Alexis Lafrenière tied it 3-3 for the Rangers at 2:04 of the third when he carried the puck below the goal line and backhanded a shot off Frederik Andersen’s back and into the net.
“I was trying to get back and it didn’t work out that time,” Andersen said. “That’s when your mental strength has to kick in and you move on as quick as possible and try to make that next save.”
The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 3-1. Game 5 is at New York on Monday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).
Evgeny Kuznetsov, Stefan Noesen and Sebastian Aho scored, and Andersen made 22 saves for the Hurricanes, who are the No. 2 seed from the Metropolitan Division.
“For us, of the four (games) that we’ve played, it might have been our least effective game overall,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Hockey’s weird. You get the bounce here or there or the shot that goes in, that’s what happens. But we live to fight another day. That’s the most important thing.”
Will Cuylle and Barclay Goodrow scored, and Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves for the Rangers, who are the No. 1 seed from the Metropolitan.
“A couple breakdowns, they capitalized on their opportunities,” New York defenseman Jacob Trouba said. “We generated some good chances. The power-play (goal) kind of stings at the end, but that’s hockey, move on. We’re going to Game 5.”
