The Knicks have Jalen Brunson for playoff heroics, and the Rangers have Vincent Trocheck.
Trocheck scored the game-winning goal in double overtime to lead the Rangers to a 4-3 win in Game 2 that put the Blueshirts up 2-0 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series with the Hurricanes and extended the forward’s consecutive playoff goal streak to a franchise record-tying five games.
He joined Cecil Dillon as the only other Ranger player to score in five straight postseason contests, which Dillon did back in 1933.
To add to Trocheck’s impressive night, he led the Rangers in ice time with 35:21 and finished the game with two points — he picked up an assist on Chris Kreider’s game-tying goal in the third — and 15 shot attempts.
“It’s in playoffs and it gets pushed into games that have an overtime or multiple overtimes, and yet his role doesn’t change,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette told reporters after the game. “He’s part of the game. I’m double shifting him just for backing up faceoffs or just getting two centermen on the ice and that’s more time on the ice. That’s extended time. The power play, the penalty kill, the five-on-five play, his line’s production.
“The end of a game either way and he just keeps answering the bell with it. He was noticeable, he’s engaged, you can see it in his demeanor and you can see it in the way he’s playing the game.”
Trocheck cemented himself into Rangers lore with the double-overtime goal with 12:37 left in the second overtime period.
He picked up the loose puck and shoved it through the pads of Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen for the win.
“On the goal I couldn’t tell you what happened. It went in,” Trocheck said.
When a reporter asked what the feeling was like seeing his shot go into the net he replied, “I don’t know, I’ll watch it and let you know tomorrow.”
It has been an exciting few weeks at the Garden between the playoff runs of the Rangers and Knicks.
Trocheck’s heroics occurred a day after Brunson dropped 40 points in his fourth consecutive game as the Knicks took a 1-0 lead in their playoff series with the Pacers.
The Rangers’ series will head to Carolina with Game 3 taking place on Thursday.
