With a chance to clinch a playoff berth with a victory in Carolina Thursday night, the Rangers instead let a third-period lead slip away en-route to a 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes. It was the first time the Rangers had been defeated by the Hurricanes in their last ten head-to-head meetings.
“I’m disappointed,” said goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who made 24 saves Thursday. “This is a game we should win. We played really well in the second (period) and set ourselves up for a strong finish here in the third, but a couple of mistakes cost us.”
The Rangers carried a 3-2 lead into the third period, and had a 27-1-2 record when leading after two periods of play this season, but before the period was even half over that lead was gone with the Hurricanes having scored twice.
Jeff Skinner was left all alone in front to net his team-high 27th goal at the 4:22 mark of the third period, tying the score, 3-3. Then at 9:06, with J.T. Miller serving a high-sticking minor penalty, Carolina’s Viktor Rask buried a power play rebound to put the Rangers down one.
Alain Vigneault used his coach’s challenge at that point, believing that the play was off-sides. However the play–in which Carolina’s Justin Faulk reached high with his glove to corral a clearing attempt at the blue line–was ruled inconclusive, and the go-ahead goal counted for the Hurricanes.
Despite several great scoring chances the Rangers were unable to net the tying goal; and the loss dropped them into third place in the Metropolitan Division behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won their game on Thursday night. The Rangers are two points ahead of the fourth-place Islanders, who have a game in hand and who also won on Thursday.
“We didn’t play a full 60 (minutes),” said Eric Staal, who faced his former team for the first time since being traded to the Rangers on February 28. “They didn’t get a lot of looks there in the third, but the ones they did, they cashed in on them. We have to make sure we don’t let this happen again and be better next game.”
After a dreary first period in which they were outshot 13-4, outscored 1-0, and, without the stellar play of Lundqvist, could have been a far deeper hole then the one they were in, the Rangers came alive in the second period. Mats Zuccarello, Rick Nash and Chris Kreider all scored goals in the middle twenty minutes as New York carried a 3-2 lead into the second intermission.
Zuccarello tied things up at 1-1 just 1:36 into the second period. Dan Boyle won a puck battle along the left-wing boards and Derek Stepan followed with a quick cross-crease pass to Zuccarello, who was stationed at the bottom of the right circle. Zuccarello easily snapped a shot past a lunging Cam Ward for his 25th goal of the season, and 200th career point in the National Hockey League.
Less than four minutes later an outstanding individual effort by Nash gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead. After taking a pass from Miller, Nash motored up left wing, carrying Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce on his back before finally shedding him just as he snapped a wicked shot that eluded Ward to the far side.
Nash’s goal, at 5:03 of the middle stanza, was his third in the past five games, and 15th of the season.
The Rangers recorded the first nine shots of the second period, but Carolina was able to tie the game on only its second shot on goal at the 13:27 mark of the period. Faulk snapped a shot from inside the blue line that seemed to deflect off Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh in front of a screened Lundqvist and high into the net, tying the score, 2-2.
However before the period was over the Rangers regained the lead by scoring on their third power play of the night. On a set play, Stepan sent a long pass off the boards deep in the Carolina zone. Kreider not only beat his man to the puck to negate an icing call, but he followed by zipping a left-wing shot into the net for his 19th goal with 2:42 to play in the second period.
Their play in the second was a 180 degree turnaround with how they came out in the opening 20 minutes when Lundqvist was forced to make six saves before the game was even four minutes old. By time rookie Patrick Brown hustled his way to his first NHL goal at the 11:05 mark of the opening period, Carolina was outshooting New York 11-1.
“We should have dictated our start tonight,” offered defenseman Dan Girardi. “With what we had on the line tonight, clinch a playoff spot, Eric’s coming back first game..we should have been ready. If we had a better start I think it’s a different game.”
The Rangers first shot on goal came 6:14 into play, and, fittingly, it was off the stick of Eric Staal. In his much-anticipated return to PNC Arena Staal found himself one on one against his good friend Ward and very nearly beat him with a slick backhand shot that somehow was stopped by Ward’s skate.
That was one of three shots on goal recorded by Staal, who was also credited with three hits, and five attempted shots in 16 minutes worth of ice time. During the first television timeout he was saluted by the Hurricanes organization with a video tribute and received a long standing ovation from the fans.
“It was pretty neat,” Staal said of the video. “A lot of emotion, a lot of memories and things that came flooding back at that moment.”
The Rangers return to action Saturday night when they host the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden.
“I think you just move on right now,” concluded Lundqvist. “(The games) are coming fast now and I think you just have to regroup.”
Jim Cerny
BlueshirtsUnited.com
