Carolina @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 27, 2019 ) Carolina 2, NY Rangers 3

The Carolina Hurricanes were forced to think about a third-period collapse through the Christmas break and look to put it in the rear-view mirror when they visit the New York Rangers on Friday night for a Metropolitan Division clash. The Hurricanes roared back from three-goal deficit to hold a 6-4 lead midway through the final 20 minutes before giving up the final four goals Monday at Toronto.

“We had the game in hand and just fell asleep,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters after his team’s second straight loss following a 6-0-1 run. “Took a little breath and against a team that has some high-end talent, you can’t do that.” The Hurricanes, who allowed 12 goals in their last two games, lost both meetings this season - 4-2 at home Nov. 7 and 3-2 in New York on Nov. 27 - while the Rangers look to make it four straight in the series as they try snap out of a 1-3-1 slide. New York led 1-0 before surrendering a goal in the final seconds of the middle period and four unanswered tallies in the final 20 minutes of a 5-1 loss to Philadelphia on Monday as the Rangers’ power play dropped to 0-for-18 in the past five games after coming up empty four times. “It should hurt,” New York coach David Quinn told reporters. “There’s a difference between playing well and winning. Right now, we’ve got to do a better job of playing winning hockey.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Carolinas, MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (22-13-2): Center Erik Haula scored twice in Monday’s setback to become the fourth player on the team to reach 10 goals despite missing 19 games with a lingering knee injury. Left wing Teuvo Teravainen boasts six assists during a five-game point streak and shares the team lead with right wing Andrei Svechnikov (16 goals) at 37 points while defenseman Dougie Hamilton is close behind with 35. Carolina is getting production throughout the lineup of late as Nino Niederreiter owns five points in the past five games and fellow forward Lucas Wallmark has five points (two goals) in the last four contests.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (17-15-4): Artemi Panarin saw his seven-game point streak come to an end Monday, but the All-Star left wing easily leads the team with 20 goals - eight in the past 10 contests - and 45 points. Ryan Strome is second on the team with 30 points and fellow center Mika Zibanejad is second behind Panarin with 12 goals - six in the last eight games - despite missing a month with an upper-body injury. Adam Fox, who was acquired from Carolina in the offseason without playing a game in a Hurricanes uniform, is third among all rookie defensemen in the league with 17 points.

OVERTIME

1. New York D Brady Skjei has a goal along with two assists during a three-game point streak and is fourth on the team with 77 shots.

2. Carolina C Sebastian Aho (99 career goals) was kept off the scoresheet in the last two games and leads the team with 21 tallies.

3. Rangers rookie F Kaapo Kakko (six goals, 14 points) has missed the last two games because of a lower-body injury.

PREDICTION: Hurricanes 4, Rangers 3