Hurricanes vault into first in the Metro Division with a win over the New York Rangers

Tony DeAngelo called it a meaningful game, but not for personal reasons.

The Carolina Hurricanes defenseman wanted to beat his former team to lift the Canes back into the lead in the Metropolitan Division. That was top priority Friday, not vindication, he said.

The Hurricanes did that, absorbing a few hard hits along the way but holding off the New York Rangers 6-3 at PNC Arena as DeAngelo and Sebastian Aho each had a goal and two assists.

The Canes (27-8-2) moved into first place in the Metro ahead of the Rangers (26-11-4), who had won three straight and had 15 road wins this season. Both have 56 points but the Canes, who have won the last three, have four games-in-hand on New York.

“It was a battle for first place and we got right back to where we want to be,” DeAngelo said.

It was a game of speed and pace but also of push and shove -- and a few big hits. The Canes led 5-1 after the second period, but the Rangers scored twice in 74 seconds in the third to make it a two-goal game and make things a lot busier for Canes goalie Frederik Andersen, who won his 21st game with 20 saves.

Aho’s 400th career game was one to remember, the center showing off his playmaking skills and scoring his goal in the second period while tumbling to the ice, sweeping a loose puck past goalie Alexandar Georgiev.

“His evolution as a player has been great,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “He wants to be one of the best players in the game and he knows there’s a certain way you have to play every night to get in that category.”

Vincent Trocheck had a goal and assist and Andrei Svechnikov two assists for the Canes, now 15-4-1 at home. But it was DeAngelo who was named the game’s first star, who had Canes fans chanting “To-ny, To-ny!”

“Tonight was just hockey,” DeAngelo said. “It was exciting to play them but I have a lot of good buddies over there. It’s not like there’s hard feelings and you hate them or anything like that. It’s just being competitive and wanting to win. We’re just looking to win games.”

The Canes led 2-0 after a decisive first period that had Carolina get a power-play goal from Trocheck on a deflection of a DeAngelo shot, then a transition score from rookie forward Seth Jarvis off an Aho pass. It was 3-0 in the second period after winger Jesper Fast, another former Ranger, scored on a long shot from the left point.

DeAngelo had assists on the Trocheck goal and then the Fast goal, becoming the first defenseman in franchise history to earn 30 points in his first 30 games. After Trocheck scored, DeAngelo let out a big yell that smacked of both satisfaction and celebration.

But, in a matter of seconds, things took a turn in the second period.

The Rangers’ Barclay Goodrow landed a huge hit on the Canes’ Teuvo Teravainen near the boards in the New York zone -- a clean blow that left Teravainen in pain on the ice. Canes forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi jumped in, going after Goodrow, but the Rangers ended up with a power play as Kotkaniemi was called for a double minor for roughing with 13:31 left in the period.

The Rangers quickly banged in a shot, Mika Zibanejad scoring, and New York continued to push. Andersen made a good right-pad save, robbing Artemi Panarin of a goal, and the Canes weathered it.

By then, Trocheck had limped off the ice after blocking a shot. The Canes, already missing forwards Martin Necas and Jordan Martinook, both in the NHL COVID protocol, suddenly were down two forwards in the game.

Down, but not out. Trocheck soon returned in the period. Teravainen also came back to be a part of an offensive flurry that ended with Aho scoring his 17th of the season, and the Canes made it 5-1 in the final minute of the second as Svechnikov fed Nino Niederreiter for his 11th.

Teravainen was not able to play in the third period, said Brind’Amour, who had no further update on his lower-body injury after the game. The Canes, who recalled forward Stefan Noesen to the taxi squad Friday from Chicago (AHL), play a road game Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.

Chris Kreider’s 26th goal, on a power play, and an even-strength score from former Canes forward Greg McKegg pulled New York within 5-3 in the third. But a power-play goal by DeAngelo finished it off as Aho assisted.

DeAngelo played 167 games for New York but had a controversial departure from the Rangers last year. After a Jan. 30, 2021, altercation with Georgiev following an overtime loss to Pittsburgh, DeAngelo was put on waivers and later had his contract bought out, making him a free agent.

DeAngelo found a team willing to give him another chance in the Hurricanes and has been a consistent contributor despite being sidelined with COVID-19.

“I knew what kind of player he was coming here and he’s been doing exactly what I thought he’d do,” said Fast, one of DeAngelo’s former teammates in New York. “He’s such a good player on the ice, skating wise. He’s one of the best in the league in my opinion and has been real important to us.”

This story was originally published January 21, 2022 at 9:42 PM.

Chip Alexander

The News & Observer

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In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.