Panthers Take Game Four in Overtime to Even the Eastern Conference Finals at Two

With a 2-1 series lead over the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Rangers were hoping to seize a commanding 3-1 series lead in Game Four on Tuesday night. The Rangers overcame a significant disparity in shot attempts and puck control throughout Game Three to win 5-4 in overtime. The Panthers had a 108–43 shot advantage against the Rangers in Game Three, but New York was able to overcome spending a lot of time in their zone and converted on their counterattack opportunities. The Panthers were hoping to maintain their strong forechecking performance and contain the Rangers' potent attack going into tonight's game. In Game Four, the Panthers maintained their superiority over the Rangers in terms of game speed and shot attempts, and they prevailed 3-2 in overtime to square the series at 2-2 courtesy of a goal by Sam Reinhart in the overtime period.

Within the opening 10 minutes of play in the first period, the Rangers and Panthers would each go on a power play. The Rangers went on their first power play of the game when Anton Lundell of the Panthers was called for a high-sticking penalty seven minutes into the game. After winning a face-off in the Panthers' zone, the Rangers would take the lead with 16 seconds remaining on the power play at 8:51. Artemi Panarin fed the puck to Vincent Trocheck in the middle of the zone, and Trocheck slap-shot it over goalie Sergei Bobrovsky's shoulder and off the top of the crossbar to score the top-shelf goal. As both teams imposed their aggression on one another, the Panthers and Rangers finished the first period with a combined 23 shots on goal and 32 hits, giving them both plenty of opportunities at the net to score. 

At 8:45 in the second period, Sam Bennett, carrying the puck, entered the Rangers' zone and wrist-shotted it toward goalie Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin appeared to have squeezed the puck in his shoulder, but it came loose behind him, setting up a tip-in goal for the Panthers, which was scored by Vladimir Tarasenko to tie the game at one. After going 0 for 2 on their first two power plays of the game, the Panthers would get their third midway through the second when Rangers' Barclay Goodrow was penalized for a delay of game penalty. After Matthew Tkachuk passed the puck from the side of the net to Carter Verhaeghe in front of the crease, it deflected up into the air and Verhaeghe batted it past Shesterkin and into the net, giving the Panthers their first lead of the game with 43 seconds remaining on the power play. The Panthers tightened their grip on the Rangers' offense at the conclusion of the second period, allowing only five shots on Bobrovsky in the middle frame as they went into the third period leading by one goal. 

To begin the third period, at 3:28, the Rangers would even the game at 2-2 after Adam Fox's backhand shot toward the net found its way to Bobrovsky's right, where Rangers' Alexis Lafrenière was waiting to bury the tap-in goal behind Bobrovsky and into the net. With neither side being able to find the game-winning goal in the closing minutes of regulation, the Panthers and Rangers would head to overtime for the third straight game, with the Rangers having won the previous two times. Just 59 seconds into the overtime session, Rangers winger Blake Wheeler would be given a hooking penalty, which would give the Panthers a power play at the start of the extra period. Just 13 seconds into the man advantage, after winning the face-off draw, Aleksander Barkov fed the puck to Sam Reinhart near the right circle, who slap-shot it and beat Shesterkin's glove side to give the Panthers the Game Four victory to even the series at two games apiece heading into Game Five in New York on Thursday night.