“Comeback kids” has long been an
overused sports trope – but it embodies the playoff start for the New York
Rangers.
The team was the second youngest to make
the playoffs with an average age of 26.44 (according to Elite Prospects),
and they battled back down 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins to win
game 7 in an
overtime classic.
They are the 31st NHL
team to complete a 3-0 or 3-1 comeback. They accomplished the same task in 2014
(against the Penguins) and again in 2015 (against the Capitals).
The Carolina Hurricanes, their
second-round opponents, are also young (27.35 average age, according
to Elite Prospects) and feature some beloved Rangers from past playoff runs
in Jesper Fast and Derek Stepan. Ex-Rangers Antti Raanta, Brady Skjei and Brenden
Smith are also on the team – as well as heel Tony DeAngelo, the puck-moving
defensemen exiled by the Blueshirts in early 2021. He allegedly fought with
Rangers’ backup Alexandar Georgiev after a loss.
Game 1 will play out Wednesday night in
Raleigh, North Carolina, at 7 p.m.
News 12’s Kevin Maher
spoke with Steve Valiquette, former Rangers goalie and current MSG
analyst, about the first-round comeback and the tough
upcoming matchup.
KM: How impressed were
you with the Rangers' comeback in round 1?
SV: I couldn't believe
when I saw the note that they set an NHL record when trailing 3-1 – no team had
ever come back in all three of those games and won game 7. The moments
were never too big, nothing bothered them or phased them. Now you have to play
against a Carolina group that likes to shoot the puck a lot and their style is
going to fit Igor's best.
KM: What do you mean by
that when it comes to the Rangers goalie?
SV: Carolina will be
shooting everything. And I don’t have the stat list in front of me, but I know when Shesterkin
faces 40 or more shots, he wins.
I think he’s going to
get a lot of action, be warm and be in tune with what’s going on out
there. They're going to be collapsing hard on him, but if he's tuned in,
he'll be able to handle it. He's had the highest save percentage on rebounds
the last two years. This guy knows how to move better than anybody.
KM: While Carolina
looks for rebounds and bounces, how can the Rangers attack? Where is Carolina
weak?
SV: I think you have to
try them off the rush. What’s unique about this team is that they gave up the
31st most breakaways this season. Only one team gave up more breakaways than Carolina. I had
to take a second look at that. They gave up 130 breakaways this year. They are
not going to change the way they play. This is the way they are. Breakaway
goals are big goals. They lift the bench. For whatever reason, I
believe those goals are big momentum shifters. So, in a series that’s going to
be tight, I'm waiting to see if the Rangers can capitalize on those breakaways.
Here are some stats as
per The Associated Press to get you ready for round 2.
Carolina has gone 54-20-8 overall with a
13-8-1 record in Metropolitan Division games. The Hurricanes have a +77 scoring
differential, with 277 total goals scored and 200 conceded.
New York is 52-24-6 overall with a
14-8-1 record in Metropolitan Division games. The Rangers have gone 42-5-2 when
scoring at least three goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Teuvo Teravainen has 22
goals and 43 assists for the Hurricanes. Seth Jarvis has four goals and four
assists over the last 10 games.
Mika Zibanejad has 30 goals and 52
assists for the Rangers. Chris Kreider has six goals and three assists over the
last 10 games.
