Rangers Take 2-0 Series Lead with Double-Overtime Win Over Hurricanes

Vincent Trochek’s power-play goal in double overtime lifted the New York Rangers to a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series.

The game was a back-and-forth battle, with Alexis Lafreniere scoring twice for the Rangers, Chris Kreider adding a power-play goal, and Artemi Panarin contributing two assists. Goalie Igor Shesterkin was outstanding, making a season-high 54 saves to secure the win for New York.

The Rangers have now won six straight games in the postseason and eight straight dating back to the regular season. This victory marked their first overtime playoff win since Game 7 of the first round in 2022 against Pittsburgh.

On the other side, Jake Guentzel scored twice for the Hurricanes, Dmitry Orlov also found the back of the net, and Sebastian Aho tallied three assists. Goalie Frederik Andersen made 35 saves in the losing effort.

The Hurricanes have now lost three of their last four games, including two in double-overtime. They have dropped four straight overtime playoff games, including two against Florida in the conference finals last year.

The series will now shift to Raleigh, North Carolina, for the next two games, with Game 3 set for Thursday night.

Trochek’s game-winning goal came off a rebound on the power play in the second overtime period, extending his goal-scoring streak to five games. Shesterkin made several key saves throughout the game, including a kick save on Martin Necas early in the second overtime.

Kreider tied the game at 3-3 in the third period with the Rangers’ third power-play goal of the series. Lafreniere also had a standout performance, scoring two goals for New York.

Overall, it was a thrilling and intense matchup between two talented teams, and the Rangers now hold a commanding lead in the series as they head to Carolina for the next games.