The Florida Panthers are on the verge of going back to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year and third time in franchise history because they are finding ways to win the tight ones.
Anton Lundell broke a tie with 9:38 left and the Panthers beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Thursday night in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference final where the teams have been separated by one goal the past four games. Unlike the previous three, this one didn91裸聊视频檛 need extra time.
Gustav Forsling and Sam Bennett also scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves to help the Panthers 91裸聊视频� who lost to Vegas last year for the title 91裸聊视频� win their second straight in the best-of-seven series.
Bennett said the Panthers aren91裸聊视频檛 talking about a return trip to the Cup final. They are focused on one game at a time, although, the memory of last season is a positive.
91裸聊视频淚 think it helps a lot,91裸聊视频� Bennett said. 91裸聊视频淛ust to know the grind. How hard it is. How much it takes to have success 91裸聊视频� to make it this far 91裸聊视频� it takes a lot. We learned a lot last year.91裸聊视频�
Chris Kreider and Alexis Lafreniere scored for the Rangers, and Igor Shesterkin made 34 saves in another magnificent effort. The Presidents91裸聊视频� Trophy winners need to win two straight to return to the final for the first time since 2014. Mika Zibanejad had two assists.
The Panthers can end the series Saturday in Florida. If a seventh game is necessary, it will be at Madison Square Garden, where the Panthers have won twice this series.
This is the first time the Rangers have faced elimination in the playoffs this season.
91裸聊视频淭here is nothing to say,91裸聊视频� Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said. 91裸聊视频淵our back is against the wall. We have to bring our best game to survive another day.91裸聊视频�
The go-ahead goal came after the Rangers lost the puck in the Florida end. Eetu Luostarinen got the puck, found Lundell at the Rangers91裸聊视频� blue line. His shot from the right circle beat Shesterkin.
While it appeared the puck was deflected, many of the Panthers gave veteran Vladimir Tarasenko credit for attempting to tip the puck in front of Shesterkin. They thought it might have affected the goaltender.
91裸聊视频淲e had chance after chance and just kept grinding,91裸聊视频� said Lundell, who along with Luostarinen was stopped in close by Shesterkin on shots made between their legs earlier in the period. 91裸聊视频淲e had some great chances. Finally we got the goal.91裸聊视频�
Bennett added an empty-net goal with 1:52 left and it proved necessary when Lafreniere scored with 50 seconds to play. The Rangers never got another shot.
91裸聊视频淎s the emotion increases in this series 91裸聊视频� the closer you get to the end, every single play, small play counts,91裸聊视频� said Florida coach Paul Maurice, whose team blocked 17 shots and had one giveaway.
Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said the series has been tight.
91裸聊视频淲e need to capitalize on some of the ones (chances) that we did generate and we weren91裸聊视频檛 able to do that tonight,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚t was like I said, it was tight. The game was tight. I thought we had looks and I thought we had chances and they didn91裸聊视频檛 go in. Came down to one goal. So it91裸聊视频檚 a 2-1 game.91裸聊视频�
Kreider and Zibanejad, who were scoreless in the first four games of the series, combined to give New York the lead with a short-handed goal at 2:04 of the second period.
Kreider broke up a Florida play at the blue line, nudged the puck to Zibanejad and then took a return pass entering the offensive zone and beat Bobrovsky with nifty backhand move, evoking a roar that seemed to have Madison Square Garden shaking.
It was Kreider91裸聊视频檚 eighth goal of the playoffs and the Rangers91裸聊视频� sixth short-handed, tying the team postseason record set in 1978-79. New York went on to the Stanley Cup Final, losing to Montreal in five games.
Forsling tied it a little more than six minutes later, taking a perfect pass from Bennett and beating Shesterkin with a backhander that the goalie deflected but not enough to keep it out of the net. It was the defenseman91裸聊视频檚 fourth goal and 11th point of the playoffs.
Both teams had great chances in the scoreless first period with Bobrovsky stopping Filip Chytil and Vincent Trocheck in close, and Shesterkin turning aside Kevin Stenlund and getting a little help from a post on Bennett91裸聊视频檚 backhander from point-blank range.
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