North Raleigh Today

The Carolina Hurricanes are set to face the New York Rangers in Game 3 of their playoff series at PNC Arena on Thursday. The Hurricanes, currently trailing 2-0 in the series, aim to improve their performance against the Rangers.

In the first two games, special teams have been a decisive factor. The Rangers secured a 4-3 victory in both matchups, with Vincent Trocheck scoring a critical goal in double overtime during Game 2. Jake Guentzel and Sebastian Aho made notable contributions for Carolina, but Igor Shesterkin's impressive 54 saves were pivotal for New York.

The Hurricanes are focusing on adjustments in their special teams play. They plan to be more aggressive around Shesterkin's crease on power plays and find a balance between pressure and positioning during penalty kills.

Frederik Andersen has been a key player for Carolina throughout the playoffs but faced defeats in both games so far. Coach Rod Brind'Amour has yet to decide if Andersen will start Game 3 or if Pyotr Kochetkov will take his place.

The Rangers' top performers, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, and Artemi Panarin, have accumulated 12 points collectively over the first two games. Their special teams have excelled with a strong power play and penalty kill record.

Carolina faces challenges with injuries as forward Jesper Fast is expected to miss the postseason due to an upper-body injury sustained earlier. Defenseman Brett Pesce remains uncertain for this series after suffering a lower-body injury.

The team plans to wear black sweaters for home games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Fans attending can save on parking by purchasing passes in advance.

Following Game 3, the Hurricanes will practice on Friday before competing again on Saturday for Game 4 of the series.