In Raleigh, Artemi Panarin did two high steps in extra time on Thursday night. 
At 1:43 of the extra session, he did his first high step upon accepted a pass from Vincent Trocheck in the right circle.
“I just got on the ice,” Trocheck said. “[Alexis Lafrenière] noticed that we were making a change and [it was] a smart move by him rimming the puck to the guys coming on the ice. I think (Hurricanes defenseman Dmitry) Orlov, the puck bounced off his stick and I just saw a little bit of daylight. I saw ‘Bread’ (Panarin) crashing the net, and it was a great tip by him.”
He added his second to celebrate the game winning goal in a 3-2 win to the Rangers, and a 3-0 Stanley Cup Playoffs second round series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes.
“I was so happy, a lot of emotion,” Panarin said. “I can’t really explain to you. I guess I [could] not really understand what happened. It’s nice to see a puck go in the net, especially in that game.”
The extra session became necessary when the Canes’ Andrei Svechnikov scored form the right side of the low slot to tie the game 2-2 with 96 seconds left in regulation.
“That was kind of a second life we got there,” the Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho said. “But we had plenty of chances to win that game before that.”
The goal forced the Rangers to regroup heading to the extra session.
“It’s unfortunate they pull the goaltender, you’re a minute and a half away from walking away from it,” New York coach Peter Laviolette said. “But the reality is we really liked the way we were playing the game, and we kind of rode that out into the overtime.”
Alexis Lafreniere had snapped a 1-1 tie at 6:25 of the third period to give the Rangers a tenuous 2-1 lead.
“[Lafreniere] has got unbelievable habits for a young guy,” Kreider said. “The way he shows up at the rink, the way he works at his craft. He just wants to get better, wants to have an impact, wants to win.”
Lafreniere scored off a feed from Panarin on the left wing, sending a low shot from between the circles home for the lead.
Igor Shesterkin made 45 saves in the win. He made 54 saves in the Rangers’ Game 2 overtime win in New York.
Carolina took a 1-0 lead midway through the opening stanza on a marker form Jake Guentzel . He scored off a deflection of a shot by Dmitry Orlov.
The Rangers held the Canes scoreless on five power play chances in the match, and tied the game, 1-1, in the middle frame on a shorthanded strike.
Mika Zibanejad pushed the puck off Carolina’s Brent Burns’ stick inside the Rangers blueline, he collected the puck in the neutral zone and went down the left boards, finding Chris Kreider streaking for the net for a one-timer backhand shot and the tie.
The goal came at 8:30 of the second period.
“It hurts, you’ve got to be realistic,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “They’re probably as down as they’re ever going to be. You’ve got to feel that. That’s the keep-it-real part of it. But you’ve got to pick yourself up and come back tomorrow. We’re still playing.”
The Rangers were scoreless in four power play chances.
Game 4 is set for Raleigh on Saturday.
The Rangers’ Rangers Filip Chytil returned the lineup after long term injury in November. He had one shot on goal in his return.
“We’re so happy to get him back, get him back in the fold, get him back around the team,” Kreider said of Chytil. “Obviously, it’s kind of a long, frustrating road for him, so it’s been amazing having him come in and buzz around out there and have a positive impact.”
Pyotr Kochetkov made 22 saves in his first start of these playoffs.
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