Panthers shut out Rangers 3-0 in Eastern Conference Final opener
The Florida Panthers stifled the New York Rangers offense on Wednesday night.
The Panthers took Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final 3-0 over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Game 2 is Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
Sergei Bobrovsky, who tied for the NHL lead with six shutouts during the regular season, made 23 saves on Wednesday for his second career shutout and first of the postseason. 12 of those saves came in the third period after the Hurricanes held the Rangers to only 11 shots over the first two periods.
Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist each for the Panthers and Sam Bennett also scored.
Igor Shesterkin stopped 24 shots for the Rangers.
Tkachuk gave Panthers 1-0 lead with 3:34 remaining in the first period with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle off the rush. It was his fifth goal of the playoffs.
In terms of the Rangers’ closest scoring chances, defenseman Braden Schneider hit the goalpost on a breakaway with a little less than two and a half minutes remaining in the opening period while Bobrovsky stopped Will Cuylie on breakaway in first minute of second period.
An apparent goal by Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson 8:45 into the third period was overturned after a challenge by Rangers coach Peter Laviolette because of interference with goalie Igor Shesterkin by the Panthers’ Ryan Lomberg, but Florida went up 2-0 with 3:48 remaining after Carter Verhaeghe was credited with a goal. His attempted pass was accidentally tipped in by New York’s Alexis Lafreniere. It was Verhaeghe’s seventh goal of the playoffs.
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