Rangers fall to Hurricanes in overtime

RALEIGH, N.C. – The margins for the Rangers this season are just so small. Every game seems to be low-scoring, and usually decided by a single goal.
On Monday, they found themselves in another tight one, against the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes. And for the 12th time in 41 games this season, it went to overtime.

In the end, a tripping penalty to defenseman Matthew Robertson with 1:59 remaining in the overtime proved critical, and Carolina’s Jackson Blake made it hurt when he scored the game-winning goal on the ensuing 4-on-3 power play to deal the Rangers a 3-2 loss, their second straight loss coming out of the Christmas break.

Blake tipped in a shot by Sebastian Aho for the winner, with 12.6 seconds left in the OT. The loss leaves the Rangers at 7-5 in games that have been decided in overtime or a shootout.

“If you give them two minutes of 4-on-3, there’s a pretty good chance that they're going to score,’’ forward Mika Zibanejad said. “We're 12 seconds away from doing a really good job and taking it to shootout. Yeah, it was tough one.’’

With the loss, the Rangers arrived at the 41-game mark, the midpoint of their season, at 19-17-5. Their road record fell to 14-7-2.

“I think it's been a mixed bag,’’ Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said when asked his impressions of his team at the halfway point. “We're right in the thick of it. I think we're capable of being better. I think there's another level we’ve got to push ourselves to try to get there.’’

Igor Shesterkin made 32 saves for the Rangers. Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi, a Sound Beach native, made 17 saves.

The Rangers led 2-1 entering the third period, but Carolina tied the game on a goal by Jordan Martinook at 9:11. Defenseman Jalen Chatfield fired a puck with Martinook in front, and though Shesterkin got plenty of pad on the puck, it slithered in to tie the game.

Martinook got credit, and though he appeared to bump into Shesterkin right at the top of the goal crease, the play was not reviewed, the Rangers didn’t challenge for goaltender interference, and the goal stood.

“I got a decent look at it,’’ Sullivan said. “Our video guys looked at it as well. We didn't think it was something that we would get (reversed), so we didn't feel it was worth challenging.’’

Coming off their eighth shutout loss of the season, against the Islanders on Saturday, the Rangers got on the board early and took a 1-0 lead on a power play goal by defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who was moved onto the first power play unit.

The goal, at 1:39, was a career-high seventh of the season for Gavrikov, who signed as a free agent with the Rangers over the summer to be a shutdown defenseman. His seven goals leads all defensemen on the team, and he has 15 points, which is eighth on the team, and second among defensemen, behind Adam Fox.
Carolina equalized with a power play goal of their own late in the period, this one a 5-on-3 goal by Aho, who fired a shot past a screened Shesterkin at 15:57 to score his 14th goal of the season. Jonny Brodzinski was in the penalty box for tripping Nikolaj Ehlers when Braden Schneider’s backhand clear went over the glass and the defenseman was sent to the box, giving Carolina a two-man advantage for 1:41.

Brodzinski got the goal back to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 13:00 of the second period. Matt Rempe started the play, driving deep into the Carolina zone, curling back and passing to Robertson at the point. His one-time shot was deflected in front by Sam Carrick and went right to Brodzinski, standing near the left wing goalpost. He whacked it in for his fourth goal of the season.

But the Rangers couldn’t hold the lead.

“You come back and you tie it late, and lose in overtime, that's a different story,’’ Zibanejad said. “But when you have the lead, and you lose it, and you lose an overtime, that's tough.

“I thought some of the things in the third we could have done better, but overall, we'll take the point.’’

Notes & quotes: Fox, who has missed all of December with an upper-body injury, remained on long-term injured reserve and missed his 14th consecutive game… Captain J.T. Miller, who missed his fourth game with an upper-body injury, was not in Carolina but Sullivan said he will join the Rangers before the road trip is over. It continues with a game in Washington Wednesday and the outdoor, Winter Classic game in Miami on Friday… Brennan Othmann and D Urho Vaakanainen were the scratches… Noah Laba left the game for a large portion of the first period after getting slashed on the right hand, but returned near the end of the period.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.