Rangers Hang On For A Big Boy Win Over Carolina In Series Opener

Bruce Bennett. Getty Images.

Whew.

Those last couple minutes were wild - but that's to be expected in a playoff tilt when a team has to make up a pair late. The Canes threw everything they had at the Blueshirts with their goalie pulled and halved a 2-goal deficit they were chasing for a majority of the game. The good guys were able to hang on though and made an outstanding 55 minutes of hockey hold up for a 1-0 series lead.

The first period had everything. Hits, debatable penalties, scrums, posts and four total goals. Coming into this matchup both squads were lauded for their respective PP and PK units both being in the top three. Carolina's special teams were no match for the Rangers though through 20. Not only did the Blueshirts kill a pair of Hurricane man-advantages with relative ease, they cashed in on both their PP opportunities in 23 total seconds to help build a 3-1 lead. Second frame - more of the same with another pair of tremendous NYR kills to make the same score stand through an improbable 40 minutes where the notoriously high-event Canes were held to just 12 shots and a lone high-danger chance. Sure they had the puck a lot but if all you're gonna do is snap it around and miss your target, knock yourselves out.

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The Rangers controlled most of the third too, but their single breakdown resulted in an early Necas breakaway outta nowhere that instantly tightened the buttholes of 18,000 at MSG. A significant advantage coming into this series though was between the pipes where, regardless of how good Andersen's numbers look, he's simply not Igor Shesterkin. And oh boy did he let in a bad one when Panarin beat him with a pedestrian wrister between the arm & body that ended up being the GWG. With Igor reeling off 27 (now 28) straight postseason contests allowing 3 or less, that 4th goal was enormous - and one that Andersen simply can't let beat him.

It did though, and despite the close final you can't ask for a much better opening effort out of a Rangers squad that some thought were no match for the Canes at 5x5. They kept Carolina to uncharacteristically low-event hockey and simply crushed them on special teams. Zibanejad was awesome (four straight multi-point games), Panarin keeps scoring big ones & the fellas played some strong big boy hockey against one of the league's best. It's just one game. There will be peaks and valleys throughout. Still, it's impressive to see just what these Blueshirts are capable of regardless of their opponent.

That's 12 wins in their last 15 playoff games on home ice. Let's make it 13-for-16 Tuesday.

VIVA LA BLUESHIRTS!!!