NY Rangers (2-2) at Carolina (2-2)
When: Thursday, May 26th 2022
Where: PNC Arena,
Raleigh, NC
Time: 7:00 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: Carolina -141/5.5
Home ice isn’t as a big a factor like homecourt is in the NBA, but don’t tell that to the Carolina Hurricanes. They have been Jekyll and Hyde this postseason and hope that continues for at least one more game. The Hurricanes will host the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday night in Raleigh with the series tied at 2-2. Carolina has played 11 games this postseason and are a perfect 6-0 at home and 0-5 on the road. The statistics are not misleading either. The ‘Canes have outscored the opposition 22-7 at home with a 94.1 percent penalty kill in its own building. However, Carolina has been outscored 21-8 on the road and are just 16-for-23 on the penalty kill (69.6 percent). The Rangers evened the series up with two wins at Madison Square Garden including a 4-1 win on Tuesday.
New York goalie Igor Shesterkin and the defense have held Carolina to 0-for-9 on the power play this series. Shesterkin has allowed just one goal in each of his last three games and a total of five on 122 shots in the series. The Rangers got out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and added to that on a Mika Zibanejad goal in the second, as New York won their fifth consecutive home game. Zibanejad has five goals this postseason and club-best 14 points, with 10 of those point coming in his past six games. With the series tied 2-2, Carolina is -160 to win, while New York is +125. This series will end in either six or seven games and both of those odds are -115.
Shesterkin stopped 30 of 31 shots in Game 4 and is the fifth goaltender in club history to post a five-game home winning streak during a postseason. He hasn’t been as solid away from MSG. Frank Vatrano (third of playoffs), Adam Fox (fourth), Zibanejad (fifth) and Andrew Copp (fifth) had the goals in Game 4. Fox, who also had an assist, scored the first game-winning goal in the playoffs by a New York defenseman since Dan Boyle in 2015. New York has been without winger Barclay Goodrow this series but has resumed skating and is getting close.
Carolina’s goal in Game 4 came from Teuvo Teravainen, his third of the playoffs, but it was when his team was trailing 3-0 in the third period. It was Teravainen’s 15th career playoff goal, which puts him fifth on the Hurricanes/Whalers’ all-time list. Sebastian Aho picked up an assist on the lone goal and is now the franchise’s all-time postseason points leader with 44. The Canes were 0-for-2 on the power play and 0-for-9 in the series. Antti Raanta stopped 24 of 28 shots and how has a 2.09 GAA and .931 SVP in the playoffs. Regular starter Frederik Andersen has been skating on his own as he bids to make a return from a lower-body injury. Anderson sports a 35-14-3 record during the regular season with a 2.17 GAA and a .922 save percentage.
Carolina is a completely different team at home and are realistically the better team in this series. I’m sticking with the trend here and laying the wood on the ‘Canes.
Pick: Hurricanes -150
