Rangers hold off late Hurricanes rally to take early series lead

The New York Rangers held on for a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday at Madison Square Garden to take a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference second-round playoff series.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in New York.

It is the Rangers fifth consecutive win to start the playoffs. They swept the Washington Capitals in the first round. It is the third time in franchise history New York has won its first five playoff games.

Mika Zibanejad had two goals and an assist, Vincent Trocheck tallied a goal and an assist and Artemi Panarin also scored. Chris Kreider added two assists and Igor Shesterkin made 22 saves for the Rangers.

Defenseman Jacob Slavin, Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis got the goals for Carolina, while Sebastian Aho added two assists. Frederik Andersen stopped 20 shots.

Necas pulled the Hurricanes to within 3-2, 2:48 into the third period.

But Panarin restored New York's two-goal lead 8:21 into the period.

Jarvis again trimmed it to a a one-goal deficit for the final margin with goalie Andersen pulled for the extra attacker with 1:47 left.

The Rangers led 3-1 after the first period,

After Zibanejad and Slavin traded goals in the first four minutes, Zibanejad (9:55 left in the first period) and Vincent Trocheck (3:32 remaining in the opening period) scored power-play goals for New York.

Slavin is a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy, which goes to the league's most gentlemanly player. It is rare for a defenseman to win, or even be nominated, for the Lady Byng.

Slavin had only eight penalty minutes during the regular season.