Panthers Even Series with Thrilling Overtime Win Over Rangers

The Florida Panthers have evened the Eastern Conference Final at two games apiece after a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night. In a game that saw both teams battling fiercely, it was Sam Reinhart who emerged as the hero, netting the decisive goal just 1:12 into the extra period.

The Rangers struck first with a power-play goal from Vincent Trocheck, his fifth of the postseason. Trocheck capitalized on a precise setup, sending the puck over Panther’s goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to give New York a 1-0 lead. The Rangers, who had struggled on the power play throughout the series, finally broke through, ending their 0-8 drought.

Despite the early deficit, the Panthers weathered the storm, surviving a barrage of Rangers’ opportunities in the first period. The tide began to turn in the second period when Sam Bennett tied the game at 1-1, nudging the puck past Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin after a scrappy effort in front of the net.

Florida quickly seized the momentum, with Carter Verhaeghe scoring his ninth goal of the postseason. Verhaeghe capitalized on a wild rebound, skillfully swatting the puck into the net to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead. This flurry of goals electrified the Florida crowd and put the Rangers on their heels.

However, New York responded in the third period. Alexis Lafrenière tapped in a rebound to tie the game at 2-2 with 16:32 left, setting the stage for another thrilling overtime. It marked Lafrenière’s third goal in the last two games, highlighting his emerging role as a clutch performer for the Rangers.

As the game moved into overtime, the Panthers took advantage of an early power play. Blake Wheeler, making his first appearance for the Rangers since mid-February, was penalized for hooking Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. Florida wasted no time, with Barkov setting up Reinhart, who buried the puck over Shesterkin’s shoulder, igniting celebrations among the Florida faithful.

“It’s all about being in the right place at the right time,” said Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe. “Reinhart has an awesome shot, and he didn’t miss.”

Reinhart’s goal was his 65th of the season and cemented his status as the NHL’s power-play goal leader. It also marked the first time in this series that the Panthers managed to convert in overtime, having come up short in the previous two games.

Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was solid between the pipes, making 21 saves and even contributing an assist. His counterpart, Shesterkin, was once again stellar, stopping 37 shots, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Panthers from evening the series.

“Overall, not the result we wanted,” said Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad. “It’s the best out of three now. We go home and try to take care of game five.”

Game five is set for Thursday in New York, with the series guaranteed to return to Sunrise for game six on Saturday. The Prince of Wales Trophy, awarded to the Eastern Conference champions, will be present at that game, adding further intrigue to an already captivating series.

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