The New York Rangers have carried the form that made them the NHL’s best regular-season team straight into the postseason. And that has them within a win of becoming the first team into the conference finals.
New York opened the playoffs with a sweep of Washington in Round 1. Another sweep would make them the first team to open the playoffs with eight straight wins since the Edmonton Oilers won nine in a row in 1985 on the way to winning the Stanley Cup, according to Sportradar. For Carolina, the Hurricanes are facing a grim and familiar reality, especially after acquiring forward Jake Guentzel at the trade deadline in a signal that the team viewed this year as its best shot to go all-in as a multi-year Cup contender under Rod Brind’Amour.
Throw in the fact that Carolina gave up four power-play goals in Games 1 and 2, and the Rangers have outscored the Hurricanes 5-0 on special teams in a series decided by a combined margin of three goals. While 2013 Stars’ first-round pick Nichushkin is on a record scoring streak, some of the current Dallas players may finally be finding their offensive game.