Eastern Conference final Game 5: Florida Panthers 3, New York Rangers 2
All of a sudden, the best-of-7 Eastern Conference final between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers became a best-of-3 series.
The Panthers and Rangers split the first four games, with Florida winning Games 1 and 4 while New York won Games 2 and 3.
Whoever won Game 5 on Thursday will have the inside track to getting to the Stanley Cup Finals. Whoever loses will be on the brink of elimination.
And it was the Panthers who took the edge in the series with a 3-2 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Anton Lundell scored the go-ahead goal with 9:38 left in regulation and Sam Bennett added a needed insurance goal with an empty-netter. Gustav Forsling also scored for Florida.
And the Panther take the lead
Anton Lundell gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead with 9:38 left in regulation with a wrist shot from the left circle, aided by a Vladimir Tarasenko screen.
It’s Lundell’s third goal of the playoffs.
Another tight game after two periods
The score remains tied after two periods. It’s another close game in a series full of close games.
The past three games have all gone to overtime.
Is a fourth in store?
Gustav Forsling ties it
The Panthers tied the game at 1-1 8:19 into the second period on a Gustav Forsling backhanded shot following a great feed from Sam Bennett.
It was Forsling’s fourth goal of the playoffs.
Rangers open scoring with short-handed goal
Chris Kreider opened scoring for the Rangers 2:03 into the second period with a shorthanded goal on a breakaway during a Panthers power play.
It’s the second shorthanded goal the Rangers have scored this series.
It was also Kreider’s first goal and point of the Eastern Conference final.
Goaltenders the stars through one period
It’s a battle between Sergei Bobrovsky and Igor Shesterkin through one period.
Both goaltenders were perfect in the opening frame, with Bobrovsky stopping all 12 shots he faced and Shesterkin going a perfect 8 for 8.
The Panthers began to find their footing offensively over the final few minutes of the period and wound up leading the frame 27-21 in shot attempts.
Rangers active early
The first nine minutes have been almost all Rangers. They have a 7-3 edge in shots on goal and have already generated five high-danger chances, including two on their first power play of the game.
Sergei Bobrovsky has stood tall through it to keep the game scoreless.
Series recap and schedule
▪ Game 1: Sergei Bobrovsky had a 23-save shutout, while Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett scored goals in Florida’s 3-0 win.
▪ Game 2: Barclay Goodrow scored the game-winner with 5:59 left in overtime to lift the New York Rangers to a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the series on Friday at Madison Square Garden. New York’s Vincent Trocheck and Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe each scored in the first period. That was all that would get past either Sergei Bobrovsky or Igor Shesterkin in regulation.
▪ Game 3: Alex Wennberg scored the game-winning goal 5:35 into overtime to seal the Rangers’ 5-4 win in Game 3 on Sunday at Amerant Bank Arena to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
That came after Florida scored twice in the third period to tie the game.
Alexis Lafreniere and Barclay Goodrow each scored twice in regulation for the Rangers. Sam Reinhart had a pair of first-period power-play goals for Florida, which also got goals in the third from Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling.
▪ Game 4: Sam Reinhart scored the game-winner 1:12 into overtime on the power play as the Panthers evened the series. Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe also scored for Florida.
▪ Game 5: Tonight
▪ Game 6: Saturday, June 1, Sunrise’s Amerant Bank Arena, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN+
▪ Game 7 (if necessary): Monday, June 3, New York’s Madison Square Garden, 8 p.m., ESPN, ESPN+
Pregame reading
Need to catch up ahead of Game 5? Here are the highlights of the Miami Herald’s coverage over the past two days.
▪ This might be Kyle Okposo’s last chance for a Stanley Cup. The Panthers have made it a ‘fun ride’
▪ During a series of ‘phenomenal hockey,’ Panthers embracing living on edge in playoffs
▪ Matthew Tkachuk reacts to Rangers’ Chris Kreider throwing his mouth guard: ‘Best play he made’
▪ Breaking down Sam Reinhart’s overtime goal in Florida Panthers’ Game 4 win over Rangers
This story was originally published May 30, 2024 at 7:15 PM.
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