Hurricanes edge Rangers, win Metropolitan Division title

NEW YORK
-- Vincent Trochek had a goal and an aid, rookie Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 31 shots and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers iv-3 Tuesday nighttime to win their fifth straight and clinch the Metropolitan Sectionalisation title.

Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Jordan Martinook also scored for Carolina, and Brady Skjei had two assists. The Hurricanes, who won their second straight division title later on winning the realigned Central Partitioning in final year'southward shortened season, fix franchise records with 53 wins and 114 points, topping marks set in 2005-06.

"I think you lot probably need to accept a infinitesimal and just realize that it's a pretty darn good year, nosotros've done what we wanted to practice," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "What's great is guys aren't really that excited nigh it. They know there's bigger things we're trying to accomplish."

This was matchup of the tiptop 2 teams in the Metropolitan with first identify within reach for the Rangers. Instead, the Hurricanes beat them for the tertiary time in four meetings this flavor - including twice at Madison Square Garden in xv days - to accept the division.

"I look forward to these kind of games," Skjei said. "This was a huge win for us. We are very pumped up that we won the sectionalization."

Kochetkov, making his 2d career start and third straight appearance, had 11 saves in the kickoff menstruation, xi in the second and 9 in the third to amend to 3-0-0.

"It's a great story, hopefully it continues," Brind'Amour said of the 22-year-erstwhile goalie. "Nothing is fazing him. He looks like he belongs."

Chris Kreider scored his 52nd goal for the Rangers, who have lost two straight and 3 of seven and are assured of finishing 2d in the Metropolitan. Jacob Trouba and Alexis Lafrenière also scored, and Igor Shesterkin finished with 31 saves.

"At times I didn't like our game, merely overall nosotros battled back," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. "We know where we're going to terminate. ... Offset, second, wherever you end, yous're going to play a great team (in the playoffs)."

Aho pounced on a loose puck and fired a shot past Shesterkin for his team-leading 37th of the flavour 32 seconds into the tertiary to push Carolina's lead to 4-i.

Trouba pulled the Rangers back inside two equally he scored from the right betoken for his career-high 11th with half dozen:48 left.

With Shesterkin pulled for an extra skater, Lafrenière scored on a ane-timer from the right side with 1:02 left to get the Rangers inside 1. It was his 18th.

Later on a scoreless offset period, the Hurricanes took command with three goals in the 2nd.

The Rangers had three power plays in a 7:09 stretch from late in the beginning menstruation to early in the second. They managed iv shots on goal on the advantages but couldn't break through against the league'southward top penalty-killing unit.

"It'due south the game right there," Brind'Amour said. "They go one at that place, everything changes. The crowd gets into information technology, we're behind the 8-ball, the game's totally different. That was a crucial function of the game."

Trochek and so gave the Hurricanes the pb as he crush Shesterkin with a slap shot from the left circle off a pass from Skjei - one of six former Rangers on the Carolina roster - at seven:05 of the centre flow. It was his 21st of the season.

Martinook made it 2-0 with 6:12 remaining in the second as he deflected a shot by Derek Stepan, some other former Ranger, from the right circle past Shesterkin. It was Martinook'south 5th.

"It got me in the big bicep," Martinook said of his deflection.

Kreider pulled the Rangers back within one as he put a backhander past Kochetkov with 3:02 left. It tied Adam Graves (1993-94) for the 2d-about goals in a single season in franchise history, just two behind the record set by Jaromir Jagr in 2005-06.

"It's a difficult thing to reverberate on afterward that game ... later on a loss like that," Kreider said.

Teravainen restored Carolina's ii-goal as he skated in the left circle and vanquish Shesterkin for is 21st with 1:41 to become in the flow.

The Hurricanes outshot the Rangers 14-11 in the get-go period with both goalies making several nice stops.

MCDONALD WINNER

Kreider was announced as the Rangers' winner of the 2022 Steven McDonald "Extra Effort" Accolade. The laurels, named for the onetime NYPD detective shot and injured on the job in 1986, is given annually to a Rangers player selected in fan voting who "goes above and beyond the call of duty." McDonald's widow Patti and son Connor - an NYPD sergeant- were in attendance to present the award.

MILESTONES

Kreider'due south goal was the 229th of his career, breaking a tie with Pecker Melt for 10th place in franchise history. ... Aho'southward goal gave him 400 career points. ... Teravainen got his 100th goal with the Hurricanes. ... Carolina F Max Domi played in his 500th career game.

SHORT-HANDED

The Rangers were ii men down in the tertiary period later on announcing forwards Artemi Panarin (upper body injury) and Andrew Copp (lower body injury) would not render to the game.

"(They) should be fine," Gallant said. "Merely being cautious."

Upward NEXT

Hurricanes: Host New Jersey on Thursday night to close the regular season.

Rangers: Host Montreal on Midweek nighttime before wrapping up the regular season Friday against Washington.

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