Shesterkin, Rangers force Game 7 with dominant home victory over Hurricanes

The New York Rangers got off to a strong start and didn't need a comeback to win another elimination game.

One more like this — but on the road — and they'll be heading to the Eastern Conference finals.

Igor Shesterkin stopped 37 shots and became the fifth goalie in NHL history to have two assists in a playoff game, and the Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Saturday night in New York, to force a deciding Game 7 in their second-round series.

Tyler Motte and Mika Zibanejad scored in the first period, Filip Chytil had two goals in the second, and Artemi Panarin tallied in the third period to help New York win its fourth straight elimination game, including Games 5, 6, and 7 in the first round against Pittsburgh. They had to rally from a deficit in each of those games.

The Rangers also set a franchise record with their sixth straight home win since a three-OT defeat to the Penguins in Game 1 of that series.

"Didn't surprise me," Gallant said. "I knew we'd come out hard and play well. ... We jumped on them early, got a couple of goals and that was key."

Game 7 is back in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Monday night. The winner will open the Eastern Conference finals at home against Tampa Bay on Wednesday night.

Shesterkin had assists on Zibanejad's first-period goal and Chytil's second of the second period to give him three assists in 13 post-season games.

Brady Skjei had a goal and an assist, and Vincent Trochek also scored for the Hurricanes. Carolina fell to 0-6 on the road this post-season, becoming the first team in NHL history to lose its first six road games in a post-season.

Antti Raanta was pulled after giving up three goals on 13 shots. Pyotr Kochetkov came on and finished with 10 saves.

Positives going into Game 7

There's one positive for the Hurricanes — and perhaps a bad omen for the Rangers — with Game 7 in Carolina: They're 7-0 at home in these playoffs.

"We came out pretty raw again," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We got behind again and that's where it got tough. ... It's behind us now, we turn the page. The good news is we don't have to end on that. We have another shot here."

The Rangers' win in Game 6 against the Penguins is their only road victory of the post-season, and they've been outscored in the three losses at Carolina in this series by a 7-2 margin. That's a stark contrast to their 12-4 advantage in the three wins at home.

Rangers dominate

Leading 4-2, the Rangers had a five-on-three power play for nearly a minute early in the third period. Panarin made it 5-2 as he scored from between the circles at 7:43. It was his fourth of the post-season and first since the series winner in overtime of Game 7 of the first round against Pittsburgh.

The Rangers led 2-0 after 20 minutes and added to it early in the second period. Chytil got the puck from Fox, skated up the right side and beat Raanta from the right circle. It ended Raanta's night as he was replaced by Kochetkov.

Skjei fired a shot past Shesterkin for his fifth career playoff goal and first this year to get the Hurricanes on the scoreboard at 5:05. It came on Carolina's 18th shot.

Chytil got his second of the night and fourth of the post-season on a backhander past Kochetkov through traffic from the left circle at 6:47 to restore the Rangers' three-goal lead.

Trochek scored on a rebound in front with 7:13 left in the middle period to pull Carolina to 4-2.

At the other end, Motte gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead as he brought the puck up the ice, skated in and beat Raanta from the left circle at 7:22 for his second of the playoffs — and this series.

Zibanejad extended the Rangers' lead to 2-0 just shy of the midpoint of the period. He got a pass from Adam Fox, brought the puck across the blue line, deked one defender out of the way, skated in and fired a shot from the right circle through Raanta's five-hole at 9:51 for his seventh of the post-season.

It gave the Rangers a power-play goal for the fourth straight game, accomplishing the feat in the playoffs for the first time since 2008.