Hurricanes hold Rangers in Game 4 to avoid elimination – Hockey Writers – NHL News
The Carolina Hurricanes scored late in the third period to defeat the New York Rangers 4-3 and clinch elimination from their second-round Stanley Cup Playoff series.
Brady Skjei gave his former team a power play goal with just over three minutes left in the game, firing a shot from the point past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
The Hurricanes got on the board first when Evgeny Kuznetsov caught a pass and deflected a shot past Shesterkin.
Stefan Noesen went 2-0 up before Rangers scored through Will Cuylle.
The Hurricanes restored their two-goal advantage less than five minutes into the first half with a goal by Sebastian Aho. It was Aho’s 10th point in the playoffs, and he became the 10th player in NHL history to reach the plateau in at least six consecutive seasons. The only rookies to accomplish this are Brad Marchand (7 from 2018—2024) and Mikko Rantanen (6 from 2019—2024).
The Rangers got back within one in the second half when Barclay Goodrow redirected Brandon Schneider past Hurricanes goalkeeper Frederik Andersen. They tied the game early in the third period when Alexis Lafreniere curled a shot past Andersen into the back of the net.
Mika Zibanejad chipped in on Lafreniere’s goal to record his 10th assist in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs (3 goals-10 assists-13 points in 8 GP). He tied Mark Messier (8 GP in 1995) for the fewest postseason games by a Rangers player to reach the 10-assist mark.
Chytil is out for Game 4
After competing in his first game back from a conference that reportedly sidelined him six months ago, Filip Chytil was unavailable for Game 4 against the Hurricanes due to what the team described as an “illness.”
He was not on the ice for the Rangers’ morning skate Saturday at PNC Arena, but head coach Peter Laviolette described the Czech forward as a game-time decision and ultimately did not dress.
Related: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2 Hub
With Chytil unavailable, Jonny Brodzinski returned to the lineup for the first time since April 11. Matt Rempe took the ice to warm up but didn’t take a linebacker and was finally healthy for the second straight game.
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