Thursday, May 30, 2024

Panthers Escape Rangers In Game 5

     The Florida Panthers survived the New York Rangers 3-2 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. The Panthers lead the best-of-seven series 3-2. 
     Game 6 will be held in Sunrise on Saturday night. The Cats will try to win the Eastern Conference title for the second straight season and reach the Stanley Cup Final. 
     After a scoreless first period, New York moved out to a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at the 2:04 mark of the second. Matthew Tkachuk turned the puck over at the top of the zone. Mika Zibanejad guided a lead pass at the red line. Chris Kreider sprinted down the middle of the ice on a breakaway and slid a backhand shot from the crease area past Sergei Bobrovsky for his eighth playoff goal. It was Kreider's first goal and first point of the series. Kreider now has 48 playoff goals in his career. Zibanejad also picked up his first assist and first point of the series. It turned out to be the Blueshirts third shorthanded tally in this series. 
     Florida tied it 1-1 at 8:21 of the second. Aaron Ekblad sent an outlet pass out of his own zone. Sam Bennett skated to the top of the zone and made a lead pass. Gustav Forsling got it in the high slot and scooped a backhand shot from the low slot by Igor Shesterkin for his fourth goal of the postseason.
     The Panthers took a 2-1 lead with 9:38 left of the third period. Eetu Luostarinen carried the puck into the neutral zone and angled a pass. Anton Lundell brought it across the Rangers blue line and snapped a shot from the left-circle dot. It was Lundell's first goal of the series and third goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 
     The Rangers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 2:36 to go. It did not work as Bennett collected the puck at center ice and placed the puck into an empty net with a wrist shot from the right circle with 1:52 remaining. It was his fifth goal during the postseason. 
      New York pulled their goalie again and ended up with success. Kreider backhanded a pass from the left corner and Zibanejad released a shot from the high slot. Alexis Lafreniere deflected it in from the top of the crease for his eighth playoff goal with 49.7 seconds left and they trailed 3-2.

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