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The New York Rangers, the Presidents Trophy winners, face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in the first game of the NHL Playoffs East second round at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, SN and TVAS.
The Hurricanes, the second seed in the Metropolitan Division, are coming off a 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders at home on April 30, concluding a five game series.
The Rangers, meanwhile, are coming off a 4-2 road victory against the Capitals in the First Round on April 28. With both teams aiming for a strong start, Game One is expected to be a thriller.
The Hurricanes, who made the Eastern Conference final last year, are in the postseason for the sixth year in a row under Rod Brind'Amour. Their first-round victory against the Islanders is the first time a franchise won at least one series in six successive years since Detroit's run from 1995 to 2000.
It also signifies the first time the Hurricanes will not have home ice in a postseason series since 2019, not counting the bubble games four years ago.
The Rangers, who are chasing their first Stanley Cup title since 1994, when they also secured the Presidents' Trophy, will commence the second round at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers, leading the league with 30 home wins, and along with the Hurricanes are tied for third best with 25 road wins each during the season. They are set for their third postseason clash in five years.
Carolina managed a three game sweep in the 2020 playoff bubble's qualifying round, while New York secured a win in the decisive Game 7 on the road in the second round of the 2022 playoffs, after the home team had won the first six games.
Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers: Game preview
The New York Rangers showcased their dominance in the first round, with their offense rising to the center stage, scoring 15 goals in the sweep.
Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck led the top line with four goals and nine assists, while Jack Roslovic, Alexis Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin contributed four goals and seven assists. Defensemen Erik Gustafsson, Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba added six assists to boost the offense.
Despite their strong offensive performance, the defense was the backbone of the Rangers' success, allowing only seven goals in the first round and a mere three goals in the last two games of the playoff series.
The top defensive pairing of Adam Fox and K'Andre Miller, supported by Jacob Trouba, Erik Gustafsson and Ryan Lindgren, added depth to the unit, forcing turnovers in all three zones and limiting shots on goal.
The New York Rangers score an average rate of 3.75 goals per game, with a power play success rate of 37.5%. Defensively, they allow an average of 1.75 goals per outing and have a penalty kill rate of 88.2%.
In the net, Igor Shesterkin has been exceptional, with a save percentage of .931 and a GAA of 1.75 on 101 shots, allowing seven goals with 3.0 goals saved above average.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes offense led the way in the first round, scoring 19 goals in five games, six of which were in the final game, as they aim to dominate this series in the same way.
Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas led the team in the previous series with five goals and 12 assists. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Teuvo Teravainen and Jake Guentzel combined for five goals and seven assists.
Defensemen Brady Skjei and Brent Burns contributed a goal and six assists from the point to enhance the offense. Although the offense was the main contributor, the defense also played a crucial role, allowing only 12 goals in five games.
The Hurricanes score an average of 3.80 goals per game, with a power play success rate of 33.3%. Defensively, they allow an average of 2.40 goals per outing and have a penalty kill rate of 72.7%.
Goalie Frederik Andersen, with a record of 4-1-0, has been outstanding, with a save percentage of .912 and a GAA of 2.25 on 136 shots, allowing only 12 goals.
Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers: Injury report
The Hurricanes have Jesper Fast (upper body) and Brett Pesce (lower body and didn't travel to New York for practice). Tony DeAngelo, who has an upper-body injury, practiced on Saturday and is slated to play.
For the New York Rangers, Blake Wheeler is dealing with a lower-body injury. Adam Fox will also be playing after returning to practice on Saturday, having missed Wednesday and Thursday's practice for maintenance.
Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers: Head-to-head and significant numbers
The New York Rangers have an all time playoff record of 4-6-0 against the Hurricanes.
The Rangers have a 55.5% success rate in faceoffs, while the Hurricanes have a slightly lower rate at 50.2%.
However, the Hurricanes take more shots per game at 33.3%, compared to the Rangers 31.5%.
Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers: Odds and prediction
With a -115 odds, the Hurricanes are the hot favorites entering the game, while the Rangers stand at -105. The over/under has been set at 5.5 goals, suggesting a potential goalie face-off between Freddie Andersen and Igor Shesterkin.
Carolina has a 53-27 record as the odds favorite and have won 53 of 80 games played with odds shorter than -115, giving them a 53.3% chance of winning this game.
Meanwhile, the Rangers have been the underdog in 16 games, managing 10 upset wins when the odds are -105 or longer, so they stand a 51.5% chance to win this contest.
Prediction: Hurricanes 4-2 Rangers
Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers: Betting tips
Tip 1: Hurricanes to win
Tip 2: Total goals over 5.5: Yes
Tip 3: Artemi Panarin to score anytime: Yes
Tip 4: Sebastian Aho to score first: Yes
Tip 5: Rangers to beat the spread: No
Hot Betting Tip: Artemi Panarin is the favorite to score the first goal, with odds set at 9.50, and there's a chance to support him to score at any point in the game, with odds of 2.50.
