The only reason the Rangers’ upcoming second-round matchup with the Hurricanes draws attention as a rematch of the 2022 matchup is because of the similarities in the roster.
Otherwise, the two years that have passed will result in a much different matchup.
There’s no comparison to the Blueshirts’ seven-game win from two seasons ago. This victory unfolded under different circumstances and resulted in the club advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015.
during a seven-game series between both teams. Robert Sabo, New York Post
This time, we are sure to see a postseason spectacle between the Metropolitan Division powerhouses.
The tug of war for conference supremacy is expected to continue between the two clubs for years to come.
Contrary to how some people rate this series, there are actually no underdogs.
“I think they’ve been the standard in this division the last few years,” captain Jacob Trouba said of the Hurricanes after the Rangers returned to practice Wednesday after a two-day break. “They had a great season this year. Coming into this year, you want to pass this team, you want to get ahead of them in the standings. That’s no different in the playoffs.
“They’ve been a consistently good team over the years. I think we’ve gotten better over the years. It’s going to be a great series.”
Although the core of each team features the same members, both clubs have undergone unique changes since meeting in the playoffs.
The Rangers have a new coach named Peter Laviolette.
Vincent Trocheck has switched teams, leaving the Canes as a free agent after the 2021-22 season and signing with New York.
Carolina acquired big-time players Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov at this year’s trade deadline.
What hasn’t changed is the Hurricanes’ style of play and the challenges they present.
That hasn’t changed since the last time the Rangers faced each other in the playoffs.
“I remember playing really good hockey the first two games,” Ryan Lindgren said. “We didn’t win, but we came home and won the next two games. It was just a back-and-forth series. In Game 7, obviously we played really well and were able to move on. But it was a really good team. [in Carolina]. We are a really good team and both guys are playing well right now. I think it will be a really good series. ”
Torba added: I remember it being a very moving series. speed. Obviously, there are highs and lows. I went back and forth many times. It was a great series until the end. ”
Director Laviolette said there will be no Rangers film from the 2022 series.
If anything, the focus this regular season seems to be on the games between the two teams.
The Rangers won two of three games, but the Canes held a 7-4 advantage in points thanks to a 6-1 loss in early January.
“I can say I thought we played really well after three games,” said Laviolette, who won his only Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 when current coach Rod Brind’Amour was captain. said. . “The first game, I liked the way we played. That’s how I played.” [previous] Takeaway: You need to make sure you’re playing the games you want to play. We know it will be faster and more competitive.What I think when we are [our] When you see them at their best, that’s when they’re at their best. They’re attacking, they’re checking the front line, they’re pressing, pressing, pressing.
“We’ve got to be ready for that. We’ve got to be ready from a speed standpoint, a competition standpoint. In the second game that we saw, we felt like we got caught up a little bit. That’s what we did. I don’t think it was one of the better games. Game 3 for me was a real gut effort and gut win.
“The game was pretty, pretty close. Pretty close to the best. But this is different, it’s the playoffs now. It’s a different animal, so we have to get ready for Game 1.”
