Carolina Hurricanes’ Jake Guentzel (59) tries to force the puck under the pad of New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves for his second consecutive shutout, and the New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 1-0 on Tuesday night in a matchup of the top teams in the Metropolitan Division.
Adam Fox scored late in the first period, and that goal held up through Carolina using an extra skater for the final two minutes.
The pressure for Shesterkin came in several forms, including playing on his mother’s birthday.
“I couldn’t play a bad game,” he said.
Carolina goalie Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 23 shots, but the Hurricanes’ three-game winning streak ended in their final regular-season meeting with the Rangers, who have a six-point lead with 17 games remaining. New York won the season series 2-1.
“They were awesome tonight,” Ranges coach Peter Laviolette said of his team, which played on back-to-back nights. “Traveling here and playing a team that’s playing as well as they are.”
New York has won 13 of its last 16 games, but the showdown with a division contender brought extra meaning to this matchup.
“It’s added motivation, I guess,” Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck said. “At the end of the day, these are teams you’re going to have to beat.”
The Hurricanes were shut out for the second time this season and the first time since Oct. 24 at Tampa Bay. It came two nights after Carolina scored a season-high in goals in a 7-2 rout of Calgary.
“We didn’t generate probably enough to put the heat on them,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.
Shesterkin blanked St. Louis on 26 shots Saturday and now has three shutouts this season. The intensity throughout the game was a plus for Shesterkin.
“I think it’s more easy for me because you…
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