The New York Rangers hold a 3-1 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes (4-3, 4-3 2OT, 3-2 OT, 3-4) as they head into Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While three consecutive series sweeps would have been dramatic, the Rangers’ victories have all been by a single goal, underscoring the strength of their opponent. Peter Laviolette’s team, despite the close scores, dominated the opening game but needed two overtime periods for the next two wins. The Game 4 loss could prove beneficial for the Rangers in the long run, as much of the series’ outcome now hinges on this pivotal matchup.
It seems unlikely the Hurricanes can rally from a 3-1 deficit, but Stanley Cup history has seen teams claw back from hopeless positions. The first step was taken by Carolina, fueled by Evgeny Kuznetsov, whose wrist shot beat Igor Shesterkin just two minutes into Game 4. The home side was expected to press from the opening whistle, as they did in the previous game. The Rangers needed to weather the storm, but Stefan Noesen doubled the lead four minutes later. Almost immediately, Kaapo Kakko set up Will Cuylle on a breakaway against Frederik Andersen, pulling New York back within one, ending a frantic scoring spurt.
The second period saw only one goal, much to the dismay of the Raleigh crowd, as the puck found the Hurricanes’ net again. Both teams had plenty of chances, hitting posts back and forth. The Blueshirts even nearly scored shorthanded, with Shesterkin sending a long pass for a three-on-one rush, only for Alexander Wennberg’s shot to hit the crossbar. However, the post worked in the visitors’ favor when Barclay Goodrow’s shot deflected off it into the Carolina net. Early in the third period, Alexis Lafrenière outsmarted Andersen, scoring off a wraparound that deflected off the goalie’s pad to tie the game. The turning point came with a Ryan Lindgren holding penalty. The Hurricanes finally converted on their 17th power-play opportunity of the series, as Brady Skjei’s shot found the net. Shesterkin allowed more than three goals for the first time in 30 playoff games, though he was hardly at fault for the loss. Artemi Panarin managed just one shot on goal and finished minus-3. Now, Carolina looks to become just the fifth team in Cup history, and the first since 2014, to win a series after trailing 3-0.
**Betting Odds for Game 5**
– **New York Rangers win:** from 2.53 (BetBoom, Liga Stavok) to 2.62 (Olimpbet)
– **Carolina Hurricanes win:** from 2.43 (BetBoom) to 2.46 (Betsiti, Olimpbet)
– **Recommended bets:** New York to win, Carolina with a handicap (0), over 5.5 total goals
*Published by: Maxim Sidorov*
*Source: Match Center*
**Tags:** Rangers, Hurricanes, Stanley Cup, NHL, Hockey betting, Sports betting