FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers will look to rebound, and the New York Rangers will attempt to construct momentum when the groups meet in Sport 3 of the Japanese Convention Ultimate at Amerant Financial institution Enviornment on Sunday.
The very best-of-7 collection is tied after the Panthers received 3-0 in Sport 1 on at Madison Sq. Backyard on Wednesday and the Rangers responded with a 2-1 extra time victory in Sport 2 there Friday. Having break up the primary two video games on the street, Florida feels assured heading again to Amerant Financial institution Enviornment for the subsequent two video games.
The Panthers are 4-2 at residence within the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and 3-0 total within the postseason in video games following losses.
“We knew it was going to be a tricky collection,” Panthers ahead Nick Cousins stated. “They, clearly, feed off their crowd. They play effectively at residence and so can we. So, talking for everyone in there, we’re type of excited to get again in entrance of our followers and get in entrance of that crowd. I like our workforce at residence.”
The Rangers are driving a excessive after Barclay Goodrow scored at 14:01 of extra time Friday to tie the collection. New York is also snug on the street after going 4-1 away from Madison Sq. Backyard within the first two rounds.
“It’s fairly apparent that you just get an power enhance to come back down right here after a win like that and we even the collection up,” Rangers ahead Mika Zibanejad stated. “We get an opportunity to play not very lengthy after and we’ll attempt to maintain the momentum.”
Groups that lead 2-1 in a best-of-7 playoff collection have a collection report of 386-173 (.691).
Listed here are 3 keys for Sport 3:
1. Maintain forecheck
The Panthers used their forecheck to strain the Rangers and management possession for a lot of the primary two intervals of Sport 1, once they outshot them 18-12. Sport 2 was extra forwards and backwards with every workforce utilizing its forecheck to generate scoring probabilities and sustained offensive-zone strain throughout completely different occasions within the recreation.
Establishing and sustaining the forecheck will possible be an vital consider Sport 3 as effectively.
“I feel that we made some higher choices with the puck, which helped result in the forecheck in Sport 2,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette stated. “So, I feel that’s vital that we’re taking part in a recreation that’s good towards them as a result of they’re a workforce that may flip it again on you actually fast, they usually do. They play quick they usually play lengthy and if you happen to make a mistake, it’s coming again the opposite means.”
2. Energy-play shift
After their energy play was a big issue within the first spherical towards the Washington Capitals (6-for-16, 37.5 %) and the primary two video games of the second spherical towards the Carolina Hurricanes (4-for-9, 44.4 %), the Rangers are 1-for-16 (6.25 %) with the man-advantage of their previous six video games.
New York went 0-for-6 within the first two video games towards Florida, together with 0-for-4 with six pictures on aim in Sport 2. The Rangers had been in a position to prevail Friday regardless of the Panthers going 1-for-2 on the facility play, however know they should enhance in that space.
“They’re checking rather a lot,” Rangers defenseman Erik Gustafsson stated. “They’re coming with all 4 guys, so it’s exhausting. We’ve obtained to make quick, fast performs. Clearly, it’s not going to be fairly, however placing the puck to the online shouldn’t be a nasty choice even when it’s only a wrist shot from the blue line or from the nook, no matter. We’ve got the most effective guys (ahead Chris Kreider) in [front of the net].”
The Rangers (88.4 %) and Panthers (88.1 %) have been glorious on the penalty kill all through the playoffs. Florida has killed 24 of 25 energy performs (96 %) over its previous 9 video games after going 13-for-17 (76.5 %) in its first 4 postseason video games.
“We’ve been actually good,” Panthers ahead Kevin Stenlund stated. “We’ve been staying in lanes. There haven’t been [many] penalties from our aspect, which helps.”
3. Improved offensive execution
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (51 saves on 53 pictures, one personal aim) and Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (52 saves on 54 pictures) had been troublesome to beat within the first two video games, and every workforce defended effectively, so there haven’t lots of high quality scoring probabilities towards them. The Rangers had an 13-11 benefit in high-danger pictures on aim within the first two video games, in accordance with NHL EDGE puck and participant monitoring.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice believes each groups may create extra offensively, although, with higher execution.
“I feel you’re going to get flurries of it,” Maurice stated. “Each groups are fairly good defensive groups. Their gaps are good. Their sticks are good. And now, even if you happen to had been simply an offensive workforce, it’s the convention finals, so all people’s blocking pictures, all people’s doing all of the exhausting issues. So, I feel you’re going to see the sport will break free for 5 or 6 minutes. … Even going by means of final evening for each groups, there’s passes which are being missed or perhaps at occasions even nearly too protected a play. And I feel that can ebb and stream a little bit bit in recreation.”
Rangers projected lineup
Chris Kreider — Mika Zibanejad — Filip Chytil
Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere
Jack Roslovic — Alex Wennberg — Kaapo Kakko
Will Cuylle — Barclay Goodrow — Matt Rempe
Ryan Lindgren — Adam Fox
Ok’Andre Miller — Jacob Trouba
Erik Gustafsson — Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Fast
Scratched: Zac Jones, Chad Ruhwedel, Jonny Brodzinski, Adam Edstrom, Blake Wheeler, Alex Belzile, Brett Berard, Anton Blidh, Ben Harpur, Dylan Garand, Jake Leschyshyn, Connor Mackey, Victor Mancini, Brennan Othmann, Tyler Pitlick, Matthew Robertson, Brandon Scanlin, Adam Sykora
Injured: Jimmy Vesey (higher physique)
Panthers projected lineup
Vladimir Tarasenko — Aleksander Barkov — Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe — Anton Lundell — Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen — Sam Bennett — Evan Rodrigues
Ryan Lomberg — Kevin Stenlund — Nick Cousins
Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola — Brandon Montour
Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Dmitry Kulikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
Scratched: Steven Lorentz, Kyle Okposo, Tobias Bjornfot, Uvis Balinskis, Josh Mahura, Jonah Gadjovich, Spencer Knight, Rasmus Asplund, Mike Benning, Magnus Hellberg, Matt Kiersted, William Lockwood, Mackie Samoskevich, Justin Sourdif
Injured: None
Standing report
Neither workforce will maintain a morning skate with the three p.m. ET begin. … Vesey is out week to week after the ahead was injured on successful by Ryan Lomberg within the second interval of Sport 2. … Kakko and Wheeler are among the many choices to exchange Vesey. Kakko was a wholesome scratch for the primary time in these playoffs in Sport 2. Wheeler hasn’t performed since sustaining a lower-body damage towards the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 15, however the 37-year-old was cleared for contact Might 13 and stated earlier than the collection started that he was able to play. … New York recalled forwards Belzile, Berard, Blidh, Leschyshyn, Othmann, Pitlick and Sykora; defensemen Harpur, Mackey, Mancini, Robertson and Scanlin; and Garand, a goalie, from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Saturday as extras for its playoff roster.