You've got to play for them a little bit.
In the crucible of a Game 7 on enemy ice, the New York Rangers answered the oldest question sport asks of its participants — not whether you are talented, but whether you endure. Monday night in Raleigh, they answered emphatically, dismantling the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015. Carried by Igor Shesterkin's vigilance in goal and Chris Kreider's opportunism up front, a team that twice faced series elimination has now survived every such moment this postseason, five times over. The road ahead leads to Tampa Bay, where the question will be asked again, and louder.
- The Rangers walked into Carolina's arena as a team one loss from elimination — and walked out as the last team standing in a series they had trailed twice.
- A heavy first-period hit on rookie Seth Jarvis and a subsequent injury to starting goalie Antti Raanta fractured Carolina's foundation mid-game, turning momentum into avalanche.
- Forty-two seconds after a 22-year-old backup entered the net for Carolina, the Rangers scored to go up 3-0, effectively sealing a series the Hurricanes had never lost at this stage in franchise history.
- Shesterkin's 37 saves extended a pattern of dominance that held Carolina to two goals or fewer in six of seven games, making him the series' most decisive single force.
- The Rangers, now 5-0 in elimination games this spring, will face the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday — a test that will reveal whether this run is destiny or circumstance.
The New York Rangers came to Raleigh on Monday needing a win to survive, and they left having secured something larger — a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in seven years. They defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 7, completing a comeback through a series they had trailed twice. Chris Kreider scored twice, Igor Shesterkin made 37 saves, and the Rangers are now a perfect 5-0 in elimination games this postseason.
Kreider opened the scoring at 3:40 of the first period, redirecting a Mika Zibanejad shot on a power play that was itself born from chaos — Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba had delivered a punishing hit on Carolina rookie Seth Jarvis, who did not return, and the Hurricanes were penalized for too many men as Jarvis was helped off the ice. The Rangers never relinquished the lead. Zibanejad finished with three assists. Adam Fox, Ryan Strome, Filip Chytil, and Andrew Copp also scored.
The game's turning point arrived in the second period when Carolina starter Antti Raanta stretched for a save and was injured, leaving at 15:37. His replacement, 22-year-old Pyotr Kochetkov in just his seventh NHL appearance, surrendered a goal to Strome within 42 seconds. The Hurricanes, who had won all six previous Game 7s in franchise history and had not lost at home all postseason, could not recover. Vincent Trocheck and Max Domi scored for Carolina, but the deficit was never in doubt.
Shesterkin's performance throughout the series had been the Rangers' most reliable constant, holding Carolina to two goals or fewer in six of the seven games. His excellence has carried an underdog team to a place where the questions grow harder. They will face the Tampa Bay Lightning — two-time defending champions — beginning Wednesday in New York. Whether the Rangers' momentum reflects genuine championship substance or the fortune of a favorable path remains the central question of their spring.
The New York Rangers arrived in Raleigh on Monday night facing elimination, and they left having punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in seven years. They dismantled the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 7, a decisive victory that capped an improbable run through a series they had trailed twice—first down 2-0, then down 3-2. Chris Kreider scored twice. Igor Shesterkin made 37 saves. The Rangers, who entered the postseason as underdogs, are now 5-0 in games where their season hung in the balance.
Kreider's first goal came early, a power-play redirect at 3:40 of the opening period off a shot from Mika Zibanejad. The second came on a breakaway in the third period. Between them, Adam Fox added a goal, Ryan Strome, Filip Chytil, and Andrew Copp rounded out the scoring. Zibanejad, who did not score but orchestrated much of the Rangers' attack, finished with three assists. The Hurricanes, who had won all six of their previous Game 7s in franchise history and had not lost at home all postseason, could not find an answer. Vincent Trocheck and Max Domi scored for Carolina, but it was never enough.
The game turned partly on circumstance. Jacob Trouba, the Rangers' defenseman, delivered a heavy hit on Hurricanes rookie Seth Jarvis early in the first period, and Jarvis did not return. Carolina was called for too many men on the ice as Jarvis was being helped off, giving the Rangers a power play on which Kreider scored. Later, in the second period, Antti Raanta, Carolina's starting goaltender, stretched his right leg on a save attempt and was injured. He left the game at 15:37 of the second period. Pyotr Kochetkov, a 22-year-old making his seventh NHL appearance, replaced him. Forty-two seconds after Kochetkov entered, Ryan Strome scored to extend the Rangers' lead to 3-0.
Jordan Martinook, a left wing for the Hurricanes, acknowledged the weight of losing two players mid-game. "That's got to be a boost," he said, meaning the opposite—a deflating blow. "You've got to play for them a little bit." But the Rangers' lead was already insurmountable. Shesterkin, the Rangers' goaltender, had been the series' most consistent force. He held Carolina to two goals or fewer in six of the seven games. His 37 saves on Monday extended a pattern of excellence that had defined the Rangers' unlikely path through the second round.
The Rangers will now face the Tampa Bay Lightning, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion, in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 1 is Wednesday in New York. The Lightning are the standard-bearers of the postseason, a team built to win in May and June. The Rangers, meanwhile, have momentum and a growing belief that they belong. They have not lost an elimination game this spring. They have come back from series deficits. They have found ways to win when it mattered most. What happens next will test whether that momentum is real or merely the product of a favorable draw and a hot goaltender.
Notable Quotes
All that comes from guys on the perimeter moving the puck well, coming up with loose pucks. You've got to respect Mika's shot there.— Chris Kreider, Rangers forward
That's got to be a boost. You've got to play for them a little bit.— Jordan Martinook, Hurricanes left wing, on losing teammates to injury
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
How much of this win was about what the Rangers did versus what happened to Carolina?
Both mattered, but not equally. The injuries to Jarvis and Raanta were real and significant, but the Rangers were already ahead 2-0 before either happened. Shesterkin was the difference-maker—he was dominant all series. The Rangers also executed. They didn't panic when they were down in the series.
Kreider had 52 goals in the regular season. Was he a dominant force throughout the playoffs, or did he peak at the right moment?
The source doesn't tell us his full playoff stat line, but his two goals in Game 7 came at crucial moments—one on the power play early, one on a breakaway in the third when the game was still being decided. That's clutch performance, whether or not he was dominant earlier.
The Hurricanes were 7-0 at home in the postseason before this game. That's a remarkable home record. What broke it?
The Rangers' goaltending and their ability to weather the storm. Carolina couldn't score enough. Shesterkin made 37 saves. Sometimes a hot goaltender in a Game 7 is simply too much to overcome, even at home.
What does facing Tampa Bay mean for this Rangers team?
It's a reality check. Tampa has won back-to-back Cups. They're the gold standard. The Rangers have momentum and confidence, but they're about to face a team that has been here before and knows how to win in the playoffs. It's the next test.