Chris Kreider’s Hat-Trick Propels Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals

The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers returned to Raleigh on Thursday night for Game Six of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. The Rangers, who once led the series 3-0, had blown their previous two chances in Game Four and Five to close out the series and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in three seasons. Thus, the Rangers would take their third crack at advancing and avoiding a Game Seven against the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes went into Game Six hoping to keep limiting the Rangers' explosive power play unit, as in the previous three games, New York had gone 0-for-8 on the man-advantage with 10 shots on goal. The Rangers appeared to be headed for a winner-take-all Game Seven after the opening 40 minutes of Game Six, behind by two goals. However, Chris Kreider's hat-trick would lead the Rangers' rally to surprise the Hurricanes 5-3 and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Both sides would battle to take early control of the game and set the action's tempo in the opening period. The Hurricanes would score their first goal of the game with 1:22 remaining in the period before the intermission. Jordan Martinook would retrieve the puck behind the Rangers' net and backhand it to Martin Necas, who would snap-shot the puck over Igor Shesterkin's left shoulder and into the net to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead going into the second period. In the first 20 minutes of play, the Hurricanes would have the advantage with 10-3 shots on goal and 10 blocked shots. Neither team would have a power play opportunity going into the second period. 

Following Martinook's high-sticking penalty call, the Rangers would go on their first power play of the game to start the second period. However, Kreider was penalized for a cross-checking penalty 42 seconds into the man-advantage, setting up a four-on-four and giving the Hurricanes a brief 42-second power play. With 10 seconds left on the man-advantage, at 4:38, the Hurricanes would extend their lead to 2-0 after Sebastian Aho’s shot from the top-of-the-zone would squeak through Shesterkin’s pads and Seth Jarvis would tap-in the loose puck in the crease and into the open net. After winning a face-off in the Hurricanes' zone, the Rangers promptly responded, reducing their deficit to 2-1 with Artemi Panarin's wrist shot from the blue line going past Frederik Andersen's blocker and into the net. At 9:23 in the middle of the period, Aho scored his fourth goal of the postseason after Andrei Svechnikov passed the puck to him from the Hurricanes' zone, setting up an odd-man rush. Aho then snap-shotted the puck over Shesterkin's glove and into the back of the net to give the Hurricanes a two-goal lead again.

At 6:43 in the third period, Mika Zibanejad's shot from the post got caught between Andersen's skate and the post, causing Kreider to knock the puck off Andersen's skate and into the net, allowing the Rangers to narrow their deficit to 3-2. The Rangers would go on their second power play of the game midway through the frame when Jordan Staal was given a cross-checking penalty. With 8:06 remaining in regulation, Panarin’s shot from the top-of-the-zone would be deflected off Kreider’s stick from out in front of the net and would go over Andersen’s shoulder and into the net for his second goal of the game to tie the game at 3-3. With 4:19 left in the game, Ryan Lindgren wrapped around with the puck behind the net and passed it to Kreider near the post. Kreider then tapped the puck past Andersen to complete his first postseason hat-trick and give the Rangers their first lead of the game at 4-3. With three minutes remaining, the Hurricanes pulled Andersen in an effort to send the game into overtime with an equalizing goal with the extra-attacker. However, Barclay Goodrow's empty-net goal with 48 seconds remaining would seal the Rangers' 5-3 victory and send them to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Rangers' comeback victory makes them the first Presidents' Trophy team to make it to the Conference Finals since 2015. The Rangers will await the winner of the Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers series.