The Rangers lost 3-2 to the Florida Panthers on Thursday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, meaning the Blueshirts are one loss from elimination.
The Panthers, who got goals from Gustav Forsling, Anton Lundell And Sam Bennett in front of a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden, the best-of-seven series can conclude when it shifts to Sunrise, Florida for Game 6 on Saturday night.
It is only the second time in the entire play-offs that the Rangers have fallen behind in a series. The other was when they dropped Game 1 to Florida.
Here are the takeaways…
-The Panthers raced down the ice early in the third period, dominating and creating chances until they took a penalty that blunted their momentum. But it was only temporary. They killed the penalty and went on the hunt again, scoring with 9:38 left on a 3-on-2 rush. Lundell skated down the left side and fired the puck in for a 2-1 Florida lead. It was his first goal of the series. Earlier in the period, Lundell had tried to sneak a shot between his legs Igor Shesterkin — Eetu Luostarinen also tried the same and Shesterkin stopped him too.
Shesterkin finished with 34 saves.
-With 1:52 left in the third, Bennett scored an empty-net goal after the Rangers signed Shesterkin for an extra attacker. The Rangers answered with 49.7 seconds left when they scored 6-on-5 after a tip-in from Alexis Lafrenière. Lafrenière scored goals in three consecutive games in the series and eight goals in total in the play-offs.
-The Rangers took a 1-0 lead early in the second period when they scored their sixth shorthanded goal of the playoffs, matching their highest mark in a single postseason set in 1978-79. Chris Kreider started the piece with a takeaway that made him jump and Mika Zibanejad on an escape. Kreider slid ahead of Florida’s Sam Reinhart and Zibanejad gave him the puck and Kreider skated in and hit the puck past with his backhand Sergei Bobrovsky — who finished with 25 saves. Kreider jumped to the glass behind the net and cried with joy as his teammates crowded around him. It was Kreider’s eighth goal in the play-offs, but his first point in this series. Zibanejad’s assist was also his first point of the series. Both droughts threatened to be a Blueshirt problem in this series.
But the Rangers’ lead only lasted until 11:39 remained in the second. Florida tied the score on Forsling’s goal, his second of the series, which happened largely thanks to a slick no-look pass from Bennett. Bennett’s feed went between two Rangers, leaving Forsling alone in front of Shesterkin, who could not stop Forsling’s backhand and the score was tied at 1. The Panthers outscored the Rangers 13–6 in the second.
-The first period ended scoreless, but both teams had chances. Bobrovsky stopped Filip Chytil on a backhand in front – set up by a nice pass from Zibanejad – although the rebound was dangerous and almost went in via a Panther. Shesterkin stopped Kevin Stenlund late in the period when Stenlund had the puck in front. Shesterkin leaned back on the loose puck to stop the play and fans chanted his name. With about 2:20 to go, Vincent Trocheck had a partial breakaway, but Bobrovsky made the save. The Rangers outscored Florida in the first inning 11-8, with each team killing a penalty.
-According to the NHL, when a best-of-seven series is equal to two games apiece, the winner of Game 5 will win the series 78.8 percent of the time.
-Chytil was back on the ice Thursday night after being scratched from Game 4. He started the match on the top line with Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. To make room for Chytil, winger Blake Wheeler was scratched.
MVP: Anton Lundell
Lundell’s goal in the third period put the Panthers ahead for good.
Highlights
What’s next
The Rangers and Panthers return to Florida for Game 6. Puck’s drop-off is scheduled for Saturday night at 8 p.m.
