Game 6 is shaping up to be the most important one yet. This has been quite a long series for the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After being on the verge of yet another sweep this postseason in Game 4, the Carolina Hurricanes realized they were not going to get eliminated so easily. Therefore, they went ahead and won Games 4 and 5.
While this series was expected to be a competitive one, the expectations of it going to six games after seeing the Blueshirts performance in Games 1 through 3 were pretty low.
Did the President’s Trophy winners lose their momentum? Did Carolina shock the Rangers too much with their comeback? More importantly, will the Rangers be able to close out a series that should have ended two games ago?
Game 6 will be a test of strength for both teams who equally want the win just as bad. Here are some keys to Game 6 that the Blueshirts need to keep in mind if they want to party like it’s 1994.
Follow The Captain’s Lead
"We've built something here…all that we've done in the past, this is why we did it. For this situation."
– Jacob Trouba pic.twitter.com/UY6YRaTvLf
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) May 15, 2024
Captain Jacob Trouba has been making headlines for the Rangers this past week. He not only scored a shorthanded goal in Game 5 –which happened to be the only Rangers goal of the game– but was just named the recipient of the 2024 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award for his commitment to leadership and community both on and off the ice.
While the shorthanded goal in Game 5 was the Captain’s first goal of this season’s playoffs, he has not gone unnoticed as a defenseman. With 45 blocked shots in nine games played, Trouba is creeping up to his career high of 52 blocked shots in 20 games played back in the 2021-22 postseason.
Regardless of his performance on the ice, he is an excellent team player in terms of boosting attitude and morale. The Rangers took a hit to their pride in Game 5 after they had three goals scored on them in a single period. Nevertheless, Trouba is confident in the team and understands that morale is low right now, but they are capable of going out and winning it all.
“We have to get back to our game. We let it come to us a little bit instead of taking the game to them. It’s something to learn on. We didn’t think this was going to be a cakewalk. We’ve lost two (straight) and facing a little adversity. Let’s see what we’re made of going down to Carolina for Game 6,” said the Rangers captain.
Playing with a good attitude and a confidence boost from their captain is surely going to give the Rangers a major key to winning Game 6 and closing out the series.
Desperate But Not Disorganized
After Game 5, it was clear that the Rangers were shell-shocked. It was difficult to see a team that was so put together in the first round and throughout the first three games of the second round begin to fall apart at the seams after one loss. The level of desperation that the Carolina Hurricanes have caused the President’s Trophy winners is immense, and could be dangerous going into the final two games of the series.
Everything in moderation. It is perfectly fine and normal to play with desperation –the Rangers are a team that usually excels under pressure– however, Game 5 was not a showcase of this team. There were missed connections, wide-open nets, and abysmal power play chances that all came to light due to the excessive amount of desperation the Rangers played with.
There needs to be a balance between desperation and organization, and a team of this caliber can certainly achieve that prior to Game 6.
Head coach Peter Laviolette commented on the team’s desperation, saying, “Desperation’s a funny thing. You can’t give it to somebody. You actually have to feel it and you have to be in it. Then you can rise to that level. And so we move into the next game and you realize now that the window’s a little bit smaller and that desperation level rises.”
Will the Rangers find that balance for Game 6, or will desperation completely overthrow their organization and cost them yet another game?
The Matt Rempe Question
Oh, Matt Rempe. The man who receives chants every time he touches the Garden ice. The fans love him, but the referees do not. Given the fourth-liners physical history, all eyes are on him for penalties to be called, and that’s not good for a team that is going against the second-best power play in the regular season. Not only that, but the Canes have been figuring out dangerous combinations on their power play, so Rangers should tread lightly.
Forward Filip Chytil replaced Rempe for a game before falling ill and missing Games 4 and 5. You never know what you have until it’s gone, and this was the case with that 4th line center spot. Filip Chytil knows how to move the puck, and he almost scored on a dangerous chance in Game 3, his first game back with the Rangers since November.
Rempe’s been good too, already scoring his first career playoff goal with the Rangers. However, as stated before, he is too dangerous of a target for referee calls, and the team can’t stay out of the penalty box as is.
Chytil and Rempe were temporarily replaced with Jonny Brodzinski, however, he was not nearly as able to produce as much offense as the former two, therefore that 4th line center spot still seems quite vacant.
Should the Rangers take a chance with Rempe, or should they sub in Chytil who should be cleared to play by Game 6?
Where To Watch Game 6
Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes will take place on Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m. EST at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The game will be nationally broadcast on TNT. The New York Rangers currently lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.
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About the Author
River Caraballo (she/they) is a hockey writer for Total Apex Sports. Despite being based in Connecticut, she is a big fan of the New York Rangers and the Minnesota Wild. They host a weekly podcast and radio show, Round the Rink, where they discuss hockey from the NHL to the PWHL and college hockey. You can follow River on Twitter/X to keep up with her sports content.
