New York Rangers Drop Second Straight to ‘Canes

Like the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers can't find a way to close out a semifinal series. The Rangers fell to the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1, on Monday night, cutting the Blue Shirts's lead in this best-of-seven series to just 3-2.

It wasn't that long ago the Rangers looked poised to sweep this series. Now the series will shift back to Charlotte, North Carolina for Game 6 on Thursday night.

Still, though two straight L's to the Hurricanes hasn't changed New York's mindset too much. After the loss, Chris Kreider told reporters:

" If you had told me it would be 3-2 against the second-best team in the league with an opportunity to close it out, that’s a pretty good spot to be in. We’ll just go down there and play better, be more detailed. Find a way to win.”

The Rangers did have their shot to close out the 'Canes on Monday night. New York took a 1-0 lead on Jacob Trouba's shorthanded goal in the second period and seemed poised to make it stand-up.

Through two periods Carolina attempted 14 shots on goal, and couldn't get past the Rangers defense and goalie Igor Shesterkin.

Ironically, Carolina attempted 14 more shots in the third period and found the back of the net four times. It all started with veteran Jordan Staal took a pass at the blue line, managed to weave his way around a one-on-one and kicked the puck past Shesterkin to tie it.

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It was all Hurricanes after that. The Hurricanes tallied three more goals in a matter of 10 minutes to blow the game wide open at 4-1. Jordan Martinook's second goal of this postseason was the backbreaker at the 9:56 mark of the period since it handed Carolina a two-score lead at the time.

 "We got do a lot of things better,” Head Coach Pete Laviollette noted. “There were a lot of issues tonight. We'll go back and look at it and we'll try to correct those issues.”

The Rangers and Hurricanes will skate again on Thursday at 7:30 down for Game 6. A win and the Rangers can focus on the Eastern Conference Finals. A loss, and the Blue Shirts would have to return home on Saturday for a Game 7.

We, of course, got the action here on Fox Sports New Jersey.

MORE NEW YORK RANGERS

The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and it's been one of the most exciting playoffs in recent years. Many of the top NBA superstars today are in the playoffs, while others are watching, following some upset losses. Either way, there's no denying that the NBA has a ton of talent right now. So many of the games have come down to the wire, which makes for some pretty incredible, and stressful, endings. So, who are the top NBA superstars of the minute?

Before we get into the top NBA superstars today, let's do some NBA history and look at the top players of all time. There's a reason they call LeBron James the GOAT. He's the best ever, according to the raw statistics and numbers via NBA.com. James knows how to really handle the pressure and fame.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, James went into detail about his fame and how it has impacted his life, both personal and professional. "I don't want to say it ever becomes too much, but there are times when I wish I could do normal things," he said. "I wish I could go to Target sometimes and walk into Starbucks and have my name on the cup just like regular people." He obviously can't do that without everyone rushing to meet the greatest basketball player of all time. NBA experts know that when you have a superstar as big as James, he never plays an away game. No matter what city he's in, people will go to that game just to see him. I have yet to see the GOAT in action, so I hope he returns next year, so I can catch him live.

No. 2 on the list of the greatest NBA players of all time, according to the NBA's stats, is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He played until he was 42 in an era where that was even more rare than it is today. So, how did he avoid burning out? Speaking with the Harvard Business Review, Abdul-Jabbar said, "I just thought that I had the greatest job in the world, and I wanted to keep it as long as I could. I knew it wouldn't last forever." He also noted that in one of his books, he quoted Jackie Robinson saying, "Athletes die twice," because when you're no longer playing professional sports, it's a kind of a death. That's deep.

Now, let's get into the top NBA superstars today.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's stats currently have him at No. 4 in the NBA, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He's a great driver and fantastic defender. That's a dangerous combination. He's one of the hottest players of the season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is sitting at a Player Impact Estimate of No. 3 in the league via NBA.com. Sadly, before the playoffs began, Antetokounmpo suffered a calf injury, so he was unable to participate. Now, the Bucks are out.

Some might say that putting LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers this far up on the list is a bit surprising. Overall, as I mentioned above, he's the all-time greatest player in the NBA. However, he's currently No. 5 in the NBA right now, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He's the GOAT, so I have to put him at No. 3.

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is an absolute beast on the court. That doesn't always mean his always team wins, but he's always out there, giving it his all. Doncic is ranked the No. 2 NBA player right now, via the NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate.

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, "the Joker," is one of the greatest centers of all time. He's ranked No. 1 in the NBA, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He has gotten some raised eyebrows lately, due to some weak Nuggets games in the playoffs. But, there's no denying this MVP is the best right now.