AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Rangers 3-1 on Thursday at PNC Arena in Game 5 of their second-round playoff matchup to take a 3-2 series lead and put the Blueshirts on the brink of elimination.
It was a quiet game offensively for the Rangers, whose only goal came from Mika Zibanejad on the power play. Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider, two of New York’s best players, also combined for zero shots on goal in the loss, which is a major problem.
Fans ripped both Panarin and Kreider for their play in Thursday’s game, mentioning that both players need to step up if the Rangers hope to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015.
The duo have effectively disappeared in this series against Carolina. Panarin has just two assists through five games, while Kreider has one goal in that span.
It’s an upsetting performance from both players given their regular-season success. Kreider tallied 52 goals and 25 assists for 77 points in 81 games, while Panarin notched 22 goals and 74 assists for 96 points in 75 games.
If the Blueshirts are going to extend this series, they’ll need Panarin and Kreider to step up when the series shifts back to Madison Square Garden for Game 6 on Saturday. That said, the Rangers have a solid chance at forcing a Game 7 as Carolina has yet to win a road playoff game this year.
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