Trailing the New York Rangers by two points for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot, the Carolina Hurricanes face a lot of 'ifs' in their playoff hunt with two games remaining.

Let's not get into all the different permutations calculating the different ways  Carolina can sneak past the Ranger with one or two wins in their final pair of regular-season games.

Just know that if the Canes and Rangers end their regular-seasons Saturday night with the same number of points, the following tiebreakers come into play:

RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes couldn't hold on and lost more than the game.

With seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings on the line, the New York Rangers held on to their place in the standings with a 4-3 shootout win at the RBC Center Tuesday.

That extended the Rangers' lead over the eighth-place Hurricanes to three points. Had the Hurricanes won in regulation, they would have moved ahead of the Rangers by pulling even in points with a game in hand.

RALEIGH — Carolina rookie Jeff Skinner keeps keeping the points coming.

And Carolina foward Jussi Jokinen keeps keeping the goals coming.

Skinner's work on a big even-strength assist plus a late goal and Jokinen's sixth goal in six games — a power play goal — helped the Canes to a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers at the RBC Center Thursday.

NEW YORK — This season, New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist
had been stellar in three games against the Carolina Hurricanes,
allowing a single regulation goal in each of those games.

This time, it was Cam Ward's turn.

And in a 25-second span early in the first period, Carolina finally
cracked Lundqvist's armor, the first steps in a 5-1 win over the
Rangers at Madison Square Garden Wednesday.

NEW YORK — New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist has only allowed three regulation goals in three games against the Carolina Hurricanes this season.

He’ll likely start tonight as the Rangers host the Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden at 7 p.m.

Carolina managed a 2-1 OT win over the Rangers on Jan. 2, but fell in the other two games.

How do you break Lundqvist?

“For goaltenders like that, it’s usually volume,” Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice said after the morning skate. “You have to get as many shots [as you can]. You’re going to have to battle for the rebounds.”

RALEIGH — The New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 at the RBC Center on New Year’s Eve.

The game-winning goal came in the third period. After Rangers forward Marian Gaborik sent a shot to the net, center Brandon Dubinsky put in a rebound with the puck loose in front of Carolina goalie Cam Ward at 11:49.

Staff photo by Chris Seward

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RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes are still streaking.

The Canes, getting third-period goals from Chad LaRose and Rod Brind'Amour, fought past the New York Rangers 4-2 Thursday at the RBC Center.

Make it seven straight wins for the Hurricanes, who moved into fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 93 points. Make it 10 straight victories at the RBC Center, breaking the franchise record set in the 2005-06 season.

With the score tied 2-2 in the third period, LaRose and Brind'Amour scored 28 seconds apart. LaRose with 7:35 left off a Jussi Jokinen pass in front, and Brind'Amour followed with a blast with 7:07 to play as the sellout crowd of 18,680 thundered.

LaRose had a pair of goal for the Canes, who have four regular-season games remaining. Brind'Amour continued his late-season surge and Eric Staal scored a power-play goal in the first period.