The New York Rangers saw one part of a blockbuster trade on Sunday afternoon, when a point streak that lifted them back into the Eastern Conference playoff race was halted by Colorado in the final seconds.
On Tuesday, the Rangers will get another glance at the NHL’s most recent significant trade when they attempt to contain Mikko Rantanen, Taylor Hall and the rest of the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.
The Rangers went 7-0-3 in a 10-game point streak on the heels of a dreadful 5-16-0 skid that sent them plummeting toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Then came the 5-4 loss to the Avalanche, who were playing their second game since obtaining Martin Necas and Jack Drury from the Hurricanes on Friday night.
The Rangers allowed a goal with 15 seconds left on a 3-on-1 following an offensive zone turnover by defenseman Will Borgen.
“That one stings,” Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said. “You think you’re definitely getting to overtime, at least, and they get one late. We clawed back a couple times in that game and I honestly thought we controlled a good portion of it, too. That one stings for sure.”
New York took its first regulation loss since falling at the Washington Capitals 7-4 on Jan. 4, and its first on home ice since a 3-1 setback to the Hurricanes on Dec. 22.
Against Carolina, the Rangers hope to produce the same number of chances as they did Sunday when they took 37 shots on goal while getting goals from Sam Carrick, Vincent Trocheck, Borgen and Artemi Panarin.
It was tied for the Rangers’ most shots on goal in their turnaround but they were unable to score on a late power play after getting four on the man advantage in the previous three contests.
“I think we’ve been playing pretty good, but right now it’s about collecting the points, too, and when you’ve got one point sitting there (if you make it to overtime), it’s just, it’s tough,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said.
Carolina beat the Rangers twice in less than a month. It earned a 4-3 home win on Nov. 27 and saw William Carrier and Jack Roslovic score in a span of 5:18 in the second period of last month’s tilt.
The Hurricanes are 9-5-3 since the last meeting and are riding a five-game point streak (4-0-1). Carolina saw a four-game winning streak stopped when it took a 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
Carolina got goals from Roslovic and Sebastian Aho in a span of 72 seconds to take a two-goal lead in the first 6 1/2 minutes but could never get another goal. Rantanen and Hall were held without a point in their team debuts.
The Hurricanes registered only 16 shots on goal after the opening period and saw Rantanen unable to score while taking five shots, though he heads into Tuesday coming off his first practice with his new team.
“I think it helps,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said after Monday’s practice. “I think the more they’re around each other and the environments where we’re teaching, going through stuff that we do on a regular basis, I think will help. Just in general the more time around anyone you feel more comfortable.”
–Field Level Media
