Panthers’ Game 1 shutout over Rangers a Garden rarity
Sergei Bobrovsky saw 23 shots on Wednesday night, but he stopped all of them. The Panthers netminder earned himself a 3-0 victory in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals at the Garden, handing the Rangers their first blank appearance of the postseason and achieving the rare feat for just the second time since the […]
Rangers fail to match Panthers’ physically in Game 1 loss
The Rangers’ struggles breaking down the Panthers’ defense and forecheck all night aren’t the only thing they should be concerned about after Wednesday night’s game. What should worry them equally is that Florida coach Paul Maurice felt his team’s forecheck wasn’t particularly effective on a night when the Rangers managed just 23 shots on Sergei […]
Rangers have no answers for Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk in Game 1
Highlights and lowlights from the Rangers’ 3-0 loss to the Panthers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night: 1. Matthew Tkachuk Florida’s superstar was all over the game, scoring the opening goal, landing hits and making his impact felt all over the ice. Matthew Tkachuk celebrates after scoring a goal from […]
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 […]