For Hurricanes, Rangers it’s time to focus on the real thing
The Carolina Hurricanes have played their exhibition game, losing.
The New York Rangers have played their exhibition game, losing.
The only thing that matters now, for both, is winning.
The Canes and Rangers are matched up in a qualifying round — the Canes the higher seed, the Rangers having swept the regular-season series. Game 1 of the best-of-five series in Toronto begins Saturday and both teams have some work to do, and decisions to be made, before the puck drops at Scotiabank Arena.
The Canes’ 3-2 exhibition loss Wednesday to the Washington Capitals mixed some good with bad, as expected. The Canes, at least in the first two periods, were ragged in their zone. Puck-handling miscues led to scoring chances for the Caps and the Caps made the most of them. The rhythm wasn’t there.
“When it’s on our stick we’ve got to make plays, we’ve got to get it out,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said in his postgame media call.
The good? The Canes converted a 5-on-3 power play chance in the third period, Teuvo Teravainen scoring on a one-timer. Goalie James Reimer was sharp in net. Center Vincent Trocheck scored and looked more his pesky self. Others had their moments — Ryan Dzingel, Justin Williams, Morgan Geekie among them.
A best-of-five series will be something new, adding to the urgency of getting a strong start and winning Game 1.
“When you play five games Game 1 is not a must but I would say ‘m-u-s’ and start to cross the ‘t,” NBC Sports analyst Eddie Olczyk said in a media call this week.
Brind’Amour came out of the exhibition saying he had lineup decisions to make. For starters, who will be the starting goalie Saturday, Reimer or Petr Mrazek? There is also the lingering question about the availability of defenseman Dougie Hamilton and forward Martin Necas, who have missed practices and now the exhibition game.
The Canes did get some special teams work against the Caps. They killed off four of five penalties and had power-play time. Alex Ovechkin did score a power-play goal for the Caps but that happens, a lot.
“It’s been a long off for us and we haven’t had a lot of scrimmage time,” Brind’Amour said.
The Rangers did not score until late in their exhibition game against the New York Islanders, losing 2-1. The Rangers had 27 shots but were stifled for most of the game by goalies Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss plus some sound defensive play by the Isles.
Rangers coach David Quinn started rookie goalie Igor Shesterkin, then brought in Henrik Lundqvist in the second period. Shesterkin faced just seven shots as each goalie allowed one goal.
Veteran defenseman Marc Staal, the brother of the Canes’ Jordan Staal, left the game with an apparent injury and did not return, although Quinn later said it was a precautionary move.
Rangers forward Chris Kreider said while losing to the Islanders is never a good thing, in any setting, the Rangers got what they needed out of the game.
“Especially playing a team like the Islanders, very structurally sound, veteran,” he said. “Just being able to get your timing back and legs back under you, just getting used to playing without that time and space, you can only get so much from intrasquad scrimmages.
“You just want to cut your teeth a little bit going into the first game of the series.”
To Kreider, there were elements of the game that were much like a playoff game.
“They don’t give you an inch and that’s what playoff hockey is,” Kreider said. “You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”
That’s the Canes’ plan for Saturday: make the Rangers uncomfortable with an aggressive forecheck, with quicker and better transition from the defensive end to the offensive zone. That’s what they did in the third period against Washington.
“I think we’ll definitely spring board off that,” Brind’Amour said.
Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers
What: Game 1, Qualifying Round.
When: Saturday, Noon
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto.
Watch, listen: FOX Sports Carolinas is broadcasting the game remotely from PNC Arena, with Mike Maniscalco handling play by play and Tripp Tracy the analyst.
Look for: Who’s in net. Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour must decide between Petr Mrazek, who started the exhibition game Wednesday against Washington, or James Reimer as his starting goalie. Rangers coach David Quinn could go with rookie Igor Shesterkin or the old pro, Henrik Lundqvist, who beat the Canes three times this season with a .947 save percentage.
Questions: Can the Canes find a way to contain the Rangers’ big skill guys such as Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin? That will be harder if defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who has missed practices and the exhibition game, is unable to play. The Rangers like the Canes can quickly transition to offense and have the speed to get down ice. The Canes must establish a forecheck early and maintain pressure in the offensive zone, and be cleaner in the defensive zone.
Of note: As the designated home team and the higher seed, the Canes will have “last change” in Game 1. During any stop in play, Quinn must first send out any line or defensive changes and Brind’Amour then can counter with what he hopes presents favorable matchups for Carolina.
Quotable: “We both know how each played and we both know what we try to do in the game, but playoff hockey is a little different than the regular season. I don’t think those games matter anymore. They were a long time ago and I’m sure we’ll be better in the playoffs.” -- Canes center Sebastian Aho on being swept by the Rangers this season.
Up next: The Canes and Rangers play Game 2 on Monday at noon in Scotiabank Arena.
This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 2:58 PM with the headline "For Hurricanes, Rangers it’s time to focus on the real thing."
