New York. For two and a half periods, the New York Rangers were dominating the Carolinas under the bridge.
But in the end, the favourites got out of their control, tied 1-1 with less than two and a half minutes ago, and then decided straight into overtime.
– We would have liked to score more goals, but within 50 minutes we played really well, says Mika Zibanijad.
Not with ambition to entertain New York Rangers He came to Raleigh to start the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes, it turned out with all the clarity needed.
Czech Filip Chetel scored 1-0 after seven minutes and then spent the rest of the match trying to stifle his skilled opponents.
They slowed down, clung to the middle again and made sure the home team had neither time nor room to maneuver.
Yes, the first two periods were perfect. “We played the best hockey game of the entire season,” says coach Gerard Gallant.
Mika Zibanjad agree with.
– We would have liked to score more goals, because we had chances, but for 50 minutes we played really well, he said.
A few goals were really needed, because in the third bite the frustrated Carolina came back, got a decent impact and in the end Rangers couldn’t resist anymore.
With less than two and a half minutes to go, the superb Sebastian Aho grabbed the puck straight from Igor Sejstorkin’s penalty area and slotted in a corner into the long-awaited equaliser.
Then the overtime that followed didn’t last more than three minutes before hillside Ian Cole – at least as unexpected champ as Josh Manson in Denver last night – decisively swept down the hill 2-1.
– Tough ending. It wasn’t fun. But we’ve been in this position before. Galant says he is just to keep fighting.
His second cabin mate, Rod Brindhamor, is very relieved.
Give confidence to the Rangers, they were clearly better than us in two periods. Then we leveled up at level three and got momentum with us in the stretch, he comments.
Match 2 of the series will be played the night before Saturday.