Panthers’ Vladimir Tarasenko now on the opposing side of MSG ice
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice seems to have a story to tell about every player he’s ever coached or played against, but when it comes to trade deadline acquisition former Rangers player Vladimir Tarasenko, the story most worth telling happened while they were both on the opposing team’s bench in a playoff game. It was […]
Sam Rosen to miss games in Rangers’ radio booth after health scare before Panthers series
Beloved Rangers broadcaster Sam Rosen is recovering well after an apparent health concern, but his recovery will mean he won’t be called up for many playoff games. ESPN New York’s Don La Greca told listeners on “The Michael Kay Show” that Rosen had been suffering from “dizziness” and had recently gone to the hospital, but […]
Rangers must turn Panthers’ Garden ‘dream’ into a nightmare
Competing in the playoffs at Madison Square Garden is always part of the question for opponents preparing to take to the stage at the world’s most famous arena. For the Florida Panthers, who played postseason hockey against the Rangers for the first time since 1997 in Manhattan on Wednesday night, the legendary Garden was the […]
Vincent Trocheck’s playoff nostalgia continues vs. Panthers
Vincent Trocheck paused before answering, and when he began speaking, it was clear how much the Panthers meant to him and his career. For the second consecutive series, the Rangers forward will face his former team. Trocheck was drafted in the third round by the Panthers in 2011 and spent his first six-plus seasons in […]
Rangers not changing game to suit Panthers’ heavy play
Rangers don’t care. They don’t care about the Panthers’ grunt or physicality. Never mind the Panthers’ habit of getting behind opponents and trying to infuriate them. Never mind that the Panthers are willing to do whatever it takes to get back to the Stanley Cup Final. Rangers center Mika Zibanejad #93 during practice. Charles Wenzelberg/New […]
Why Rangers are underdogs in Eastern Conference finals vs. Panthers
Commercial Content 21+ The Rangers are still unloved in the sports betting world, sitting as a +130 underdog to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals. “As oddsmakers, we base our odds on facts and statistics, not hope,” Johnny Abello, DraftKings director of trading, told the Post. “That doesn’t mean the Rangers can’t win […]
Panthers’ hunger for Stanley Cup will be Rangers’ big challenge
Of all the characteristics that will make it difficult for the Rangers to control the Panthers in the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals, their drive may be the most difficult one to overcome. Unless a team is insatiably energized by the prospect of finishing what it started with, it won’t be able to return to the […]
Rangers past success brings readiness for Panthers’ penalty kill
Bad news for members of the Rangers’ vaunted power play unit. They’re going to face a high-end, offensive penalty kill that includes a Selke Trophy candidate at forward and a deep, physical defense. The good news is it’s not something we’ve never seen before. And it’s not something they haven’t succeeded in in the past. […]
Rangers’ connections to Panthers run deep
The most obvious bond between the Rangers and Panthers may be the bond between two men who, as Paul Maurice acknowledges, aren’t all that close. However, when Maurice was fired as the Hurricanes’ head coach in 2004, he left a note on the board for his successor, Peter Laviolette. And he returned the favor when […]
Playoff-tested Panthers will be Rangers’ biggest challenge yet
The last time the Rangers played the Panthers, their minds were already on the playoffs. After two losses to top teams in the Atlantic, the Rangers broke through with a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Florida on March 23 at the Garden. And Vincent Trocheck was already foreseeing another Eastern Conference Finals-like series on the […]