In the playoffs, the game gets tighter and it becomes increasingly difficult for talented players to find the back of the net. New York Rangers forward Alexis Lafrenière is responding quite well to his first spring ball in the National Hockey League, but he knows his team will have to find offensive solutions.

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The 20-year-old Quebecer picked up an assist on the Blueshirts' only goal in their second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. It was Game 1, in a 2-1 losing cause. Rangers were then shut out 2-0 and returned to New York 2-0 down in the series.

Lafrenière believes that he and his teammates must put aside the beautiful pieces of play and go stick their noses in traffic.

“They play a lot one on one. We have to beat our man and go to the net. There won't be pretty goals, they will be goals we worked hard for, rebounds, deflections. We have to go to the net and if we do the right things for 60 minutes, we will have these rebounds, ”analyzed the first player selected in the 2020 draft, who showed a cut between the two eyes at a press conference on Saturday.

The left winger has two goals and three assists in nine playoff games. He had done a lot of damage against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round.

Accustomed to lifts

Precisely, against the Hurricanes, the Rangers are faced with a completely different opponent. If there were at least seven goals per game between them and the Penguins, the representatives of the Big Apple must this time deal with a whole defense.

"It was a defensive battle, so I won't blame our guys for not creating offensive opportunities," admitted head coach Gerard Gallant. […] Would I have liked more chances? Of course we did, but I know we played two good games. They are the team that allows the fewest goals in the league, and we are second.

The energy from the fans will be good for the Rangers, who have already closed a two-game deficit against Pittsburgh. Trailing 3-1, they won the last three games to advance to the next round. Players can do it again, Gallant assured.

“They believe in themselves. I read something today [Saturday] that said we had the second most comebacks in the regular season, and right now we're tied for comebacks in the playoffs. It's hard, you want to have the lead to win these matches, but it's not an uncomfortable situation for us," concluded the experienced driver.

The Rangers will try to win a first duel against the Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.