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United States Stanley Cup Playoffs: Top 3 reasons Carolina Hurricanes swept Rangers
James Reimer of the Carolina Hurricanes (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
The Carolina Hurricanes have taken the NHL by storm. After being swept by the New York Rangers during the regular season, many thought the Rangers could upset the Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Instead, Carolina took it to the blue shirts, sweeping them in their best-of-five series. In the process, the Hurricanes outscored the Rangers 11-4, including 8-2 over the last two games. The Canes played their best hockey and reminded the young Rangers of how far they have to go to become Stanley Cup contenders.
Last season, Carolina made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Final. It appears the Hurricanes are prepared to make another extended postseason run. The entire Eastern Conference should be put on notice after watching the Hurricanes dismantle the Rangers. Here’s a look at how they swept the Rangers.
1. GoaltendingGoing into this series, goaltending was a potential weakness for the Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and James Reimer were both coming off injuries and with the hiatus, the latter went nearly six months without playing in a meaningful NHL game.
Though the Hurricanes didn’t need great goaltending to get past the Rangers, they still got it. Petr Mrazek posted a .940% save percentage in his two starts, allowing just three goals in two games. He stopped 47 of the 50 shots he saw against one of the NHL’s highest-scoring teams during the regular season.
James Reimer got the start in Game 3 and didn’t look rusty at all. He stopped 37 of the 38 shots on goal, with Chris Kreider’s second-period goal being the lone blemish on his record. The Rangers made a very strong push on Game 3, but Reimer was able to keep the Hurricanes in the game and help them weather the storm.
Again, the Hurricanes didn’t need great goaltending to beat the Rangers, but they got great goaltending and it certainly helped. If they get this kind of goaltending moving forward, they’re going to be a very hard team to beat.
