After splitting the first two games of the Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers now take the series to Sunrise. Florida managed to split the games in New York, so would they be able to throw the hammer down now that they have home-ice advantage, or would the Rangers do the same thing on their turf? The Panthers certainly took advantage of home ice right away. They got an early power play, and only 2:50 into the game, Sam Reinhart drove to the net and buried the game’s opening goal.
REINHART OPENS THE SCORING IN SUNRISE pic.twitter.com/Kt6BAg5Rwg The Panthers held that lead for about five minutes before the Rangers rallied in quick succession.
First, Vincent Trocheck sprung Alexis Lafreniere on a breakaway, and he buried it on the backhand to tie the game. FILTHY BACKHAND FROM LAFRENIERE pic.twitter.
com/4n6eci2uYE And then 25 seconds later, Braeden Schneider threw the puck on net, and Barclay Goodrow tipped it past Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Rangers the lead. GOODROW 25 SECONDS LATER pic.twitter.
com/sXikWnPLQB However, the Panthers got the game tied again before the end of the first period. They were on another power play with just over five minutes left in the period, Carter Verhaeghe intercepted the puck and set up Reinhart at the side of the doorstep, and as Reinhart went to make the pass to an open Aleksander Barkov , it deflected off of Jacob Trouba ’s skate and in the net for his second of the night to tie.
