On a day filled with distraction and discussion of things outside the 200 foot sheet of ice, the Carolina Hurricanes were ultimately done in by a slow start that saw them trail 3-0 in the first, and never fully overcome the deficit, falling 3-2 to the New York Rangers to end their winning streak.
The first period began with multiple Canes visits to the penalty box that paid off the second time as Mika Zibanejad returned to the Rangers lineup with a power play bang. Less than two minutes following that goal, the Rangers forced a turnover following a dump-in as chaos ensued in the Carolina end.