The Carolina Hurricanes are a team that might accomplish something that hasn't happened in the NHL in 11 years. And they probably don't want to. Currently one of six teams clawing and scratching for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, they run the risk of being the first Stanley Cup champion to miss the playoffs the following season since the 1995-96 New Jersey Devils. So pretty much every game, including tonight against the Penguins, is a must win for them.
Some other things about the Hurricanes:
The Hurricanes aren't particularly fond of the Penguins. Last season, Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik broke Hurricanes left winger Erik Cole's neck with a check into the boards.
Also, there was that Colby Armstrong-Trevor Letowski hit earlier this season.
We'd be mad too.
Cole's out right now with a bad hip.
Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford spent three seasons with the Penguins as a goaltender.
Also, the Penguins host the Flyers on Sunday and there's not much really to say. The Flyers are pretty awful.
SPECIAL WIN -- Penguins 4, Rangers 3
PREGAME
We quickly see Georges Laraque's number will be 27. So all those old Alexei Kovalev jerseys you've got out there? Just grab a piece of medical tape and marker and you will save $130.
A clip of the 1989 Flames. Always good stuff.
Laraque's dreadlocks are flowing in the wind. Sweet.
Jaromir Jagr's tucking his jersey in? You can't do that to a hockey jersey!
Dan Potash, who's alright with us, chats with Gary Roberts.
Martin Straka is out of the Rangers lineup due to injury.
FIRST PERIOD
19:34-Roberts doesn't take long to show what he's all about as he slams former Penguin Michal Rozival into the boards.
19:21-Roberts pounds Marcel Hossa close to the same spot.
18:43-Paul Mara blasts a shot from the point that catches Marc-Andre Fleury up high. Fleury covers the rebound. It must be Disrespect Alexei Kovalev Night because Mara's wearing 27, which also was Kovalev's number during his time with the Rangers.
17:49-The new lines are displayed and we have to say, we're not crazy about them. The first line with Mark Recchi, Sidney Crosby and Roberts is fine. But Jordan Staal not being on the second line before either Ryan Malone or especially Michel "Miss The Net" Ouellet is perplexing. We also question Ronald Petrovicky's absence from the lineup.
17:32-Mark Eaton goes to check Ryan Hollweg and their legs collide.
15:56-A bad clearing attempt by Fleury leads to a shot from the point by Marek Malik that Fleury saves.
15:30-Causing us to type a sentence we certainly never thought we would type, a Josef Melichar shot cause trouble for Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.
15:21-Steigerwald defends Melichar from his critics by citing that the coaching staff likes what he does. This is the same coaching staff that likes what Ouellet does.
14:14-Laraque finishes a check on the enlightened Sean Avery.
13:33-Brendan Shanahan's gruesome collision with Philadelphia's Mike Knuble from Feb. 17 is replayed. Shanahan has been out of the lineup since. During the commercial break, Eaton leaves the team's bench.
11:52-With Fleury sprawling in his crease, Hossa has an open net, but can't shoot the puck high. Fleury manages to make a save with his leg.
11:24-Michael Nylander takes a hooking penalty.
9:12-A Brooks Oprik shot finds it way to the net and Lundqvist knocks it to the side.
8:21-Jed Ortmeyer comes in on a pseudo-breakaway and is denied by Fleury.
8:17-A quick shot from Fedor Tyutin is knocked down by Fleury.
7:55-Matt Cullen has a clean opportunity in the slot but Fleury makes the save.
7:30-Avery gets a good hit on Gonchar.
7:11-Crosby somehow manages to force the puck toward the Rangers net despite laying on the ice. Lundqvist covers the puck.
6:53-Malik is called for hooking.
4:22-Gonchar gets two minutes for hooking.
2:47-Fleury makes two good saves on Petr Prucha.
1:30-Orpik gives a solid thump to Blair Betts.
0:51-A Jarkko Ruutu shot is pushed away by Lundqvist.
0:00-End of Period. Penguins 0, Rangers 0.
First Intermission
Potash talks about "Georges on Michel" and "Michel on Georges." It sounds like something anyone under the age of 18 isn't allowed to watch legally.
Michel Therrien looks like Liam Neeson with thinner hair and a thicker face to us.
SECOND PERIOD
19:00-Staal gets banged into the corner by Hollweg and is favoring his left arm.
18:37-Malkin draws a tripping penalty from Mara.
18:30-A shorthanded opportunity by Ortmeyer is stopped by Fleury.
18:25-Cullen gets the puck and gets another shorthanded chance. Fleury makes the save.
16:48-Fedor Tyutin is slammed into the corner by Roberts.
16:00-Lundqvist eats up a shot by Ryan Whitney from the point.
15:12-Fleury makes a spectacular blind save on Cullen.
15:03-Crosby tries to beat Karel Rachunek one-on-one but can't get by him.
11:33-As Roberts drives to the net, Crosby is denied by Lundqvist in close.
10:06-Colby Armstrong absolutely smashes Hossa in the crease.
9:48-We are told of the story of how the Rangers came to be. Amazingly, Gary Roberts was not alive when the franchise was formed in 1926.
9:29-Jagr snaps a quick one-timer that Fleury kicks out.
8:59-Melichar gets away with a slash on Jagr.
7:12-A shot by Ouellet finds its way on net and is stopped by Lundqvist.
6:39-Fleury stops an Avery shot with his armpit.
5:56-Lundqvist eats up a shot by Armstrong.
5:23-Big save by Fleury on a one-timer by Hossa.
5:10-Somehow Ouellet loses his stick and we think to ourselves, "Yes, finally!"
4:44-Ouellet gets a stick dashing our hopes and dreams.
4:27-Malkin snaps a shot that Lundqvist stops. Hollweg and Ruutu exchange pleasantries.
4:23-Off the faceoff, Orpik booms one in on net, Lundqvist makes the save. Laraque is there for the rebound but can't get a stick on it.
3:58-Laraque and Ruutu collide.
2:24-Jagr shoots and Fleury makes the save. The rebound bounces off of Rob Scuderi's skate into the net. Rangers 1-0.
1:15-Fleury allows a weak goal as Nylander throws one on net. Rangers 2-0.
1:00-Hollweg almost makes it 3-0, but Crosby stops him from in close.
0:00-End of period. Avery gives Gonchar a shove, Laraque and Avery exchange snickerdoodle recipes, we assume. Ruutu takes an unsportsmanlike penalty. The Rangers will get an entire power play on clean ice. Rangers 2 Penguins 0.
SECOND INTERMISSION
Ryan Malone looks like he's going with one of those Ethan Hawke goatees. That's unfortunate.
THIRD PERIOD
18:44-Staal glides by Cullen and tips the puck over Lundqvist for his sixth shorthanded goal of the season. Rangers 2-1.
17:26-Recchi throws one at the net and Lundqvist knocks it away.
16:47-Malkin is called for high-sticking.
16:15-Jagr throws an errant pass out of the offensive zone that ends up in the Rangers' end of the ice. Armstrong races down the ice, throws it at the Rangers net from a bad angle for another shorthanded goal. Lundqvist probably should've made the save. Penguins 2, Rangers 2.
15:17-A loose goal in the crease is whacked in by Betts for a power-play goal. Rangers 3-2.
14:09-A shot by Ruutu is stopped by Lundqvist who freezes the puck.
13:34-Ouellet might've missed the net. We're not sure. He blasted one that hit the boards pretty loudly. But Steigerwald claims Lundqvist tipped it. Excuse us if we're skeptical.
12:19-Prucha tries a wrap-around and Fleury is able to keep it out by his pad strap.
12:03-Nylander fires one high on Fleury who deflects it out of play with his mask.
11:47-Errey refers to Betts as the "Jordan Staal of the Rangers." That's like saying Ricardo Colclough is the Devin Hester of the Steelers.
11:20-Roberts takes a feed from Crosby and drives to the net but can't beat Lundqvist.
9:45-Little did we suspect that we could type "Jarkko" for someone else, but JARKKO Immonen throws the puck on net and Fleury gloves it.
8:46-A Gonchar blast is kicked out by Lundqvist.
8:41-Melichar tossed the puck on net. Malkin tries to jam it in but can't beat Lundqvist.
8:16-Fluery makes a big save on a one-timer by Malik.
8:06-Roberts goes off for hooking.
7:59-Betts, the Gandhi of the Rangers, gets called for goalie interference. Four-on-four hockey.
6:43-A shot by Hossa is stopped by Fleury.
6:20-Hossa gets another opportunity and Fleury gobbles it up.
6:00-Maxime Talbot makes a quick pass to Gonchar in the slot who beats Lundqvist on his blocker side. Penguins 3, Rangers 3.
5:10-Jagr spins and fires a shot that Fleury stops.
4:34-Malkin tries to feed Crosby in the slot for a scoring opportunity but he puck jumps over Crosby's stick.
2:35-Brad Isbister comes in alone on Fleury but the puck rolls off his stick.
1:50-Recchi backhands a shot that Lundqvist stops.
0:54-Fleury is able to stop a Malik shot despite a screen in front of the net.
0:00-End of period. Penguins 3, Rangers 3.
OVERTIME
1:24-Kudos to whoever at Madison Square Garden decided to pump some Bloc Party.
1:14-Crosby can't beat Lundqvist despite Recchi creating a screen.
0:55-We're not sure where the "New" NHL is anymore, but it wasn't anywhere to be found when Rachunek pinned Crosby against the boards with his hands.
0:00-A desperation shot by Whitney misses the net. End of Period. Penguins 3, Rangers 3.
SHOOTOUT!
Nylander looks like he shotgunned a couple Irons before the shootout as he weaves around the ice and fails to even get a shot off.
Shootout ace Erik Christensen beats Lundqvist but rings the puck off the post. No goal.
Jagr, who has been bowing out of the shootout this season, comes in on net and is denied by Fleury's right pad.
Malkin's attempt appears to miss the net.
Prucha flies in and misses the net.
Crosby goes five-hole and the puck trickles in. Penguins win. Penguins 4, Rangers 3.
POSTGAME
Laraque isn't a fan of studying.
EMPTY NETTER ASSISTS
Red Wings star Henrik Zetterberg, who's been on a tear lately, will be out 2-3 weeks.
Ryan Smyth's first game on Long Island didn't go as planned. The Islanders lost to the Blues 3-2 in overtime last night.
The Capitals lost to the Lightning last night 5-4 in a shootout that went 10 rounds. Donald Brashear even got to shoot.
Dominic Moore was a plus 2 and won 7 of 10 faceoffs last night for the Wild in a 3-0 defeat of the Oilers. Time to fire Ray Shero.
Oilers center Shawn Horcoff is friends with Pirates outfielder Jason Bay. Not only did they grow up together, but they were born at the same hospital, three days apart. And Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy while Kennedy ...
First Published: March 2, 2007, 5:00 a.m.
