Rangers suffer first playoff loss after Brady Skjei scores game-winner for Hurricanes
RALEIGH, N.C. — Even though it still looked possible until Saturday evening, the Rangers were never going to go 16-0 in the playoffs.
And so, for the first time in a month, the Blueshirts lost 4-3 in Game 4 of their second-round series against the Hurricanes at PNC Arena, where they failed to capitalize on their first opportunity to close out Carolina in front of a healthy representation of New York transplants in the South.
The Rangers will get their next chance to advance in Game 5 on Monday at the Garden.
“Gotta win one game at home,” Adam Fox said. “They’re not going to go down easy and just give us that fourth win. Definitely going to have to earn it, but I think this group has shown all year how resilient we are. I’m pretty confident in how we’ll respond.”
For a third straight game, there was a tie to be broken in the third period.
The elusive power-play goal that had evaded the Hurricanes all series resulting in an 0-for-16 stretch came at the most opportune moment to keep their season alive.
With Ryan Lindgren in the box for tripping, former Ranger Brady Skjei blasted a one-timer from the top of the zone that went bar down and in to help the Canes stave off elimination and avoid getting swept in a playoff round for a second straight year.
It ended goalie Igor Shesterkin’s streak of 30 consecutive playoff starts without allowing more than three goals, dating to Game 5 of Round 1 in 2022, in addition to preventing the Rangers from becoming the first team of the four-round best-of-seven postseason era to go 8-0 to start.
“Obviously, tough time to give up the first one,” Barclay Goodrow said of the Rangers’ penalty kill. “I think if we’re able to kill that off, we gain momentum and obviously the game is a whole different story. Just got to regroup and get it back on Monday.”
The Rangers were more on their toes in the second period than on their heels, like they were in a first period that felt like a tug-of-war the Hurricanes got the better of.
Down 2-0 and then 3-1 by the start of the second period, marking their largest deficit of the postseason, the visitors truly never looked out of the game.
After Will Cuylle converted on a breakaway to get his team on the board, the Rangers generated chances in all different facets: in transition, after sustained zone time and from long range.
Only one was converted in the middle frame, however, when Goodrow tipped in a Braden Schneider wrister from the top of the zone to cut the Rangers’ deficit to one.
But Alexis Lafreniere, who was buzzing all night long as one of the Rangers’ most consistent forwards, delivered in a big spot once again to knot the game at three-all early in the third period.
Just like every other game this series, it came down to one play and the Rangers found themselves on the losing side of it for the first time this postseason.
Heading back north to the New Yorkers who are still holding it down in Manhattan, the Rangers will look to finish what they started.
“There’s a lot that goes into [going home] that can work in your favor,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “We got to make sure we take care of what we do on the ice. Certainly, the fans. Even the ones here in the building tonight, we can hear them. We’re going back home to our building that’s been so good, so strong. Our fans are incredible. To have that energy in the building behind us will be important.”
