Stanley Cup Playoffs: Hurricanes versus Rangers series preview, prediction
The most interesting series in the play-in round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is the one between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers.
Hockey will be returning on August 1 when the play-in round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs officially gets underway. Most of the play-in series are interesting, but no series is as fascinating as the one between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers.
This series promises to be a very exciting one. No team allowed more shot attempts per hour during all situations than the Rangers. If you like fast-paced games, this series will have plenty of them. Both teams have impressive skill and depth, which should lead to a very exciting series.
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It has been several months since these two teams played, so here’s a quick refresher course on how the Hurricanes and Rangers got to this point.
Carolina Hurricanes
After making the Eastern Conference Final last season, the Hurricanes decided to improve their roster this summer. They added James Reimer, Ryan Dzingel, Erik Haula, and Jake Gardiner to boost their already impressive team.
The Hurricanes, though, had a rough season. They faced numerous injuries and struggles. However, the Hurricanes managed to avoid spiraling out of control and though they didn’t finish as high in the standings as they wanted, they’re back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight year.
Oh, and they famously beat the Toronto Maple Leafs with an emergency goaltender.
New York Rangers
When the Rangers signed Artemi Panarin on July 1, that signified their rebuild was over. You don’t sign someone to one of the richest contracts ever given out if you’re rebuilding. Panarin had his best season yet and was rightfully rewarded by being named a Hart Trophy finalist. Mika Zibanejad had a meteoric season that included a five-goal effort against the Washington Capitals.
Igor Shesterkin took over the net on Broadway in January and posted outstanding numbers. Just as Henrik Lundqvist is feeling the effects of Father Time (took long enough), the Rangers appear to have the heir to his throne.