Panthers Topple Rangers in Game Five, Move One Win Away From Stanley Cup Finals
In Game Five of their series tonight at Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers looked to move one win closer to advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals with the Eastern Conference Finals deadlocked at two games apiece. Both teams split their guaranteed home matchups in the first four games of the series, resulting in a best-of-three scenario. When tied at two, the winner of Game Five goes on to win the series 79% of the time in NHL history. The special team units on each team have played a significant role in the series thus far. Throughout the series, the Panthers have found success with the man advantage, scoring five goals. Despite having the third-best power play percentage during the regular season, the Rangers have registered just one goal while having the man advantage throughout the series. The Panthers maintained their stifling defensive play in the series in Game Five, holding the Rangers to only 27 shots on goal and winning 3-2 to take a 3-2 lead in the series.
To start the first period, the Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen was given a slashing penalty, which gave the Rangers their first power play of the game five minutes in. Still, the Panthers' penalty kill team would keep the Rangers' offense in check, letting them only muster one shot on goal before killing the penalty. Late in the period, the Rangers' K'Andre Miller was given a roughing penalty, which gave the Panthers their first chance at a power play. However, the game would remain scoreless heading into the second period after the Panthers were unsuccessful on the man advantage. At the end of the period, the Rangers held an 11-8 edge in shots on goal and recorded 10 blocked shots in the opening frame.
In the second period, only 42 seconds into the frame, the Panthers would go on their second power play after Miller was called for his second penalty of the game, this time a tripping penalty. Even though they were on the penalty kill, the Rangers would score their second shorthanded goal of the series at 2:04 to take a 1-0 lead. Mika Zibanejad forced a turnover in the Panthers' end of the ice, and Chris Kreider was set up for a breakaway after Kreider skated through the crease and backhanded the puck past an outstretched Sergei Bobrovsky for his eighth goal of the playoffs. The Panthers would tie the game at 1-1 at 8:21 of the period when Gustav Forsling, sneaking behind the Rangers' defense, backhanded the puck over goalie Igor Shesterkin and into the back of the net after Sam Bennett sent him a no-look pass.
Entering the third period tied at one, the Panthers and Rangers battled valiantly to find the elusive game-winning goal. The Rangers would go on the power play seven minutes into the period when Niko Mikkola of the Panthers was given a tripping penalty. The Rangers would once again struggle to establish a rhythm on the power play and the Panthers would thwart off the penalty. At 10:22, Luostarinen found Anton Lundell as he was entering the Rangers' zone, and Lundell's wrist-shot got past Shesterkin through his shoulder and into the net, giving the Panthers their first lead of the game at 2-1. The Rangers would pull Shesterkin with two minutes remaining in regulation in an attempt to use the extra attacker to score the game-tying goal. However, Bennett collected the puck close to the boards and wrist-shot it into the empty net with 1:52 remaining in the game to extend the Panthers' lead to 3-1. With 49 seconds remaining, Alexis Lafrenière's tip-in goal would trim the Rangers deficit to 3-2. However, it would be too late, though, as the Panthers held on for the 3-2 victory, which now puts them in position to advance to their second straight Stanley Cup on home ice going into Game Six on Saturday night.
