Panthers blank Rangers to steal Game 1 of Eastern Conference Final
The Rangers had never trailed in a series this postseason until the Panthers started the Eastern Conference Finals at home in the concrete jungle. It took 10 games and two rounds to get there, but the Blueshirts finally faced off against a Florida team, winning Game 1 3-0 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night […]
Alexis Lafreniere own-goal was breaking point in Rangers’ Game 1 loss
The Rangers lost by just one point in the third period of Game 1 of the conference finals against the Panthers when goaltender Igor Shesterkin went wide in front of the goal and knocked down a loose puck. The only thing is, we didn’t get very far. The puck then landed right in front of […]
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 […]
Rangers have several roster options to examine after Game 1 flop
The Rangers just weren’t fast enough, strong enough, sharp enough or eager enough for Game 1 of the conference finals, and the Panthers were all the things the Blueshirts didn’t have in Wednesday’s 3-0 win at the Garden. For all the talk of a threat before Paddy Tutts, it turned out Florida’s physicality was showing […]
Rangers’ failure to convert on big chances proves costly
Perhaps there was some bad vibes left in the Garden from Sunday’s Game 7 loss between the Knicks and the Pacers. It’s hard to say which of the Rangers’ close calls kept them awake late Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday morning. Because there were several such failures, and after a 3-0 […]
Mark Messier wants Matt Rempe in Rangers’ lineup for Game 2
Rangers legend Mark Messier had already said the team was playing “too cautious” and “too conservative,” but that was before the Blueshirts lost to the Panthers in Game 1. Ta. Even with a 3-0 loss on Wednesday night, he is certainly of the opinion that the Rangers need Matt Lempe back in the lineup for […]
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 […]