RALEIGH — The Rangers ended the Hurricanes’ season last year in the second round of the playoffs. On Saturday, Carolina ended New York’s chance of returning to the postseason.
Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists as the Hurricanes beat the visiting Rangers 7-3 to snap a four-game losing streak and officially eliminate New York from playoff contention one year after they won the Presidents Trophy for having the best record in the NHL.
“We’ve had a long history with them,” Jarvis said. “They’ve gotten the better of us a lot of times, so it is nice to kind of knock them out.”
The Hurricanes were led by Jarvis, who scored Carolina’s second goal and assisted on the team’s first and third to help the home team build a 3-0 lead early in the second period.
Nine minutes into the game, the Hurricanes opened the scoring when Jarvis passed the puck to Dmitry Orlov at the left point. Orlov went across the ice to Jalen Chatfield, and his wrist shot made its way through traffic and past Igor Shesterkin (21 saves) for his seventh goal of the season and a 1-0 Carolina lead.
Jarvis scored his 32nd of the year to extend the lead, finishing off a pass from Sebastian Aho from below the goal line at 17:46 of the opening period. Jackson Blake then scored his 17th of the season at 2:02 of the second to push the lead to 3-0. The top line finished with a combined nine points.
“I think we do a good job using our speed and outsmarting them a little bit, winning puck battles with our stick and feet. … So I think that’s why our line’s having success,” Jarvis said.
Mark Jankowski scored his eighth in 16 games with the Hurricanes at 12:59 of the middle frame off a pass from William Carrier, who was playing his first game since Jan. 4.
“Ninety percent of the chances in the slot, he’s gonna put it in,” Carrier said of Jankowski, whose 12th goal of the year made it 4-1.
Carrier played 10:48 in his return, finishing with an assist and four hits.
“I think Will, for being out as long as he has, to come in — he was pretty impactful,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.
After Will Cuylle scored on Pyotr Kochetkov (28 saves) with 17 seconds left in the second period, Jordan Staal pushed Carolina’s lead to 5-1 at 3:45 of the third.
But the Rangers mounted a final push with their postseason hopes on the line, getting two goals in under three minutes and a power play after the second goal resulted in a failed goaltender interference challenge by Brind’Amour.
“By the letter of the law, that’s easy goaltender interference from my end,” Brind’Amour said of Rangers center Vincent Trocheck pushing Carolina defenseman Sean Walker into the crease before Adam Fox’s goal that made the score 5-3 just before the midway point of the third period. “They’re gonna have their explanation, but this is why it needs to go away.”
The Rangers, however, couldn’t capitalize on the power play, and Jordan Martinook and Logan Stankoven added empty-net goals in the final minutes to seal New York’s fate and push Carolina to 99 points on the season.
“It’s just great to get a win and get back in the win column after the last couple games,” Jarvis said. “And to play the way we did tonight was really good.”
Notes: Martinook’s goal was his 15th of the season, tying a career high. … Shayne Gostisbehere (lower back injury), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (lower-body injury) and Taylor Hall (day off) did not play. … Orlov had his first assist since Jan. 20, ending a 20-game drought.
