Canes fall to Rangers in Game 7
Posted May 30, 2022 9:12 p.m. EDT
Updated June 1, 2022 6:52 a.m. EDT
Anything can happen in a Game 7.
For the first time, the Carolina Hurricanes learned that includes losing.
The Canes fell 6-2 to the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday night at PNC Arena.
The Canes had been 7-0 in Game 7s since moving to North Carolina. That was until running into the Rangers and goalie Igor Shesterkin.
The Canes advanced through the first round with a Game 7 win over the Boston Bruins. They tried to follow the same path -- winning at home to make up for losing on the road -- against the Rangers.
That didn't work.
The Rangers scored a pair of power-play goals in the first period to take control of the game. Adam Fox scored at 3:40 in the first period for New York.
After an unfortunate sequence, which saw rookie Seth Jarvis take a hard hit and struggle to get to the bench, the Canes were down 2-0 after a second power-play goal from the Rangers.
Jacob Trouba checked Jarvis hard near the right circle in the Canes’ zone. Jarvis couldn’t get to his feet to get to the bench and has not returned since. The Canes were called for a penalty for too many men on the ice.
The Rangers quickly turned that into a 2-0 lead with a goal from Chris Kreider at 8:00.
The Canes had won their first seven home games in the playoffs this season. They won their first Game 7 in the first round, 3-2 win over Boston, but couldn't keep up their home streak.
Shesterkin showed why he is one of the finalists for the league’s MVP award with 36 saves. The Canes started 0 for 3 on the power play and were unable to put a dent in Shesterkin’s armor until Tony DeAngelo's goal at 8:11 in the third period.
Carolina goalie Antti Raanta struggled in the Game 6 loss in New York and gave up the first-period goals before injuring his groin stretching for a save in the second period.
Rookie Pyotr Kochetkov relieved Raanta, after the injury, and gave up a goal to Ryan Strome at 16:19 in the second period.
After DeAngelo's goal cut New York's lead to 4-1, Filip Chytil got a goal right back for New York.
