The Carolina Hurricanes have what it takes to shut down the New York Rangers.
It’s unknown when the Stanley Cup Playoffs will start, but whenever they start, the Carolina Hurricanes will be taking on the New York Rangers in the play-in round. Though the Hurricanes got swept by the Rangers during the regular season, that doesn’t really mean too much.
Keep in mind the Hurricanes got swept in the regular season by the Washington Capitals last season, and they wound up beating the then-defending Stanley Cup Champions in the first round of the postseason. Also, in 2018, the New Jersey Devils beat the Tampa Bay Lightning several times during the regular season. Yet the Lightning eliminated them in five games in the first round.
That said, the Hurricanes have to respect what the Rangers can do. The Rangers were playing impressive hockey just before the hiatus. While their momentum has been stopped, they’re still dangerous enough to pull off a minor upset. However, I think the Hurricanes will come out on top against the Rangers. Here’s why.
3. Scoring Depth
The Rangers calling card is their offense. Led by Hart Trophy candidate (and potentially winner) Artemi Panarin, the Rangers can score goals in bunches. They scored the fifth-most goals per game this season (3.33).
However, the Hurricanes are pretty darn good on offense too. They scored the 11th most goals per game in the league (3.19). If you break it down, that’s a 0.14 difference, or roughly an extra goal every seven games.
The Hurricanes also have a little bit more depth than the Rangers. Though Panarin and Mika Zibanejad are both outstanding players, they can only do so much. The Hurricanes have the firepower to match them with Teuvo Teravainen, Andrei Svechnikov, and Sebastian Aho, plus their role players like Vincent Trocheck, Martin Necas, and Justin Williams give them a slight edge. It’s an edge that could be the determining factor.