Resilient Start...
Looking to head back to Raleigh with the series tied, Rod Brind'Amour elected to make a change to his lineup ahead of Game 2.
Removing Evgeny Kuznetsov and inserting Max Comtois, it was certainly a shakeup. Kuznetsov had played in every game since being acquired in early March and Comtois had appeared in just one game with the team thus far, the team's regular season finale in Columbus.
Allowing Jesperi Kotkaniemi to move back to his natural position at center, the team needed everyone ready to go from the start, a huge point of emphasis after allowing three in the opening 20 minutes on Sunday.
Unfortunately for Kotkaniemi, he wound up on the wrong side of things on the game-opening goal.
No. 82 stayed in a shooting lane, blocking a New York shot in his own end, but it bounced right to another Ranger. Alexis Lafrenière collected the loose puck and fired, beating Frederik Andersen with a shot he never saw.
Putting the home team in control early, they had an opportunity to go up 2-0 moments later when they went to their first power play of the game. Their man advantage went 2-for-2 in Game 1, but thanks to Andersen, this time they weren't able to have the same success.
Including a glove save on Mika Zibanejad, the successful penalty kill turned the tide of the game.
Carolina was able to get to the way they wanted to do things the rest of the first period and within the final five minutes of the stanza, they went from trailing to leading.
To start things off, Jake Guentzel redirected a Sebastian Aho shot, beating Igor Shesterkin in front.
4:47 later, using traffic once again, Dmitry Orlov tipped a Brady Skjei bid home, putting Carolina in front with just seconds on the clock.
