The Canes can sweep the season series and put the Rangers out of their misery in one fell swoop.
The Canes played well in the first and third periods in Washington on Thursday. Unfortunately, the second was so shambolic that the Canes needed a 6th attacker goal to send it to overtime. And then they lost in the shootout. Again. If the goalie rotation holds, we’ll see Kochetkov today.
The Rangers staved off elimination on Thursday, thrashing the Islanders 9-2. But they’re 4-5-1 in their last 10 and barely over NHL .500 on the season with 81 points in 79 games. Artemi Panarin leads with 37 goals and is averaging 1.13 points per game. JT Miller is also averaging better than a point per game with 30 points in 29 games for the Rangers. Adam Fox leads with 51 assists. Why have the Rangers sunk so low in the standings? Chris Kreider has 21 goals, his lowest since the Covid shortened 2020-21. He’s always been a more goals than assists guy but he only has 5 assists. Mika Zibanejad has 18 goals. If he doesn’t get to 20, it will be the first time since 2016-17 that he hasn’t hit that mark. And Igor Shesterkin picked a bad year to have a bad year. He’s at 2.87/.905, the worst numbers of his career. Since winning the Vezina in 2021-22 his numbers have gotten worse every year. The Rangers are 12th in goals per game, 19th in goals against. Their PP is 27th, the PK is tied for 12th.
Black jerseys today. National TV on ABC.
The Canes played well in the first and third periods in Washington on Thursday. Unfortunately, the second was so shambolic that the Canes needed a 6th attacker goal to send it to overtime. And then they lost in the shootout. Again. If the goalie rotation holds, we’ll see Kochetkov today.
The Rangers staved off elimination on Thursday, thrashing the Islanders 9-2. But they’re 4-5-1 in their last 10 and barely over NHL .500 on the season with 81 points in 79 games. Artemi Panarin leads with 37 goals and is averaging 1.13 points per game. JT Miller is also averaging better than a point per game with 30 points in 29 games for the Rangers. Adam Fox leads with 51 assists. Why have the Rangers sunk so low in the standings? Chris Kreider has 21 goals, his lowest since the Covid shortened 2020-21. He’s always been a more goals than assists guy but he only has 5 assists. Mika Zibanejad has 18 goals. If he doesn’t get to 20, it will be the first time since 2016-17 that he hasn’t hit that mark. And Igor Shesterkin picked a bad year to have a bad year. He’s at 2.87/.905, the worst numbers of his career. Since winning the Vezina in 2021-22 his numbers have gotten worse every year. The Rangers are 12th in goals per game, 19th in goals against. Their PP is 27th, the PK is tied for 12th.
Black jerseys today. National TV on ABC.
