Barry Melrose thinks the Hurricanes are going to win at home. (0:54) Hockey fans were treated to five Game 7s in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. We are here to make sure you are ready for Game 7, one of the four second-round series. The Carolina Hurricanes are playing the New York Rangers. The home team has won each game of the series. The home team has won every game in which the Hurricanes have played, which is an NHL record. Will the trend continue? Will the Rangers steal one in Raleigh? The winner will face the Lightning in the Eastern Conference finals. Here is what you need to know. 8 p.m. You can watch live on ESPN. Line: CAR -150 Leading scorer:
Rangers: C Mika Zibanejad (7 G | 9 A); D Adam Fox (4 G | 12 A)
Hurricanes: LW Teuvo Teravainen (4 G | 7 A)
New York Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes
It was a path to victory for the Rangers.
The games in Raleigh have been close. The Rangers had a 2-0 lead before the Hurricanes came back to win it in overtime. Game 2 was a one-bounce game on the board. Carolina had a one-goal lead in the third period of Game 5.
Carolina has had the high-danger scoring chances in all three home games, so the Rangers have to create more quality chances. They can win Game 7 if they get a bounce or two. If Shesterkin continues his quietly great road efforts in this series:.955 save percentage, 1.16 goals against average, 3.26 goals saved above replacement. If he wants to contribute two more assists to the Rangers offense, all the better.
It was a path to victory for the Hurricanes.
The road through Raleigh has been the path to victory in the previous 13 games. The Hurricanes are 7-1 at home with a plus 17 goal differential, 3.57 goals per game and a 1.14 goals against average. They are just a different team at home.
In Raleigh, the penalty kill that couldn't stop the Rangers at Madison Square Garden has an 89.5% effectiveness. The power play that couldn't get a critical goal in Game 6 has a 4.2% conversion rate on the road and a 19.2% conversion rate at home. The Hurricanes control the game for stretches at home; have better defensive support in front of their goalie, which has been noticeably stronger at home; and exhibit a physical style that they lack on the road, all in front of rowdy fans who know they are part of that home-ice advantage.
We hope it is a factor. It has been good for us. Carolina coach Rod BrindAmour said that they were counting on it again.
The Rangers had a great success at home in Game 6. The Rangers will need to be dominant in Game 7 if they want to advance. New York has scored two goals in three away games. After not lighting the lamp since Game 1, Kaapo Kakko was back on a line with Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil, who scored a pair in the victory. It is a shot in the arm to the Rangers at a critical time in the playoffs.
It would be huge if those three players could string together two strong performances in the next two games to help lift the Rangers into the Eastern Conference finals.
The Stanley Cup Final will be broadcasted on ABC, along with one conference finals series on ESPN.
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Carolina's special teams are Wyshynski's X factor.
The key to the penalty kill is not to use it. The Rangers went 0-for-5 with the man advantage in the first two games in Raleigh. The Rangers have scored at least one power-play goal in every contest since Game 2. Even though they scored a short-handed goal, the Hurricanes must stay disciplined.
Carolina's power play becomes the ultimate X factor if the Rangers take a penalty. 13 of 14 power plays have been killed by the Rangers. In Game 5, Carolina had a second-period lead, but they didn't score a critical goal. If the Canes get anything from the power play in Game 7, it will be a turning point.
Predicting the final score.
Shilton said Rangers were 3-2.
Wyshynski: Hurricanes, 2-1
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