NEW YORK — Andrei Svechnikov excelled with two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a dominant 4-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday evening. Goalie Frederik Andersen made a solid contribution, stopping 22 shots to help secure the win for the Hurricanes, who now boast a record of five wins in their last six matches. The Rangers faced their second consecutive defeat following a streak of earning points in ten straight games.
Andersen achieved his first shutout of the season and the 28th of his career, improving to 6-1-0 since returning from knee surgery with three consecutive victories under his belt.
Svechnikov got the Hurricanes on the scoreboard just 56 seconds into the game, with assists credited to new teammate Taylor Hall and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. This marked the fifth instance this season in which the Rangers allowed a goal in the opening minute of a game.
He struck again late in the second period at 19:29, following a missed opportunity by Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck, who was attempting a drop pass to Reilly Smith as a penalty was expiring. Svechnikov capitalized on a three-on-one rush, converting a pass from Mikko Rantanen, another recent addition to the Hurricanes’ lineup. Notably, he also played a crucial role in defense, deflecting a shot by Rangers forward Sam Carrick during the second period.
Sebastian Aho extended the lead to 3-0 with a goal just 1:04 into the third period, followed by Seth Jarvis, who scored another goal 2:30 into the same period.
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin recorded 22 saves throughout the match.
Key takeaways include the Rangers finishing January with a respectable 8-3-3 record after a disappointing December (3-10-0). Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are now 14-4-3 when facing teams within the Metropolitan Division.
A significant moment in the game came when Andersen made a critical save against Rangers forward Chris Kreider during a power play midway through the second period, preserving the shutout.
In terms of performance statistics, Svechnikov achieved three or more points for the third time this season, having recorded three points in a victory over Boston on October 31 and four points in a win against Colorado on December 5.
Looking ahead, the Rangers are set to visit the Boston Bruins on Saturday, while the Hurricanes will host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
