First Period:
- Anton Lundell (5) Assists: Sam Reinhart (8), Eetu Luostarinen (1)
- Carter Verhaeghe (1) Assists: Gustav Forsling (3)
- Alexis Lafreniere (4) Assists: Adam Fox (8)
Second Period:
- Sam Bennett (6) Assists: Niko Mikkola (3), Dmitry Kulikov (1)
Third Period:
Stats:
Adam Rotter:
- This seemed like it could have been an extension of the Eastern Conference Finals with the Rangers struggling to deal with the Florida speed and pressure, the PP unable to convert and Igor Shesterkin being the only reason why this wasn’t a blowout.
- From the drop of the puck the Rangers were off. They were leaving players open right in front of the net, they were trying to force plays and then Florida just gave them fits defensively after the first period. I don’t know if the Rangers were pressing/trying too hard or trying to do too much, but whatever it was, it wasn’t how they needed to play to win this game.
- The Rangers certainly had some chances and Sergei Bobrovski made some big saves, but they couldn’t consistently create offense or get pucks toward the net. The Panthers were just pressuring and pressuring and the Rangers were struggling to execute and make the right plays. They have struggled at times over the last number of years dealing with this sort of pressure and it forced the Rangers into turnovers, poor passes and ultimately a poor performance. The Rangers can overcome a lot of this sloppiness against most teams because they are better and more talented than most teams, but you need a much better, more complete game to beat a team like the Panthers.
- A win tonight was not going to overturn the Eastern Conference Finals and a loss tonight doesn’t mean that if they meet again in the playoffs that the Rangers will automatically lose. But there are things the Rangers need to do better to deal with the Panthers. They need to play a smarter game with the puck, make simpler plays and go to the net. It’s the same recipe you need to win against most teams, but the Panthers can make you pay in a way that a lot of other teams can’t if you stray from that game plan.
- They look to rebound on Saturday against the Ducks.