The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes are set to face off in the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, marking the third time they have met in the postseason. With each team established as among the best in the NHL, this series between the Rangers and Hurricanes promises to be a heavyweight showdown.
The Rangers and Hurricanes largely dominated the Metropolitan Division — and the rest of the League, for that matter — in 2023-34. They occupied the top two spots in the division for 66 percent of the season and for 86 consecutive days from Jan. 24 until the end of the regular season.
The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers set franchise records with 55 wins and 114 points. The Hurricanes finished second in the division and third overall in the League with 111 points.
Each team enters this series with momentum. The Rangers swept the Washington Capitals in the first round, their first playoff series sweep since 2007 against the Atlanta Thrashers. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are riding their own wave of success , having defeated the New York Islanders in five games.
Stanley Cup Playoffs history between Rangers and Hurricanes
Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers eliminated the Hurricanes in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs — James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
With another chapter in the Rangers-Hurricanes rivalry about to be written, let’s take a look back at the previous playoff meetings between these Metropolitan Division rivals.
2020 Stanley Cup Qualifying Round – Hurricanes defeat Rangers 3-0
The 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifying Round between the Rangers and the Hurricanes, which was held in the Toronto bubble due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was a decisive series that showcased the Hurricanes’ dominance at the time. Carolina swept New York 3-0, demonstrating superior skill and playoff experience from the start, while the Rangers faced an emotional exit, particularly with the untimely end of Henrik Lundqvist’s storied NHL career.
The series opener set the tone, with the Hurricanes quickly establishing a lead thanks to an early goal by Jaccob Slavin just 61 seconds into the game. Carolina maintained its momentum and never trailed in the 3-2 victory, spurred by Sebastian Aho’s goal and assist, and Petr Mrazek’s 24 saves.
Game 2 was particularly notable not just for Carolina’s dominant 4-1 victory, but for marking Lundqvist’s final game in the NHL. The Hall-of-Fame goalie had unknowingly started his final game in net due to a heart condition that would later be diagnosed, leading to his retirement. Lundqvist stopped 30 of 34 shots in his NHL swan song. This game also saw Andrei Svechnikov shine brightly, recording the first playoff hat trick in Hurricanes franchise history.
The series concluded with a 4-1 Hurricanes victory in Game 3, where they again overwhelmed the Rangers despite Chris Kreider’s goal 12 seconds into the game. Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. Aho finished the series with eight points (three goals, five assists) in three games.
The series not only highlighted Carolina’s ascendancy as a top team in the NHL, but also marked an end of an era for the Rangers with King Henrik’s departure. But the Hurricanes postseason success was short-lived in 2020 because they lost to the Boston Bruins in five games in the following round.
2022 Eastern Conference Second Round – Rangers defeat Hurricanes 4-3
The 2022 Eastern Conference Second Round series was marked by dramatic swings in momentum and crucial victories that showcased the resiliency of both teams. Ultimately, it was the Rangers who emerged victorious in a captivating seven-game series, advancing to the Eastern Conference Final, where they ultimately lost in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In an intriguing twist, the home team won each of the first six games before the Rangers grabbed Game 7 on the road in Raleigh.
The series began with the Hurricanes taking an early advantage, securing a 2-1 overtime win in a tightly contested Game 1. The deciding goal by Ian Cole gave Carolina the initial momentum, and it continued in Game 2, a 2-0 Hurricanes win. Former Rangers goalie Antti Raanta made 21 saves in the shutout for Carolina.
Facing a daunting task of overcoming a 2-0 deficit, the Rangers’ response in Game 3 was a defining moment in the series. On home ice, the Blueshirts saved their season with key performances from Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, who each scored to help the Rangers notch a crucial 3-1 victory. This game marked a turning point, demonstrating the Rangers’ refusal to break under pressure and their ability to execute effectively when it mattered most.
The momentum from Game 3 carried over into Game 4, when the Rangers evened the series at 2-2 with a 4-1 victory. Shesterkin made 30 saves and Andrew Copp had a goal and two assists in the win.
Again the home team won in Game 5, when the Hurricanes skated away with a 3-1 victory, one where Vincent Trocheck opened the scoring for Carolina. The Rangers answered back in Game 6 at MSG, a 5-2 win punctuated by Filip Chytil’s two goals and Shesterkin’s 37 saves.
The Rangers finally flipped the scripts on the road in Game 7, a dominating 6-2 win that featured two goals by Kreider and another 37-save performance by Shesterkin. This game not only sent the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final, but it was the first loss that the Hurricanes had suffered on home ice in the 2022 postseason.
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