Series Talk: Rangers vs. Carolina (Game 1, Sunday May 5th @ 4pm ET, ESPN)

[Machinehead]

I agree with @DanielBrassard that their style favors us in a big way. Carolina runs around like crazy and we love the royal road. We should be able to score and the combination of Igor and Fox gives us a magic number of goals.

The biggest thing for me is that we were +1 at 5v5 this season and there is no special teams advantage for us in this series. That is terrifying.

That's based on season play and Carolina isn't facing our PK every night. Maybe our PK can shut them down. If they do, I like our chances, but I'm super nervous about facing the only other team that's top 5 in both special teams categories.

 

[NYR94]

One of the analytics guys on twitter, forgot who it was, basically said the Rangers don't match up well against Carolina. We'll see how it goes. I think Rangers can win but it will be tough.

 

[McRanger92]

We beat them in 2022. It's not 2022.

This is the same thing as everyone annoying me with their crying over potentially having to face Kucherov and his 20 friends he got off the street.

Just like Tampa sucks now, this isn't the Carolina team we beat.

We are a much better team than we were in 2022, and they are about the same I'd say. Ill take my chances in a special teams battle against them, if that's how it shakes out. We shouldnt lose a game at home this series. Like every matchup, if our guys are at the top of their game, we will win. The early returns in the playoffs from the core guys have been very promising, especially down the middle where we have a large advantage on them if Filip comes back.

And I think the Rangers will be highly motivated. Between the Canes being the favorite for the Cup (lol) and the hits by them that knocked out Fox and Chytil, the Rangers have plenty of reason to get up for this. And while the Rangers have shown they can regroup when adversity hits, the canes usually start whining and taking penalties when things arent going there way. They lack leadership and gamebreaking talent outside of that twerp Guentzel.

 

[Machinehead]

One of the analytics guys on twitter, forgot who it was, basically said the Rangers don't match up well against Carolina. We'll see how it goes. I think Rangers can win but it will be tough.

If you just look at analytics we don't match up against anybody lol

 

[Machinehead]

We are a much better team than we were in 2022, and they are about the same I'd say. Ill take my chances in a special teams battle against them, if that's how it shakes out. We shouldnt lose a game at home this series. Like every matchup, if our guys are at the top of their game, we will win. The early returns in the playoffs from the core guys have been very promising, especially down the middle where we have a large advantage on them if Filip comes back.

And I think the Rangers will be highly motivated. Between the Canes being the favorite for the Cup (lol) and the hits by them that knocked out Fox and Chytil, the Rangers have plenty of reason to get up for this. And while the Rangers have shown they can regroup when adversity hits, the canes usually start whining and taking penalties when things arent going there way. They lack leadership and gamebreaking talent outside of that twerp Guentzel.

This is true.

If we beat them Carolina, I think they're probably gonna freak out.

That comes from the coach. All he does is whine.

 

[Ruggs225]

If you just look at analytics we don't match up against anybody lol

We are a weird team. I think we adapt to games and other teams better than anybody else. We definitely dont impose a style or flow of the game on other teams. Because we dont need to.

Carolina plays one style, and one style only. Win or lose. We dont. Each ine plays slightly differently, and as a team Lav foes a great job of having the team adapt to the flow of the game.

 

[Machinehead]

MoneyPuck has us at 100% to make the second round.

 

[McRanger92]

This is true.

If we beat them Carolina, I think they're probably gonna freak out.

That comes from the coach. All he does is whine.

Totally agree. They have a cult of personality with Brind'Amour. Staal is only captain because he has been there the longest. It's tough to maintain your composure when your emotional leader isnt on the ice with you. Rangers are the complete opposite of this. For all the shit we give them they are incredibly even keeled. Not saying they wont take dumb penalties, but I know if they do they will be ready to go on the PK. Plus you give Mika and Kreider a couple games of tape against the Carolina PP and they'll be jumping the passing routes. Canes dont have Fox or Panarin to slow things down.

 

[Brutananadilewski]

Here's hoping they kill each other and the Islanders win Game 5.

Only for them to resume their killing but Islanders win Game 6.

And they commence killing each other where the victor is a hobbled, blinded, maimed team.

Rangers beat the Caps in 3, Rangers win this series in 2.

...I know what I said!

 

[hardnosed]

I know the regular season means squat. However, that mid March game in Carolina ended up being for the President's Cup and was played like a playoff game. I expect 6,7 similar games. We seem to have a very hot, confident goalie right now. Igor is the key

 

[Ruggs225]

Oddly i have more confidence in beating Carolina than the Islanders.

Not that either series is going to be easy, they wont be, but something about playing the isles in the playoffs terrifies me.

Maybe it is just the thought of my isles friends(and worse their kids) being able to gloat.

 

[bhamill]

They have much better depth and no bad players in their lineup. Lines 3 & 4 and pairs 2 & 3 are going to be a mismatch. We should play Chytil.

Also, Panarin needs to prove he can play like he did in the regular season for us to have more high-end talent.

Jake Guentzel is the best forward in the series if players play up to their playoff resume and he kills us.

I mean, yeah sure, but it's better to have the puck than not have it.

I disagree with some of this. Their highest scoring forward had 89 points to 120 for ours.
Their second highest scorer had 77, admittedly in less games than our second highest, Trocheck, who also had 77 and who I absolutely would not trade for Guentzal.
NYR had 5 players above 70 points... CAR had 2.
Panarin has been fine, Washington "over covered" him freeing up Trocheck and he still had one point less than Guentzal, with all of his playoff potential. Tro outscored Guentzal, while doing EVERYTHING else so well at the same time. Laf has as many points as Guentzal, and has been playing a very physical game.
Fox is the best Dman in this series, offensively and defensively, if not the entire playoffs.
Shesty is the superior goalie. Period.
Mika has woken up a bit, if they key on him, that loosens things up for Panarin.
Carolina is the softest team in the East in the playoffs.

All that said: NYR in 6. I don't think Carolina is not a talented team, or will be a pushover, I just think, regardless of what the underlying stats say, they match up badly with us. As you yourself has said: a lesser version of us has beaten a better version of them... with them having home ice advantage, unlike this time around.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I know the regular season means squat. However, that mid March game in Carolina ended up being for the President's Cup and was played like a playoff game. I expect 6,7 similar games. We seem to have a very hot, confident goalie right now. Igor is the key

Yes and no.

It was a gut check for the Rangers who were coming off of playing the devils defense the night before and needing to travel. They started well and then fatigue caught up before they just gutted out the 3rd for a shutout win. They won’t be faced with the fatigue angle this time, it’s impossible for them to be less rested than the Canes.


Not ironically, that game was 1 of the 2 excellent games your boy played all year. If they get that out of Lindgren they win in 5 or less.

 

[bobbop]

Yes, but technically true.

The Hurricanes, on paper, are a better team than we are. Like, sorry I guess. That being said, we've seen them fail in the playoffs and we've seen them fail to score against us. The team that gets a hotter powerplay probably wins and it's a coin toss.

Once you're in the second round in today's NHL, you're in the mode where literally anybody can beat anybody.

The Islanders...I don't know what to make of the Islanders. Everything about that matchup says Rangers in 5 but if they crawled into that series, they would have just beaten Carolina 4 in a row so

They aren’t a better team on paper. The Rangers have a better goaltender and a true number one defenseman. The Rangers have plugged the holes in their lineup with NHL quality players.. If Carolina was that good, they should have beaten the Islanders in 3.

Carolina is a good team. The Rangers are a shade better. In a long series, anything can happen.

 

[bhamill]

books have car favored at -150 to win series, figured it would be -110 or -120 considering we have home ice and presidents winner. i guess better not to be the favorite.

I never mind being underestimated.

 

[bhamill]

If you just look at analytics we don't match up against anybody lol

And yet won more games than everyone else. hahahaha. Analytics don't tell the whole story nor completely predict the outcome.

 

[Rongomania]

Rangers in 6 regardless of opponent

You know it’s going 7. Sweeping round one means nothing but 7 game series from here on out.

Buckle the f*ck up. I’m gonna go back to drinking full time probs.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

If the Isles reverse sweep the Canes that would be amazing for us.

We’d beat them in 5. They also suck.

 

[FultonReed]

MoneyPuck has us at 100% to make the second round.

what a jinx, i never trusted that site anyway

 

[zlev]

I dont think people are sleeping on Guentzel, but we beat him when he was on Crosby's wing. We can beat him on Aho's too.

we were playing against a 3rd string goalie in that series

 

[DialUp]

If paper mean analytics sure. If paper means eye test, maybe (but its misleading!).
If paper means actual talent - then it's a toss up at worst.

Rangers can win, Canes can win. These teams are equal in terms of amount of strengths and weaknesses. Rangers in 6

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

Igor is gonna have to go sicko mode for us to beat Carolina. Guentzel and a little secondary offense from Coke boy was exactly what they've been missing.

Time to steal a series Igor. It hasn't happened yet

 

[KennyWu]

Here we go!

Anyone have scouting reports on our prospective opponents?

I have it on good authority that both teams, are indeed, very ugly

 

[NYR Viper]

Guentzel is a good player. He isn't THAT good. Crosby lured defenders to him and has done so for 15 years. He has 4 points in 4 games in the first round, with 2 assists coming on the PP. I mean he's another weapon for them, for sure, but people calling him the best player in the series are out to lunch

 

[zlev]

Carolina is definitely better than we are but they were also much better in 2022. but we have Igor who has clearly been in their heads for years. it will be a war, a very even series.