Martinook increased the lead to 3-1 at 9:56 with a snap shot in the slot after Necas’ pass from behind the net deflected to him off Jack Drury’s stick.
“We just weren’t very good in our approach today,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “There was a lot of issues tonight. We’ll go back and look at it and try to correct those issues. … This group has always responded when we haven’t played to our potential.”
Necas scored an empty-net goal with 3:31 remaining for the 4-1 final.
“Yeah, I mean, that was huge,” Necas said of the third period. “Starting with our captain. Jordan made a great play on the goal, same with ‘Orly’. … We believe. We believe in this locker room and, you know, game by game. You don’t think about winning two in a row, three and row, four in a row, but it’s about the next one and we’re happy to go back to PNC.”
Trouba gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal at 6:23 of the second period. He blocked a shot by Sebastian Aho, creating a 2-on-1 with Barclay Goodrow, before scoring with a wrist shot from the right circle.
The Rangers had 21 shots in the game, their fewest in the playoffs this season, and just 12 shots after the first period.
“They played well in the third and we just didn’t give it enough,” Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck said. “They wanted it more.”
The Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers have never forced a Game 7 and are 0-6 in playoff series when trailing 3-0.
“Obviously there was a high level of desperation with our game in the third,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “… But I felt like it was business as usual. We had to win a period. Didn’t matter how, we were going to get it done. It wasn’t like we were dead. And you’re one shot away, so that’s how they approached it.”
NOTES: Trouba’s goal was his second playoff goal with the Rangers (39 games), and his first since May 11, 2022. … Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad had his playoff point and assist streaks end at eight games (three goals, 10 assists). … The Rangers lost for the first time in six games at home in the playoffs against the Hurricanes. … The Hurricanes were 0-for-3 on the power-play and are 1-for-20 in the series after finishing with the second-best power play during the regular season (26.9 percent).
