Hurricanes-Rangers game at Madison Square Garden could help decide NHL’s Metro division
Here’s the way the weekend went for Brett Pesce of the Carolina Hurricanes:
On Friday night, the defenseman played almost 23 minutes in the Canes’ game against the New York Islanders. He spent Saturday on his couch watching Tiger Woods in the Masters, then was back on the ice Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks at PNC Arena.
That’s the way it is this time of the NHL season. The games are seemingly every other day and you grab some rest whenever and however you can.
“It’s good,” Pesce said Sunday. “Just playing, not much practice. Just going out and riding it out.”
The Hurricanes still have nine games to ride out in the regular season, and have an important — and intriguing — road test Tuesday against the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden.
The Canes (47-18-8) hold a two-point lead in the Metropolitan Division with 102 points. The Rangers (47-20-6) are second with 100 points — also after 73 games — and can pull even with Carolina with a victory.
“But the bigger picture is down the road,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant told the New York media Monday. “It’s exciting. It should be two teams ready to play for first place and that’s going to be really exciting.
“We’ll see where it goes. If we have a disappointing result it’s not the end of the world. We’re still battling for position. You have to keep playing well and winning games.”
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The Canes and Rangers split their first two games this season, both in Raleigh. After Tuesday’s matchup, they’ll play again at the Garden on April 26.
With a playoff berth now clinched — and all but assured for months — it would be easy for the Canes to be counting down the days until the playoffs begin. Not so, Pesce said.
“We still have tons of energy,” he said. “The way I figure it, every day in this league is a blessing. It’s a privilege. I don’t care what time of the year it is, you’re lucky to be in the National Hockey League and I try not to take that for granted.”
That was said after Sunday’s morning skate. The Canes then won 5-2, playing one of their more complete games of the season as captain Jordan Staal had a hat trick.
Pesce won’t be lacking for energy or enthusiasm Tuesday. He’s from Tarrytown, New York, not too far from New York City. He’s going home.
The Canes also have all those former Rangers: defensemen Tony DeAngelo, Brady Skjei and Brandon Smith; and forwards Jesper Fast and Derek Stepan. Goalie Antti Raanta also spent two seasons with the Rangers and had four shutouts in 2016-17.
Because of the pandemic and then NHL scheduling this season, the Canes have not played at Madison Square Garden since Dec. 27, 2019. That will make Tuesday’s game more meaningful for the all ex-Rangers returning for the first time with the Hurricanes.
The Rangers shut out the Canes 2-0 on March 20 at PNC Arena, ending Carolina’s 14-game home point streak, but it took a season-high 44 saves from goalie Alexandar Georgiev to do it. Jordan Staal and Martin Necas each had six shots in the game but Georgiev was at his best.
The Rangers, who clinched a playoff spot Saturday, are 18-1-0 in the last 19 games against Carolina at the Garden, but realize that’s all past history with several of the players who helped make that happen now wearing Canes jerseys. They’re aware that the Hurricanes again will bring an aggressive, attacking approach.
“Obviously very in your face, hard forechecking,” Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba told the New York media Monday. “When they get buzzing around, they get buzzing around. But don’t lose your composure and keep a lot of it to the outside. There’s a lot rimmed pucks, a lot of wall battles, a lot of up and down in transition and a lot of skating. That’s how they play, and we can play that game.”
This story was originally published April 12, 2022 at 6:32 AM.
