Stanley Cup Playoffs Day 18: Shesterkin and Raanta battle again, Oilers complete comeback to tie series

Scott Maxwell
Scott Maxwell
Stanley Cup Playoffs Day 18: Shesterkin and Raanta battle again, Oilers complete comeback to tie series
Credit: © Candice Ward

We got two more Game 2s on the menu, as New York and Edmonton look to respond and head home with the series tied.

Missed anything? Here’s a recap of the night’s action.

Former Rangers burn New York as goalie duel in Carolina continues

I doubt anyone was surprised to find out that a series featuring Igor Shesterkin turned into a goalie duel. But I don’t think anyone expected Antti Raanta to be up to the task.

That’s right, after a 2-1 overtime win from the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1, both Shesterkin and Raanta continued to steal the show in Game 2, where we saw only one goal get past either of the netminders. Unfortunately for the Rangers, it was Shesterkin who would be beaten. To make matters worse, it was at the hands of former Ranger Brendan Smith, who scored his first playoff goal since 2013 with the Detroit Red Wings. To make it even worse than that, it was a shorthanded goal.

And that wasn’t even the former Ranger they needed to fear the most, as Raanta stopped all 21 shots he faced in the 2-0 win (Carolina would also add an empty net goal with less than two seconds left). Shesterkin was as good as he’s always been, making 21 saves on 22 shots, but the team in front of him just couldn’t beat Raanta.

Oilers finish off comeback this time to win Game 2

After a chaotic Game 1 in the Battle of Alberta, Game 2 didn’t disappoint, even if it wasn’t quite as crazy.

It had a similar start to Game 1, as the Edmonton Oilers slightly improved on their Game 1 start by only being down 2-0 after six minutes this time. Duncan Keith made it a one goal game later in the period, and the Oilers almost tied it before it was waived off.

Tyler Toffoli gave the Calgary Flames a 3-1 lead early in the second, but the Oilers chipped away at that lead again shortly after. However, the hockey gods didn’t seem to want a comeback to happen, and that goal got overturned as well. But if there’s one person more powerful than the hockey gods, it’s Connor McDavid, who dazzled with a spectacular goal, and this time, it would count.

Evan Bouchard completed the comeback later in the second, and this time, the Oilers made sure to take the lead. Midway through the third, Zach Hyman got a shorthanded breakaway to score and give the Oilers the lead. The Flames thought they got the game tied quickly after with a goal, but like what seems to be the trend in Game 2, the goal was overturned as well. Leon Draisaitl scored two minutes after Hyman’s shorty, and the score of 5-3 held for the rest of the game, and the Oilers head back to Edmonton with the series tied.

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