Carolina Hurricanes survive at home, edge New York Rangers 4-3 in Game 4

The Carolina Hurricanes still have hockey to play.

Playing an elimination game Saturday in their playoff series against the New York Rangers, the Canes avoided a four-game sweep by taking a 4-3 victory in Game 4 at PNC Arena.

Defenseman Brady Skjei’s power-play goal with 3:11 left in regulation gave the Canes a 4-3 lead. It was Carolina’s first power-play score of the series and had PNC Arena rumbling.

The Canes will go back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Monday. Their goal: continue their attempt to become the fifth team in NHL history to rebound from an 0-3 deficit in a Stanley Cup playoff series.

After Canes forward Jordan Martinook was tripped with 3:43 left, Skjei unloaded on an outside shot that beat goalie Igor Shesterkin as Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov earned the assists.

The Rangers, trailing 3-2 after two periods, did not take long to tie the score in the third as Alex Lafreniere put a puck on net that hit goaltender Frederik Andersen in the back and squeezed past the post.

The Canes led 2-0 in the first period and 3-1 after the opening period. But the Rangers got a goal from Barclay Goodrow in the second, then the tying score from Lafreniere, his fourth goal of the series, at 2:04 of the third.

Lafreniere had the puck to Andersen’s left and appeared set on carrying it behind the cage, only to put a quick backhander at Andersen. The leaky goal by the veteran goalie quickly quieted Canes fans in the arena.

But Andersen, given the start in Game 4, was the winner after the Canes’ late power-play strike.

After two periods: Canes lead 3-2

The Hurricanes built a 3-1 lead after the first period of Game 4 but the Rangers have made it a one-goal game in the second as the Canes lead 3-2.

Fourth-line center Barclay Goodrow deflected a shot by defenseman Braden Schneider past goalie Frederik Andersen from the right point at 12:43 for the only goal of the period.

Both teams had near-miss scoring chances in the second.

The Canes had a two-man rush into the Rangers zone the final seconds of the period. But Jake Guentzel’s shot was swallowed up by goalie Igor Shesterkin with 13.7 seconds remaining in what could have been a late-period dagger for Carolina.

Earlier in the period, Canes defenseman Tony DeAngelo had a shot through traffic hit the post. The Rangers Alex Wennberg also had one go off the post. Canes forward Jordan Martinook had a good look and a mostly open net but couldn’t convert in one sequence. So it went.

Through two periods, the Canes had a 23-20 shooting edge, with 51 total attempts to the Rangers’ 45. Carolina also led in scoring chances (26-22) and high-danger chances (11-4) according to naturalstattrick.com.

Big first period for Canes

The Canes scored twice on Shesterkin for a 2-0 lead as Evgeny Kuznetsov rifled a shortside shot, then Stefan Noesen knocked in a rebound. After a Rangers score, Sebastian Aho scored for a 3-1 lead after the first.

Kuznetsov quickly broke into his birdman celebration after his third goal of the playoffs. Spotting some Rangers fans sitting by the glass, he slammed his stick at them to end the celly.

Noesen followed up a shot by Teuvo Teravainen, breaking in on the backside to slap the puck past Shesterkin.

The Rangers quickly responded after the Noesen goal. Will Cuylie took a pass from Kaapo Kakko and broke between Brady Skjei and Tony DeAngelo up the slot to beat Andersen.

But Aho scored on a shot from the low slot, his third goal of the playoffs, for a 3-1 lead. Jake Guentzel had the primary assist for his ninth point in nine playoff games.

Andersen in net

Frederik Andersen the starter? That question was answered when the Carolina Hurricanes took the ice for warmups before Game 4 of their Stanley Cup playoff series with the New York Rangers. Andersen was the Canes’ starting goalie in the first seven games of the 2024 playoffs before Pyotr Kochetkov was made the starter for Game 3 against New York.

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour played it coy Saturday morning, not announcing his starter for Game 4.

“I’m going to change the mojo a little and let you guys sweat it out,” he told the media.

Shesterkin has stymied the Canes through three games, stopping 121 of 129 shots in the Rangers’ three wins that have taken the Canes to the brink of elimination.

“We understand he’s a great goalie and we need to do a better job of whatever it is to make it harder on him,” Brind’Amour said. “Pretty much every shot he’s seen he’s saved in this series.

“The ones he can’t see are deflections and this and that. If that’s what it’s got to be, that’s what it’s got to be.”

Must-win playoff game

Brind’Amour was asked Saturday morning if his team, in an 0-3 hole, faced more of a mental hurdle than a hockey hurdle, given that it’s pretty well known only four NHL teams have ever escaped an 0-3 playoff hole and won.

To Brind’Amour, it’s more about winning Game 4 and not worrying about a potential Game 5 or a comeback in the best-of-seven series.

“We’ve always done a good job of just worrying about right’s ahead of us, all year and since we started this whole thing years ago,” he said. “You just focus on your day ahead of you and try to be the best you can. Whether you’re up three or down three, it wouldn’t change that mindset.”

Power play problems

One thing that has to change for the Canes is power-play efficiency. So far, it has been totally inefficient — 0-for-15.

“I think we’ve obviously been thinking about it almost too much,” forward Martin Necas said Saturday. “Our power play has been good all season and even in the first round (against the Islanders) it has been quite good.

“Now we’re just thinking about (the Rangers) too much and we don’t do the things we did well before. We just kind of play around, which is what they want. We’ve got to be more up front and shoot from up top a little more.”

Injury update: Chytil does not play

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said forward Filip Chytil would be a game-time decision after not feeling well Saturday. Chytil, sidelined the last 72 games of the regular season with concussion issues, returned to the New York lineup in Game 3 and played 12 minutes.

Chytil was a scratch for the Rangers.

Quotable

“Everybody has got to chip in, inside of a long playoff run, to do their part. That’s the whole team in its entirety. You can’t pick and choose what you want to do. You’ve got to do everything. You’ve got to be willing to do everything.” -- Rangers coach Peter Laviolette