Stan Fischler On Rangers Cup Chances The New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/] welcomed back Filip Chytil to their lineup for Game 2 after the 24-year-old forward suffered an upper-body injury on Nov. 1. The Carolina Hurricanes, for the first time in the playoffs, went with a different goalie, starting Pyotr Kochetkov in place of Frederik Andersen. The result was a 3-2 overtime win for the Rangers, who now have a 3-0 series lead after Artemi Panarin pulled off his latest magic trick: Here's how it happened. In a gritty first period, it was the Hurricanes who went the board first after Jake Guentzel redirected a Dmitry Orlov shot attempt at 10:14 of the first: At 11:25 of the first, hell broke loose after a scrum in front of Igor Shesterkin. Jasperi Kotkaniemi and Orlov were given roughing penalties, while Jimmy Vesey and Barclay Goodrow got matching roughing penalties, with Goodrow getting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty: The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead into the first period, outshooting the Rangers 17-7 and outhitting them 16-3. The Rangers tied the score at 1-1 after Chris Kreider beat Kochetkov through the legs from the low slot after Mika Zibanejad found him for the shorthanded tally at 8:30 of the second period: The Hurricanes dominated the shot clock in the second, outshooting them 21-13 in the middle frame. But the Rangers were lone scorers as Carolina's power play continued to struggle, starting the series at an 0-for-14 slump. With momentum on the Rangers' side early in the third, New York took the lead in the mid-stages of the third. After a Braden Schneider pass went off Vincent Trochek's stick, it sprung Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere on a two-on-one. Panarin made a perfect pass to Lafreniere to one-time the puck past Kochetkov to give New York the 2-1 lead at 6:25: Panarin's helper gives him five points in three games of the series. The MVP candidate had three helpers on Tuesday in addition to a goal on Monday. Lafreniere also has points in four straight games, totaling three goals and two assists. The Rangers couldn't close the door, allowing Andrei Svechnikov to get to a loose puck in the low slot, which he roofed over Shesterkin's blocker with 1:36 to play in the third: Kreider got on a semi-breakaway in the last minute, but Kochetkov poked the puck off his stick to send this one to overtime. Artemi Panarin won the game for the Rangers after he deflected a Vincent Trocheck pass between the legs, as the puck trickled over Kochetkov and in just 1:43 into the extra frame. UP NEXT: The Rangers and Hurricanes go to battle for Game 4 on Saturday at 7 PM.
