After seeing a lead with less than three minutes to go vanish and turn into a gut wrenching overtime defeat, the Rangers are back in action for Game 2 of the Metropolitan Division Finals. In a series where everything pointed towards the Hurricanes having their way with a less talented, less experienced Blueshirts squad, it was the road team that carried play for the first two periods of the opening game. In spite of that, New York was unable to hold Carolina off for the entirety of the third, and will now need to win today in order to avoid falling behind 2-0 in the series.

Game 1 was more of the same from the Rangers perspective. The Kid Line played well, the top six stunk it up, and Igor Shesterkin did everything in his power to drag his team across the finish line but came up just a tad short.

Player to Watch: Ryan Strome

While the top six has struggled for the majority of the playoffs, five of the six members have had some bright moments. Andrew Copp has been the best of the group, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider rose to the occasion during the final two games of the opening round, and Artemiy Panarin is the man who sent the Rangers into the second round. Frank Vatrano is miscast as a top six player so his struggles are to be expected, but Ryan Strome’s struggles have not been. Look for Strome to have a bounceback effort in Raleigh tonight.

Enjoy the game!