It didn’t take long for this series to see overtime as the fans at MSG got some extra playoff hockey on Tuesday night. Stretching into double-overtime, the New York Rangers ended up winning Game 2 over the Carolina Hurricanes after their second power play tally of the game. Former Hurricane Vincent Trocheck was the man of the moment, extending his goal streak to five games and tying Cecil Dillon for the longest postseason streak in Rangers history. With the win, the Rangers remain undefeated in the playoffs after their first-round sweep of the Washington Capitals.
For the second straight game, the Rangers opened the scoring with Alexis Lafreniere potting his first of the playoffs. He hadn’t scored a postseason goal since Game 5 of the 2022 first round. The Hurricanes quickly responded, however, with Jake Guentzel and Dmitry Orlov each recording their second of the playoffs before the opening frame was over. Orlov’s was nearly a buzzer-beater, as he netted his just six seconds before the horn.
The middle frame saw the Rangers and Hurricanes trade goals with some of the same names from the first period as Lafreniere and Guentzel got on the board again with Guentzel pushing his team into a 3-2 lead with a late marker at 18:18. The goal was his ninth playoff goal against the Rangers – his most against a single franchise. He is one of four players in NHL history to average a goal per game against the Rangers in the postseason.
The Rangers tied the game in the third off a power play goal by Chris Kreider – their third already in two games. With it, he became the third player in Rangers history with 70 career postseason points, joining Brian Leetch and Mark Messier. It was also his 43rd career playoff goal, passing John LeClair (42) for sole possession of ninth place on the league’s all-time list among US-born players.
The rest of the period didn’t see any scoring, and the Hurricanes and Rangers headed to overtime for the first time in the series. The first overtime also went scoreless with both teams trading chances and Frederik Andersen and Igor Shesterkin making big saves at either end. Trocheck finally let everyone go home by scoring on the power play 7:24 into double-overtime.
Andersen started his seventh-straight game and stopped 35 of 39 shots while Shesterkin was the busier goaltender stopping 54 of 57.
Game Notes
Guentzel scored his eighth career game-tying goal in the postseason. Since his first appearance in 2017, the only other players with as many are Jonathan Marchessault (11), Brad Marchand (nine), and Joe Pavelski (eight).
Orlov became the eighth defenseman in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to score multiple goals in their first postseason with the franchise, joining Frantisek Kaberle (four in 2006), Sean Hill (four in 2002), Dougie Hamilton (three in 2019), Brent Burns (two in 2023), Joe Corvo (two in 2009), Mike Commodore (two in 2006) and David Tanabe (two in 2001).
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Sebastian Aho recorded his seventh career multi-assist playoff game and passed teammate Jaccob Slavin (six) for the most in franchise history. He also recorded the second three-assist outing of his career to move into a tie with Kevin Dineen for the most by a Hurricanes/Whalers player in the postseason.
Adam Fox (36 games played) collected an assist and became the second-fastest defenseman in NHL history to 30 playoff helpers, trailing only Brian Leetch who reached the mark in 34 games.
The series now shifts to the Storm Surge in Carolina, with Game 3 going on Thursday, May 9.