First Period:
- Adam Fox (5) (Power Play) Assists: Alexis Lafreniere (5), Andrew Copp (6)
- Chris Kreider (7) (Power Play) Assists: Mika Zibanejad (10), Adam Fox (13)
Second Period:
- Ryan Strome (2) Assists: K’Andre Miller (4), Artemi Panarin (7)
Third Period:
- Chris Kreider (8) Assists: Frank Vatrano (5), Mika Zibanejad (11)
- Tony DeAngelo (2) Assists: Sebastian Aho (7)
- Filip Chytil (5) Assists: Kaapo Kakko (2)
- Max Domi (3) Assists: Jordan Martinook (1), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2)
- Andrew Copp (6) Assists: Barclay Goodrow (1), Mika Zibanejad (12)
Stats:
Adam Rotter:
- I give the Rangers a lot of credit. I hoped they would beat Carolina, but I wasn’t sure, coming into the series, that they ultimately would. I thought Carolina was going to be too fast, too relentless, and play most of the series like how Game 5 and how the regular season went, but it was the Rangers who were fast, scored timely goals, and, maybe most importantly, stay composed.
- Carolina unraveled over the last two games with their parade to the penalty box and what had to be waning confidence that they could beat Igor Shesterkin. Carolina had more of the chances and they had the puck more, but when the Rangers had the puck, especially on the PP, they made it count. The Rangers also had their best players step up while Carolina will get to spend all offseason waiting for Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov to play at the level that Mika Zibanejad did. Again, you can argue that Carolina was the better team throughout the series based upon puck possession and scoring chances, but the Rangers, like they did all year, found ways to score at the right times, found the right saves in the right moments and, ultimately, found a way to win and now a place in the Eastern Conference Final.
- It seemed like it was going to be ‘first goal wins” and the Rangers got it.
- Ryan Lindgren was already playing through god-knows what and he was terrific. It looked like his season was over when he was being helped off the ice, but, as he almost always does, he returns. The Rangers should already give him the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award and Players’ Player Award for next season.
- Igor Shesterkin was Igor Shesterkin. You just felt that once Adam Fox scored that it might be enough, but once Chris Kreider scored it seemed like it was over. Was Carolina really going to beat Igor Shesterkin three times? It didn’t seem like it and then once Antti Raanta got hurt and Ryan Strome scored the focus started turning to Tampa Bay.
- For the last 8 years or so the Rangers and Lightning have been connected. There was the Marty St. Louis/Ryan Callahan trade, Tampa beating the Rangers in the ECF in 2015, and, to some degree, ending the Rangers run of contending, then there was the Ryan McDonagh/JT Miller trade, which has basically netted the Rangers nothing, the flock of former Rangers that went to Tampa, and then Barclay Goodrow joining the Rangers because Tampa couldn’t sign him.
- The toughest part of going against Tampa is trying to beat the infrastructure they have built over the last number of years and cemented the past two years and two rounds this year. They have played in every situation and won most of them.w They know how to play and the Rangers biggest advantage through the first two rounds, goaltending, is neutralized with Andrei Vasilevski across the way. Again, at this point, you can’t count the Rangers out by any means, but, going through and past the two-time defending champs will be their toughest test yet.
- This will be a series of matching. Will Igor Shesterkin match Andrei Vasilevski? Will Adam Fox match Victor Hedman? Artemi Panarin and Nikita Kucherov? Mika Zibanejad certainly has the edge over Brayden Point as long as Point is out, but when/if Point returns, that will be another question.
- So after needing to scratch, claw and go to OT to beat Pittsburgh, the Rangers rode the two things that they rode all season to beat Carolina: PP and goaltending. It continues to be amazing that, despite him scoring in Game 6, that the Rangers are advancing without Artemi Panarin being his dynamic self. He’s put up some points, but you still feel like he has more to give. It will only get harder for him with either Hedman or Ryan McDonagh out against him every shift. But without Panarin, Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad stepped up, Chris Kreider did at times, and Igor Shesterkin was outstanding.
- And after all of this, the Rangers are only halfway.