Alex Wennberg scored in extra time and Alexis Lafrenière It is Barclay Goodrow scored two regulation goals each on Sunday as the guards beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Sunrise, Florida.
Igor Shesterkin was exceptional – again – and stopped 34 of 38 shots. He was tested multiple times when Florida could have taken the lead in the third quarter and didn’t wilt. Overall, Florida outscored the Rangers 38-23, including 13-4 in the third period and 6-4 in OT.
The Rangers now lead the best-of-seven series, two games to one, and have regained home-field advantage. The Rangers improved to 5-1 on the road in these playoffs and have won two straight games in OT. Game 4 is Tuesday at 8pm in Florida.
If you haven’t seen Lafrenière’s second goal yet, you will soon – it was a tremendous highlight, a beautiful move. Goodrow’s second goal came from a free kick, quickly stemming any momentum Florida had hoped to gain with a four-minute power play in the second period.
Here are the key findings:
– The Rangers entered the third period with a 4-2 lead, but the Panthers fought back. They got within one with 14:56 remaining when Carter Verhaeghe shot the puck and it deflected Aleksandr Barkov. Less than two minutes later, Florida scored again Gustav Forslingpassed quickly past Shesterkin. Forsling also hit the post with about 8:00 left in the third. Shesterkin was fabulous throughout the rest of the period as the Panthers scrambled to try and get another goal, including a stop on Matthew Tkachuk in front.
– The first period was wild. After the teams combined for six total goals in the first two games – one of which went to extra time – they scored two each in the opening period. The Panthers took a 1-0 lead, but the Rangers scored twice in 25 seconds and then allowed a second power play goal. First, a beautiful sequence of passes through the neutral zone that went from Jacob Trouba for Vicente Trocheck to Lafrenière who released Lafrenière in the middle and he scored on the backhand. It was Lafrenière’s fifth goal of the playoffs, but his first in five games. Shortly thereafter, Goodrow landed a shot from Braden Schneider this earned him five goals in the playoffs – one more than he scored in the entire regular season. Goodrow’s goal meant Rangers equaled their previous score in the series within seconds.
– Both of the Panthers’ goals in the first were scored by Sam Reinhart, who scored 57 goals in the regular season and led the NHL with 27 power play goals. The first came after a delay of game penalty to Schneider, and Reinhart threw a backhand to Shesterkin. Later, a Matt Rempe Violent penalty set up a Panther power play and Reinhard scored on another backhand. The goal came off Trouba’s skate after a K’Andre Miller the turnover allowed Florida to keep the puck on their offensive end. The Panthers were buzzing late in the first period and made Shesterkin work hard to keep the score even. Florida outscored the Rangers, 16-8, in the first.
– Lafrenière’s second goal gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead and was one of the most beautiful goals of the playoffs. With 4:37 left in the second, he made a sweet toe-drag move between two Panthers that freed him up in front and he backhanded the puck past the Florida goalie. Sergei Bobrovsky. It all started with his spectacular run down the left side, the kind of thing Lafrenière probably dreamed of growing up playing hockey.
– Goodrow, who scored the game-winning OT for the Rangers in Game 2, scored for the second time Sunday with 1:46 left in the second period while the Panthers were on the power play. The Panthers were slow to come back as the Rangers cleared the puck and Trocheck corralled the puck and fed Goodrow for a single play. Goodrow’s blast went past Bobrovsky for a 4-2 Ranger lead.
– That particular Panther PP came when Trouba was whistled for two penalties in a row with 2:25 left in the second. He was already entering the box for cutting when he hit Evan Rodrigues in the face with the elbow. Rodrigues fell, in pain, and then skated to the locker room, but quickly returned. Officials reviewed the elbow to see if Trouba deserved a major penalty, but the Ranger captain had two minutes for the hit and two for the elbow, giving Florida a four-minute power play that lasted until the third.
– With 7:34 left in the third period, it looked like the Rangers were going to have a big power play when Barkov apparently connected Mika Zibanejad in the face with his stick. Originally, a double minor for high hit was called, but the referees reviewed the play and ruled that Zibanejad’s own stick struck him in the face and no penalty was called.
– The Rangers entered the game with an 88.4% penalty kill rate, but allowed two power play goals on six Florida attempts, although they did score a shortie. Meanwhile, the Rangers’ power play continued to falter in the series, getting shut out in both tries on Sunday. The Blueshirts are 0-for-8 in the series with the man advantage.
Who is the MVP?
Wennberg, obviously. Your one tip Ryan Lindgren The shot 5:35 into OT was Wennberg’s first goal of the playoffs and just his second as a Ranger since arriving on a trade deadline deal.
