The New York Rangers’ effort during Game 1 of the NHL Eastern Conference final series against the Florida Panthers was harshly questioned by NHL insiders.
Performing before a home crowd, the Rangers were outhit, outshot and outhustled, resulting in a shutout.
Opening Friday’s Game 2 at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers started strong and finished stronger as Barclay Goodrow scored at 14:01 of overtime, lifting the Rangers to a 2-1 victory.
“(The win) was huge,” Goodrow told ESPN moments after connecting on his fourth postseason marker. “As a team, it was way better than Game 1.
With the series tied at one game apiece, Game 3 is scheduled for Sunday in Amerant Bank Arena.
X (Twitter) users responded to Goodrow knocking the puck down mid-air and skating into position to beat Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (28 saves) …
BARCLAY GOODROW, OVERTIME HERO 🤩@NYRangers | #NYR | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/oG8H2uvNIi
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) May 25, 2024
The scene appeared electric before Friday’s opening puck drop …
LETS GOOO RANGERSSS #NYR pic.twitter.com/5MjhYQ3ilp
— Jack (@ilyfuji) May 25, 2024
To prepare mentally and physically for a rebound effort, the Rangers went through their pre-game warmup routines …
And it’s on. #NoQuitInNY #LGR pic.twitter.com/Kf7dZZ8Gz4
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 25, 2024
Goal. Fights. Repeat? Setting off a chaotic goal celebration, Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck opened the scoring off a slam dunk. In the moments that followed, however, Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe unloaded on Alexis Lafreniere, which drew penalties on both …
Trocheck scores the 1st goal of the game! Great start for the Rangers #NYR pic.twitter.com/9dTDTE8AWi
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 25, 2024
The Panthers attempted to establish a physical tone, but paid for it when Dmitry Kulikov received an interference penalty on an Alex Wennberg check …
Kulikov crushed Wennberg. #NYR off to the PP. pic.twitter.com/siJ9auK8fR
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) May 25, 2024
As Goodrow attempted to apply tough defense against Aleksander Barkov, the Rangers’ forward was called for interference on an obvious flop play. It proved to be a big call …
Goodrow goes off for a Barkov flop. Refs tied the game up 1-1 now on the PP. #NYR pic.twitter.com/0h1HyUj0Vk
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) May 25, 2024
Benefitting from the overlooked flop, Verhaeghe scored on the power play, his eighth of the playoffs to brighten the mood in the Sunshine State. But only briefly …
South Florida is LIVE 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/n9khkhG0as
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 25, 2024
The Rangers lost Jimmy Vessey following an open-ice check by left winger Ryan Lomberg …
Jimmy Vesey will not return for the rest of the game after this hit pic.twitter.com/1jkRq4HXD9
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 25, 2024
Sixty minutes of regulation play was not enough for Game 2 …
OVERTIME STARTS NOW.
HERE. WE. GO. pic.twitter.com/iYvicjWvOz
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 25, 2024
Goodrow connected on four goals in 80 regular-season games, but has matched his scoring output in just 12 postseason outings …
THAT’S A GAME 2 OVERTIME W
BARCLAY GOODROW
LET’S GO RANGERS!!! pic.twitter.com/tyfHkPUwqI
— x – Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) May 25, 2024
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin posted some interesting stats Friday …
Igor Shesterkin tonight:
26 shots against
25 saves
.962 save percentage
0.81 GAAUndefeated in OT this postseason. pic.twitter.com/FxXpzi7szV
— StatMuse NHL (@statmusehockey) May 25, 2024
Final score: Rangers 2, Panthers 1 (OT) …
NO QUIT. GAME 2. ✔️ #NOQUITINNY pic.twitter.com/FsxekT4tkP
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 25, 2024
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