Rangers' Alex Wennberg scores overtime goal in Game 3 for 2-1 series lead over Panthers
SUNRISE, Fla. — So outplayed were the Rangers in the third period of Sunday’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final that in the final few minutes of the period, with the score tied and the Florida Panthers pinning them in their own end, they just kept icing the puck, over and over, trying to run out the clock and just make it to overtime.
After Igor Shesterkin made one last save on Matthew Tkachuk’s point-blank shot with 39 seconds left in regulation, the Rangers did make it to overtime — and there they found a way to steal a victory.
Unlikely scorer Alex Wennberg got the shaft of his stick on Ryan Lindgren’s shot and deflected it past goalie Sergei Bobrovsky at 5:35 of OT to give the Rangers a 5-4 win and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“I think it just speaks to our team,’’ Lindgren said of how the Rangers were able to find a way to win this one. “I mean, we’ve had bad periods before. It seems like we’re always a team that’s able to kind of calm down and regroup . . . That third period, they definitely controlled a lot of it. They had their chances. Shesty [33 saves, including five in overtime] was insane again.
“I don’t know, it’s just, you almost feel like it’s you’re starting fresh [in the overtime] when you get in the locker room. You take a little bit of a breather, and we knew we could play better, and we did.’’
The victory restored home-ice advantage for the Rangers after they lost it by dropping Game 1 at Madison Square Garden. Game 4 will be played here Tuesday.
The winning goal started with a faceoff in the offensive left circle between Wennberg and Aleksander Barkov, this year’s Selke Trophy winner as the league’s top defensive forward. Wennberg managed to tie up Barkov and Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov came in and picked up the puck. But Kaapo Kakko, back in the lineup after being scratched for Game 2, lifted Kulikov’s stick and Jack Roslovic swooped in to pick up the puck and get it back to Lindgren at the left point.
“Obviously, it just worked out perfectly,’’ Wennberg said. “I feel like I ended up being alone there [and was able to] get a little touch. I mean, what can I say? When that happened, I wouldn’t say it’s exactly how we drew it up. Every now and then you go by instincts, and it’s just a great, great shot by Lindy . . . and at the end of the day, you’ve just got to find a way to score.’’
The Rangers, who got two goals each from Alexis Lafreniere and the red-hot Barclay Goodrow (he has six goals in these playoffs), held a 4-2 lead after two periods, but Florida dominated the third. The Panthers got back in the game on goals by Barkov at 5:04 and Gustav Forsling at 6:58 to tie it at 4-4.
Jacob Trouba’s third penalty of the game, a holding call against Tkachuk at 14:23 after he’d broken his stick, gave the Panthers their sixth power play and a chance to get the winner in regulation. But the Rangers’ penalty kill — which had given up two power-play goals to Sam Reinhart in the first period — survived, with Shesterkin playing the starring role and making three saves.
“That one was hectic, for sure,’’ said Lindgren, one of the main penalty-killers. “Obviously, it hurts that it’s Troubs going to the box. He’s such a good penalty-killer. But yeah, that one they got some chances. Shesty came up huge, obviously, again.’’
Florida dominated the opening period and the Panthers’ pressure forced an early Rangers penalty by Braden Schneider, who shot the puck over the glass at 1:45, giving Florida its first power play. Reinhart scored his first of the game to put the hosts in front at 2:50.
But Lafreniere’s first goal, a wicked backhander lifted over Bobrovsky’s glove on a semi-breakaway, tied it at 7:17. Goodrow’s first goal, just 25 seconds later, gave the Rangers their first lead.
Reinhart’s second goal, at 14:46, tied it at 2-2 going into the first intermission. But Lafreniere, at 15:23, and Goodrow, shorthanded at 18:14, gave the Rangers a 4-2 lead entering the third period.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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