The first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs is still ongoing. Teams like the Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, and Colorado Avalanche await their opponents in Round 2. We know one series is set in the second round as the New York Rangers take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The NHL announced that Game 1 of this series will go on Sunday, May 5th. However, we do not know the start time yet.
Full Press Hockey will give you a little appetizer before the full 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round Preview breaking the Rangers and Hurricanes Round 2 Series.
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2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round Preview
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers
The New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes are the only first-round matchup set. The last time these two teams played in the playoffs was in 2022 when the Rangers defeated the Hurricanes in Game 7 in Raleigh. Both the Rangers and Hurricanes have been the best two teams in the Metro Division this season, not to mention two of the four best teams in the Eastern Conference. This was an anticipated matchup dating back to March.
This time, the Rangers have a home-ice advantage. The Rangers also won the season series 2-1 over the Hurricanes. This is going to be a battle. Exactly how the NHL drew it up. Well, for those that don’t like the format, we are getting a Conference Final Matchup in the Second Round.
One of the keys to this series will be special teams. The Rangers special teams decimated the Washington Capitals in Round 1. New York’s power play operated at 37.5 percent tied for third in the playoffs with the Colorado Avalanche. However, the Hurricanes were right behind them with a power play operating at 33.3 percent. Looking at the penalty kill, the Ranger’s PK operated at 88.2 percent fourth in the playoffs. The Hurricane’s PK operated at a 72.7 percent competition rate, good enough for eighth in the playoffs.
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As we have seen special teams matter. Scoring with the man advantage matters. In addition, goaltending matters. Igor Shesterkin is back in the groove. Entering the Washington, Shesterkin wanted to be better than he was last year in the playoffs. He is in the zone. Even with Carolina’s firepower, Shesterkin is going to be tough to beat. The Rangers have the better goalie, but Frederik Andersen is playing well too. He made two series-changing saves against the New York Islanders; he will need to do that again if the Hurricanes want to get back to a Conference Final.
We know the offensive firepower on both teams. Carolina went all in at the deadline, acquiring Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Both players, especially Kuznetsov, paid dividends in the first round. Even with Martin Necas, Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Teuvo Teravainen, Kuznetsov, and Guentzel, they do not have that game-breaker the Rangers have in Artemi Panarin. Not to mention the Hurricanes need to watch out for Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Jack Roslovic.
Offensively these two teams are so even. The same goes for the defensive side of the puck. The subtle switch to move Braden Schneider with K’Andre Miller was smart to move Jacob Trouba with Erik Gustafsson. Balancing out the defensive pairs is something the Rangers did not do in the past. Of course, the big question does Brett Pesce play for Carolina?
But the Hurricanes are relentless on the puck, which is one thing the Rangers will need to be aware of. Not sure the Hurricanes will be able to score two goals in nine seconds again, but they can’t sit back because the Rangers have the firepower to match them offensively.
Rangers Head coach Peter Laviolette, who coached Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour back in 2006 to a Stanley Cup, has been working the Hurricanes man-on-man style with the Rangers in practice. They have been emulating the Hurricanes’ style of play, including their defensive structure, so they are prepared. Having a week off is never ideal. But both teams are in the same boat as Game 1 gets underway on Sunday.
This series should go the distance and it has the feel of the winner going to the Stanley Cup Final.
Awesome read. Couldn’t argue one point all even rangers edge in net. Rangers in 6