RALEIGH, N.C. — Of all the comebacks the Rangers have produced this season, this one showed the most character.
With 20 minutes left before defeat and heading back to the Garden for an uncertain Game 7, the Blueshirts were led by a hat trick from their longest-serving member, Chris Kreider. They flipped the script in a monumental third period. They defeated the Hurricanes 5-3 and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years.
Kreider’s three goals in the final 20 minutes — the first playoff hat trick of his career — stunned a Hurricanes team that had led for 51 minutes, 54 seconds into the 60-minute game.
There was a lot of talk about series momentum coming into this tournament after Carolina avoided elimination twice in the last five days.
Most people downplayed the game-to-game fluctuations, but the Canes were energized from the moment they scored their first power-play goal of the series (0-for-16 shooting) to save their season in Game 4. There is no denying that we have regained the. .
From there, the Hurricanes just got better and better. It’s as if the Rangers’ anxiety is directly fueling their budding confidence.
Carolina made adjustments and was working, but the Rangers were too far gone to allow a third whiff.
Barclay Goodrow scored an empty net goal from defensive end to secure the victory.
Martin Necas’ goal late in the first period put pressure on the Rangers, and the Canes gave up another point on a power play to Seth Jarvis less than five minutes into the middle.
The Rangers’ second line of Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière got off to a stronger start than the past two games, allowing the trio to play just under a minute on the team.
Trocheck put his stick on Panarin’s shot and suddenly it was a one-point lead, but Sebastian Aho sank the lead on a breakaway to put the Hurricanes up 3-1.
Kreider then pulled one home to keep his team competitive, making it a one-goal game with 13:17 left in regulation time.
The Rangers played a much tighter game than they have played recently, forcing the Hurricanes to get a little out of sync at times in the first frame.
But the only problem was that he couldn’t actually take a shot on goal.
Carolina limited the Rangers to 25 shot attempts in the first 20 minutes and only three shots on goal, two of which were by the defense.
This was the fewest shots on goal they have recorded during this postseason period.
After a Rangers push came up empty, the Hurricanes got a goal from Necas with less than a minute and a half left in the first frame.
