Rangers force Game 7 with dominant home victory over Hurricanes

Igor Shesterkin stopped 37 shots and became the fifth goalie in NHL history to have two assists in a playoff game, Filip Chytil scored twice in the second period and the New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Saturday night in New York, to force a deciding Game 7 in their second-round series.

Tyler Motte and Mika Zibanejad scored in the first period to get New York started, Artemi Panarin tallied in the third and Adam Fox had two assists to help the Rangers set a franchise record with their sixth straight home win this post-season.

Shesterkin had assists on Zibanejad's first-period goal and Chytil's second of the second period to give him three assists in 13 postseason games.

Brady Skjei had a goal and an assist, and Vincent Trochek also scored for the Hurricanes. Carolina fell to 0-6 on the road this postseason — becoming the first team in NHL history to lose its first six road games in a postseason — to go along with a 7-0 mark at home.

Antti Raanta was pulled after giving up three goals on 13 shots. Pyotr Kochetkov came on and finished with 10 saves.

Game 7 is back in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Monday night. The winner will open the Eastern Conference finals at home against Tampa Bay on Wednesday night.

Leading 4-2, the Rangers had a five-on-three power play for nearly a minute early in the third period. Panarin, just out of the penalty box himself, made it 5-2 when he got a pass from Chris Kreider between the circles and fired a shot past Kochetkov at 7:43. It was his fourth of the post-season and first since the series winner in overtime of Game 7 of the first round against Pittsburgh.

The Rangers led 2-0 after 20 minutes and added to it early in the second period. Chytil got the puck from Fox, skated