Road Magic or Storm Surge? Rangers Visit Red-Hot Hurricanes
The New York Rangers showed some life last night with a win in MSG that snapped their four-game skid against the St. Louis Blues, and now they look to revive their road magic. Their offense will need to really click if they are to keep up with a team like this. The Carolina Hurricanes, as usual, come into this game as one of the best in the league, showing no signs of slowing down, especially at home. They've been sharp on both ends of the ice, both home and away, and will look to defend home ice. A matchup of rivals awaits as the New York Rangers take on the Carolina Hurricanes in the Lenovo Center tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. EST.
When looking at a tactical perspective, this could be a tight battle. The Blueshirts' strength lies in their structure: they're giving up very few goals, holding opponents in check, and relying on Igor Shesterkin between the pipes when offense isn't coming. Scoring remains a problem: the power play continues to struggle, and even at even-strength, they can't quite turn their chances into goals. The loss of their captain, J.T. Miller, doesn't help in the slightest. Despite their win against St. Louis, offense like that won't win games against a team like Carolina.
Carolina, meanwhile, continues with absolutely lethal pieces. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis have been driving their attack, and defenseman Dmitry Orlov is in the midst of a strong point streak. It's likely Frederik Andersen hops on the ice between the pipes, and if he plays well, it could swing the game in the Hurricanes' favor. Their puck possession numbers are among the best, and they're capable of controlling the pace when they want to. Unless the Rangers can find their offensive groove early, Carolina will most likely control this game as soon as the puck drops.
Many expect this game to be tightly contested, but a high-scoring game is possible. One thing is for sure: expect a fast-paced, hard-fought match. The Rangers will try to stay disciplined, limit high-danger chances, and rely on Shesterkin to keep them in it. If Carolina gets themselves on the board early and controls the pace, they could pull away in the middle frame easily. It's games like this where the Rangers' top forwards must step up; they'll need Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin to get on the board if they're to have a chance. Can they rise to the occasion, or will Carolina overcome the Rangers’ road magic?
