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Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck downplays former team storyline in Round 2 — ‘Just another series’

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Ryan Bologna | Last updated 5/2/24

The New York Rangers are set to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Vincent Trocheck will be facing off against his former team, but he said that does not change his mindset or approach heading into Game 1.

“It’s a playoff series that we need to get past to get to our goal of winning a Stanley Cup,” Vincent Trocheck said, via Vince Mercogliano of USA Today. “I’ve played against these guys a few times already since leaving… It’s just another series.”

Trocheck was a member of the Hurricanes the last time these two teams matched up in the playoffs. That was in round two of the 2022 playoffs when the Rangers won the series in seven games to advance to the Eastern Conference Final, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning. That summer, Trocheck signed a long-term deal with the Rangers in free agency, taking the second line center role from the departing Ryan Strome.

The Rangers hoped that Trocheck would be an upgrade from Strome that would help them win a Stanley Cup. That did not happen in his first season with the team, as they lost to the Devils in the first round last season. But after winning the President’s Trophy this season, the Rangers are aiming higher this spring.

Being in the same division, Trocheck has gone up against the Hurricanes plenty of times since leaving them. It would be a bit different if Trocheck was facing the Hurricanes for the first time as a member of the Rangers. Instead, Trocheck has cemented himself as one of the best forwards on the Rangers, putting up 25 goals and 52 assists for 77 points this season, according to Hockey Reference.

Rangers vs Hurricanes series outlook

New York Rangers forward Vincent Trochek (16) shoots the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime at Scotiabank Arena © Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Trocheck centers the Rangers’ most dangerous line, which has Artemi Panarin on the left and Alexis Lafreniere on the right. This line will need to have success for the Rangers to win this series, as despite being the higher seed and having home ice, the Hurricanes are favored due to their advanced metrics.

The Hurricanes grade out incredibly well five-on-five, and the Rangers thrive in other areas. New York’s strength is special teams and goaltending, although the five-on-five play is better this year in comparison to the last few with Peter Laviolette taking over as head coach.

The Rangers have the goalie advantage with Igor Shesterkin coming in hot. This can often be a trump card in playoff series. The Rangers have bigger stars, like Shesterkin, Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox who could prove to be the difference, but the Hurricanes’ lineup is deep and the addition of Jake Guentzel at the deadline has worked wonders.

New York is coming off of a four-game sweep of the Washington Capitals in the first round, while Carolina just defeated the New York Islanders in five games. The two teams matched up three teams in the regular season, and the Rangers won two of the three.

Both of these teams are bonafide Stanley Cup contenders. The date and time of Game 1 is not known yet as other teams are still playing their first round series, but when this series starts, it will be one of the most intriguing of the entire playoffs.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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