York Rangers prepare for game two against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Garden
By Conor Power
After game one, the Carolina Hurricanes started to grow into the game after a sloppy start, but the New York Rangers were able to hold on to maintain their perfect record this postseason. They won game one, thanks to the red-hot powerplay and the brilliance of Igor Shesterkin. They'll be looking to win another game tonight before the series shifts south to Raleigh next week. New York knows they cannot afford to lose at the Garden.
Knowing that the Hurricanes will try and come at a more consistent rate tonight than they did in the first game, the Blueshirts have to continue their great defensive stand. Blocking shots and cutting off passing lanes is a must to beat this Carolina roster. Staying hot on the powerplay is also a requirement, but the Blueshirts know that Carolina can swarm and overwhelm them if they are not at their best.
Projected lineups
Carolina Hurricanes
Jake Guentzel - Sebastian Aho - Andrei Svechnikov Teuvo Teravainen - Jordan Staal - Seth Jarvis Jordan Martinook - Jack Drury - Martin Necas Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Stefan Noesen Jaccob Slavin - Brent Burns Brady Skjei - Anthony DeAngelo Dmitry Orlov - Jalen Chatfield Frederik Andersen Pyotr Kochetkov
New York Rangers
Chris Kreider - Mika Zibanejad - Jack Roslovic Artemi Panarin - Vincent Trocheck - Alexis Lafreniere Will Cuylle - Alex Wennberg - Kaapo Kakko Jimmy Vesey - Jonny Brodzinski - Barclay Goodrow Ryan Lindgren - Adam Fox K'Andre Miller - Braden Schneider Erik Gustafsson - Jacob Trouba Igor Shesterkin Jonathan Quick
Puck Drop
Tonight's game is a 7 p.m. puck drop that will start after the conclusion of the NHL draft lottery. New York will move into a dominant position with a win but will lose home-ice advantage should they fall tonight. New York needs to ensure it holds its advantage tonight. It'll be much more difficult when the Rangers go south to a more demanding market. Winning tonight means no pressure on the team for the games in Raleigh.