SUNRISE, Fla. — It’s unclear how the Rangers managed it or if it’s sustainable, but despite playing most of Game 3 Sunday in their own half under the hash marks and feeling physically worn down, the Blueshirts somehow persevered to earn a 5-4 overtime win over the Panthers and take a 2-1 lead in the conference finals.
But perhaps this perfectly describes this team’s greatest asset: their mentality, their way of thinking. They’re as flexible as gold-medal-winning gymnasts. But they don’t crumble. They don’t lose their composure. Like the 2011-12 Black and Blue Shirts, they seem comfortable taking punches on the ropes.
“It’s kind of a no-panic mentality,” said Barclay Goodrow, who scored two goals in the game, including on the penalty kill, and has scored five of the team’s past 16 goals. “It’s a structure that’s been instilled in us all year. [Peter Laviolette] And the coaching staff.
“When we’re under siege and things aren’t going well, that’s what we rely on. The guys blocked shots and Shesty made some great saves.”
Igor Shesterkin scored twice in a 1:54 span for the Panthers to tie the game at 4-4 with 6:58 left in the third period, but they had a 54-25 advantage before that and were trailing 4-2 despite having their third-period scoring chances thwarted 21-4 despite having a lead that ballooned to 95-36 at the end of regulation.
After all, after Alex Wennberg’s forward deflection won the game at 5:35 into overtime, the Rangers blocked 37 shots, led by nine by Jacob Trouba, but were outshot 108-44 overall.
I said they lost 108-44.
And they won the match.
“We’ve been in that situation a lot of times,” said Vincent Trocheck, whose team is 4-0 in overtime this season. “You never want to be in that situation, but every shift we were kind of fighting to survive another day.”
“After the third period, we had time to reset, get back on the court … and actually win.”
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The Rangers were short-handed six times, three of them in the first period, during which they allowed two goals to Paddy Tutt. They were repeatedly crushed against the wall, had the puck repeatedly iced and were rushed by Florida’s ferocious forecheck, forcing turnovers.
The team managed to stay afloat but seemed to falter shift after shift, including one in which Laviolette’s hesitation to use Matt Rempe for a 22-second shift late in the second period cost them. Don’t be surprised if Rempe misses Tuesday.
“I think it comes down to trusting our game plan and trusting the guys on the ice,” Braden Schneider said. “Mistakes are going to happen and you’re going to need to make some big saves every now and then, but I think we’re holding up pretty well there.”
“We’re a very tenacious team and we’re good at finding ways to win, and that’s what’s really important.”
This is hard hockey. This is heavy hockey. But the Rangers need Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibagint and Chris Kreider to do well, and none of them have scored in this series. They seem to be on the defensive all the time.
I don’t know how Laviolette did it, but the Rangers need to get more ice time for Alexis Lafreniere. Lafreniere scored two spectacular backhand goals off a charge, the first on a breakaway. The Rangers looked slow. Lafreniere was fast. He was dynamic. He was on a gallop.
But the problem is, Lafreniere only played a combined 15 minutes, 58 seconds and 9 minutes, 27 seconds in the first two periods filled with special teams play. Lafreniere was not on the penalty kill. He was not on the first power play unit, which basically means he was not on the power play.
If the Rangers were to come up with a template for beating much heavier, much bigger teams, it would be to dominate on the power play. The Blueshirts have done just the opposite, losing all 8 games in this series and all 18 games since Game 2 of the Carolina series.
And I understand how disruptive it would be for power-play coach Laviolette and assistant coach Michael Peca to elevate Lafreniere to the first unit. Instead of who? I don’t have an answer. The Rangers would have to rebuild it. Maybe they could. But who would they replace? Zibane Jedd? Kreider?
Again, maybe it’s unrealistic, but I have no doubt that Lafreniere will get his chance next year, he’ll make another penalty kick next year, but I’m not counting on that on Tuesday night.
The Rangers are trying their hardest. They’ve been forced into thousands of mistakes and have been physically beaten down. Even if Shesterkin is able to recreate the 1994 Mike Richter, I don’t see how this can continue.
The Blueshirts need to get better with the puck in their own half, move the puck quicker to beat the forecheck, make plays in Florida’s half and score on the power play.
The attempt was blocked, 108-44.
The Rangers won the game.
Of course I did.
Two games left to win the cup.
