The Florida Panthers are one win away from the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals. On Thursday they went into Madison Square Garden in New York, New York and got the 3-2 win to take the three games to two series lead in the Eastern Conference Final.
First Period
The first period saw zero goals as it took both teams time to settle in. The Rangers had the 11-8 shot advantage, and controlled play in the middle part of the period and in a stretch with under three minutes left.
Second Period Opening Goal
In the second period, the Rangers opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal by Chris Kreider of Boxford, Massachusetts at 2:04 of the middle frame. Mika Zibanejad of Huddinge, Sweden picked up the lone assist. The Ranger in the penalty box was defenseman K’Andre Miller who was penalized for tripping. It was the sixth shorthanded goal the Rangers have scored in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kreider and right winger Barclay Goodrow of Toronto, Ontario had two shorthanded goals each. Meanwhile American defensemen Jacob Trouba of Rochester, Michigan and Miller have one shorthanded goal each.
Panthers score three unanswered goals
Sam Bennett of Holland Landing, Ontario was the only Panthers player with a multi-point game as he had one goal and one assist. Florida first tied the game at one at 8:21 of the second period on a goal by defenseman Gustav Foirsling of Linkoping, Sweden. Bennett and defenseman and former first overall pick Aaron Ekblad of Windsor, Ontario picked up the assists. The Panthers then went up 2-1 as Anton Lundell of Espoo, Finland scored from Eetu Luostarinen of Siilinjarvi, Finland.
The Rangers pulled Igor Shesterkin late in the third period. That is when Bennett scored the game-winner for the Panthers with one minute and 52 seconds left. It was an unassisted goal and put the Panthers up 3-1.
Too little too late
The Rangers pulled within one as Alexis Lafreniere of St-Eustache, Quebec scored from Zibanejad and Kreider. However, it was too little, too late as the Rangers lost 3-2. Game six is in south Florida on Saturday.
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