If the New York Rangers want to win their series against the Carolina Hurricanes and qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs it is absolutely crucial for them to win the first game. Losing the first game of a best-of-five series is almost a guarantee that they will lose the series.
If you don’t believe that, just look a the numbers. Since expansion, the NHL has played 56 best-of-five playoff series. The team that won the first game went on to win the series 50 times. That’s 89% of the time. It’s one reason why the NHL abandoned the best-of-five format.