The New York Rangers took the Florida Panthers‘ finest shot for the second sport in a row and survived, by some means. As soon as once more, an unlikely hero lifted them to an unbelievable victory.
Solely 5:33 into the additional session, ahead Alex Wennberg deflected within the game-winner, lifting the Rangers to their second consecutive OT win over the Panthers, 5-4, and a 2-1 lead within the Jap Convention Remaining.
Wennberg, acquired from the Seattle Kraken forward of the commerce deadline in March, had notched just one objective over 21 video games with the Rangers getting into Sunday. Nonetheless, very similar to Barclay Goodrow’s stunning emergence, he stepped up when it mattered most.
After blowing a two-goal lead and being completely dominated for a lot of the third interval and time beyond regulation, the Rangers escaped due to a well timed objective and a herculean efficiency in internet from Igor Shesterkin.
If not for his or her netminder, the Rangers would have most likely misplaced Recreation 3 in regulation, maybe by a number of objectives. As a substitute, Shesterkin was the last word difference-maker on Saturday, weathering a storm of probabilities from the Panthers late, even whereas his offense went by taking pictures droughts of greater than 10 minutes. He completed with 34 saves.
Most bizarrely, the Rangers are two wins away from the Stanley Cup Remaining with their high stars, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, giving them little to nothing. The trio went pointless in Recreation 3 and has mixed for just one help all through the sequence.
With their high offensive threats quieted, Goodrow and Alexis Lafreniere teamed as much as provide a lot of the offense for the Rangers. The pair scored first-period objectives separated by 25 seconds earlier than repeating the feat within the second, posting tallies solely 3:01 aside, which gave New York a 4-2 benefit heading into the third.
The Rangers might simply be behind within the sequence 2-1. However regardless of being clearly worn down by the Panthers’ arduous forechecking and sticky protection over the past two video games, they’ve held agency and brought benefit of alternatives when introduced — one thing Florida hasn’t carried out sufficient.
For the Panthers, it is again to the drafting board. Whereas they did want to return from behind to pressure time beyond regulation, they took it to the Rangers for a lot of the sport, however could not capitalize regardless of outshooting New York 37-23 and out-chancing them by a big margin. As soon as once more, Sergei Bobrovsky offered a stable effort between the pipes, however after scoring just one objective in Recreation 2, 4 objectives on Sunday weren’t sufficient to get a win.
In some unspecified time in the future, contemplating how they’ve performed, the assumption is that the sequence will finally tilt within the Panthers’ favor. Nonetheless, time is working out. And after one other unbelievable victory for the Rangers, future could also be on their aspect.
The 2 groups will meet for Recreation 4 on Tuesday in Dawn, Fla., at 8 p.m. ET.
