(1M) Rangers at (2M) Hurricanes
Eastern Conference Second Round, Game 3
7 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC
New York leads best-of-7 series 2-0
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The New York Rangers will look to stay perfect in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and take a 3-0 lead on the Carolina Hurricanes when they play Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at PNC Arena on Thursday.
The Rangers have won six straight games to begin the postseason, including Games 1 and 2 against the Hurricanes by identical 4-3 scores, including in double overtime in Game 2 on Tuesday.
New York hasn't won seven straight games to start a postseason since 1994, the last time it won the Stanley Cup. The Rangers are trying to become the first team to open the playoffs 7-0 since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008.
"It's been fun to be on this streak," Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey said. "We have a big belief in the locker room of the way we play and that we're going to get the results that we want. We've just built that throughout the season. I'm not sure if it's changed or anything, but it's fun. This is what you play for and I think we're embracing the playoffs and all the challenges that present."
Down 2-0, the Hurricanes are making a goalie change for Game 3, going with Pyotr Kochetkov instead of Frederik Andersen.
Andersen allowed four goals in each of the first two games of the series, with an .871 save percentage (54 saves on 62 shots). He has been the only goalie Carolina has used in the playoffs, going 4-3 with a 2.58 goals-against average and .899 save percentage in seven games.
Kochetkov and Andersen alternated starts for the last quarter of the regular season, each getting 10 before Spencer Martin started the last game.
Kochetkov hasn't played since April 14. This will be his second Stanley Cup Playoff start and first at home. His other came on May 6, 2022, against the Boston Bruins, when he made 24 saves in a 4-2 loss in Game 3 of the first round at TD Garden. He has entered in relief four other times, including twice against the Rangers in the second round of the 2022 playoffs.
"He's got a different demeanor," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "Freddie's really calm and cool and 'Kootch' is a little more passionate and wears his emotions on his sleeve. But they are both pretty good goalies."
The Hurricanes are comfortable at home in the playoffs, with 18 home wins since 2021, tied for the most in the League in that span. They went 3-0 at home in the first round against the New York Islanders.
"We might down 0-2, but there's a lot of life in the locker room, a lot of experience that we have here with our group," Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin said. "We all feel confidence. Tonight is a huge game for us and we've got to do a job that is right there for us. We've got the pieces, we just have to make it work."
Teams that lead a best-of-7 series 2-0 go on to win the series 86.2 percent of the time (351-56), including 88.6 percent (264-34) when starting at home, as the Rangers did. New York is 12-4 all time when leading a best-of-7 series 2-0.
Here are 3 keys to Game 3:
1. Special teams, again
This can't be emphasized enough because special teams have been the difference in the series so far, the biggest reason why the Rangers lead 2-0.
New York holds a 4-0 advantage in the special teams department, going 4-for-9 on the power play and 10-for-10 with 10 shots on goal against on the penalty kill.
Rangers center Vincent Trocheck will try to become the first player in Stanley Cup Playoff history to score a power-play goal in five straight games. He scored the Game 2 double-overtime winner on the man-advantage. Forward Chris Kreider scored the tying goal in the third period, also on the power play.
"Work ethic and details for me," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "You have to totally look at your opponent and the fact that they've been extremely successful in both areas. You have to make sure you're ready to execute. You have to make sure you're ready with the work ethic and the work that goes into that. There's a lot of things that go into it but when you understand that your opponent has been outstanding all year at both of those areas you really have to make sure you're on point. We've got to continue to do that."
2. Test Kochetkov
The task against any goalie is to test him early and often, but New York should have a magnified emphasis on that out of the gate Kochetkov hasn't played in nearly a month, a 4-2 regular-season win at the Chicago Blackhawks when he wasn't tested much, making 14 saves on 16 shots April 14.
"If that's the case, and I didn't know [the Hurricanes were changing goalies], we'll just have to try to keep shooting," Rangers center Mika Zibanejad said.
Laviolette indicated New York had been preparing for Andersen, so getting Kochetkov is a bit of a curveball. But he said the Rangers have done prep work on Kochetkov, and Zibanejad said they'll get a scouting report on him before the game.
"We've had it all year where we get some type of pre-scout on the goalie," Zibanejad said, "just like we get the pre-scout on how they play, but I don't think you come down and think necessarily about where you shoot. You try to see an open shot and try to hit your spot no matter who the goalie is."
3. Don't retaliate
If the Hurricanes plan to win the special teams battle, they have to limit the number of power-play opportunities they give the Rangers. And that means they need to stay disciplined and avoid retaliation penalties, like the one Jake Guentzel took for punching New York defenseman Adam Fox in the face at 9:47 of the second period in Game 2.
That one didn't burn the Hurricanes, but the Rangers' power play has been so lethal, any extra opportunity as a result of retaliation could be critical.
"You definitely want to sometimes," Carolina forward Seth Jarvis said about the desire to retaliate, "but knowing how good their power play is, and usually they find a way to call the retaliation one and not the initial one, so you want to stop yourself and you've really got to think about the bigger picture."
It's important for the Hurricanes to stay physically engaged but careful with their sticks; of the 12 penalties they've taken in the series, five have been for tripping and two have been for cross-checking.
"It's the little stick penalties that are going to get you," Jarvis said, "the little stupid penalties that you don't want to take that usually find a way to come back and bite you."
Rangers projected lineup
Chris Kreider -- Mika Zibanejad -- Jack Roslovic
Artemi Panarin -- Vincent Trocheck -- Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle -- Alex Wennberg -- Kaapo Kakko
Jimmy Vesey -- Barclay Goodrow -- Matt Rempe
Ryan Lindgren -- Adam Fox
K'Andre Miller -- Braden Schneider
Erik Gustafsson -- Jacob Trouba
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick
Scratched: Zac Jones, Chad Ruhwedel, Jonny Brodzinski, Louis Domingue, Adam Edstrom, Filip Chytil
Injured: Blake Wheeler (lower body)
Hurricanes projected lineup
Jake Guentzel -- Sebastian Aho -- Andrei Svechnikov
Jordan Martinook -- Jack Drury -- Martin Necas
Teuvo Teravainen -- Jordan Staal -- Seth Jarvis
Jesperi Kotkaniemi -- Evgeny Kuznetsov -- Stefan Noesen
Jaccob Slavin -- Brent Burns
Brady Skjei -- Tony DeAngelo
Dmitry Orlov -- Jalen Chatfield
Pyotr Kochetkov
Frederik Andersen
Scratched: Maxime Comtois, Jackson Blake, Brendan Lemieux, Scott Morrow, Bradly Nadeau, Spencer Martin, Dylan Coghlan, Ryan Suzuki, Ronan Seeley
Injured: Jesper Fast (upper body), Brett Pesce (lower body)
Status report
The Rangers are expected to dress the same lineup they used in Games 1 and 2. ... The Hurricanes did not hold a morning skate Thursday. ... Kuznetsov, a healthy scratch in Game 2, will return to the lineup.
NHL.com independent correspondent Kurt Dusterberg contributed to this report
