When the NHL playoffs started a couple of weeks ago many anticipated the Rangers and the

Hurricanes would easily get past their first round opponents and meet for the second time in

three years in the second round. And that’s exactly what’s happened after New York swept

Washington and Carolina eliminated the Islanders in five games. And while the Rangers did win

the Presidents Trophy with the best record in the regular season they are underdogs against the

Canes.

Key to Success for the Rangers

Rest is always big in the playoffs and after making short work of the Capitals, New York gets a

break before hosting Carolina. The stars on Broadway shined brightly as Artemi Panarin, Mika

Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider were potent on the power play. But this team’s biggest concern all

season has been its five-on-five play. Despite finishing first overall, the Rangers ranked 23rd in

expected goals percentage during the regular season. New York can’t rely on just its special

teams, it must find a way to be successful at five-on-five, or this series could quickly get away

from the Metropolitan champs.

Key to Success for the Hurricanes

In recent years, goaltending was always a concern in Carolina but Frederik Andersen comes off

a solid performance against the Islanders, making key saves at big moments of the series to

ensure a series victory. Their stars contributed in that series as Sebastian Aho, Andrei

Svechnikov Jake Guentzel played key roles offensively. On the backend, the defense shut

down the Islanders offense, limiting high-danger scoring chances. And a big part of this team’s

success has been the ability to maintain puck possession. If we see that again, it could be a

long series for the Rangers.

Special Teams Showdown

This series could come down to who stays out of the penalty box the most. The Rangers had

the third best power play (26.4%) and the third best penalty kill (84.5%) during the regular

season. And they scored 6 times in four games with the man advantage against the Capitals.

But Carolina’s special teams were even better. The second best power play (26.9%) and the

best penalty kill (86.4) in the NHL. While the Rangers do have an edge in goaltending with Igor

Shesterkin, Carolina is a better five-on-five team meaning special teams could decide which

team moves onto the conference finals.

SERIES ODDS

Carolina Hurricanes -148

New York Rangers +128

SEASON SERIES

Nov. 2, 2023: Rangers 2 Hurricanes 1

Jan. 2, 2024: Hurricanes 6 Rangers 1

March 12, 2024: Rangers 1 Hurricanes 0