NHL
Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Aaron Ekblad and Sasha Barkov.
NYP photo
The Rangers are only two steps away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final — and will look to get even closer on Tuesday night.
The Rangers will face off against the Panthers in Game 4 in Sunrise, Fla. with a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Final after a thrilling 5-4 OT win in Game 3.
Igor Shesterkin’s 33 saves bailed out the Rangers, who were outplayed for large portions of the game by Florida.
If the Rangers can get one more road win, they would return to MSG with a chance to be Eastern Conference champs.
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Will the Rangers be able to get one game closer to the Stanley Cup Final? Or will Florida tie the series up?
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SUNRISE, Fla. — So the Eastern Conference Final has come down to the best of three.
After both the Rangers and Panthers split at home through the first four games, with Florida taking a 3-2 win on Sam Reinhart’s power-play goal just over a minute into overtime of Game 4 Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena, the best team on the Eastern Seaboard will be revealed in who can come away with two more victories in this grueling crusade of a series.
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Headed back to New York in a 2-2 series after Sam Reinhart’s game-winner 1:12 into overtime on the power play lifted the Panthers to a 3-2 victory in Sunrise.
A bad pass by Mika Zibanejad led to Aleksander Barkov getting hooked down by Blake Wheeler to set up the Florida power play.
The Rangers will try to win a third straight overtime game in this series, and they will look to improve to 5-0 beyond regulation in this year’s playoffs.
Shesterkin has made 36 saves through three periods, including a left-pad robbery on former Islanders winger Kyle Okposo in the third. His teammates also have blocked a whopping 28 shots so far.
Alexis Lafreniere’s redirection at the left post off a feed from Adam Fox has drawn the Rangers even 3:28 into the third. It was Lafreniere’s third goal in the past two games and his seventh of the playoffs.
Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren was doubled over in pain at the Rangers’ bench following a hit into the boards at center ice by Florida’s Sam Reinhart.
Lindgren was shown on TV limping to the locker room, but appeared back on the bench quickly thereafter.
Igor Shesterkin deserved better in a period the Panthers beat him twice amid a 15-5 shot barrage.
Igor was spectacular, but the Rangers will need to mount another comeback if they are to get this series back to New York with a 3-1 lead.
Barclay Goodrow sent a clearance over the glass for a delay of game penalty, and the Panthers connected on the ensuing power play on Carter Verhaeghe’s ninth of the playoffs for a 2-1 Florida lead at 12:16 of the second.
Igor wasn’t going to hold them off forever.
After Shesterkin denied Carter Verhaeghe on a break-in at even strength, the Panthers got another power play on Ryan Lindgren’s holding minor.
Sam Reinhart rang the crossbar, and Sam Bennett buried the tying goal on a rebound moments after the PP had expired for a 1-1 game at 8:45 of the second period
The Rangers have finally broken through on the power play in the Eastern Conference Final.
The Blueshirts took a 1-0 lead over the Panthers early in the first period of Game 4 in Florida on Tuesday night, as Vincent Trocheck connected on the man advantage.
Coming into the night on a brutal 1-for-17 stretch on the power play, the Rangers seemed destined to fail again on the power play but got things going with the clock winding down.
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Trockeck (8), PP, from Panarin and Fox at 11:09
Shots on goal: Rangers 12, Panthers 11
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Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
