SUNRISE — It has reached a point in a series that will extend to at least six games after three games extended to overtime that the New York Rangers know what they have against the Florida Panthers.
And what they don’t have.
Igor Shesterkin? The reason after arguably being dominated in three of the series’ first four games that the Rangers find themselves tied 2-2 in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals Stanley Cup series that now is headed back to Madison Square Garden for Thursday night’s Game 5.
The New York goaltender has been sublime.
Alexis Lafreniere? At the moment the face of the Rangers offense, with his tying goal in Tuesday night’s third period forcing the overtime that ended in the Panthers’ 3-2 victory at Amerant Bank Arena.
Lafreniere in the loss became the fifth player in franchise history with at least seven goals in a postseason before age 23, joining Alex Kovalev, Filip Chytil, Don Maloney and Don Murdoch.
The problem for the Rangers is that previous leading men Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad remain missing in action in the series.
Save for tossing Matthew Tkachuk’s mouthpiece into the stands, Kreider again was a non-factor Tuesday night.
“We’ve got to do a better job of advancing pucks up the ice and establishing O-zone presence,” Kreider said. “A lot of that falls on me. I’ve got to be able to get in there and win pucks, get my body on pucks, move my feet and allow us to get up the ice and start rolling.”
As for Zibanejad, his overtime turnover led to Blake Wheeler’s penalty that led to Sam Reinhart’s winning goal — hardly the type of tic-tac-toe typically expected from Zibanejad.
“I should have probably just made a different play, or decision, but I made the decision there then. I can’t change it now,” Zibanejad said. “That’s sports. Just come back and try to make another decision next time and hope it goes my way.”
With Kreider and Zibanejad, it continues to be trial and error. This time, with Chytil held out amid his injury return, the Rangers opened with Jack Roslovic on the top line, before eventually cycling to Kaapo Kakko.
For the first half of Tuesday night’s game, the debate was whether Shesterkin was impenetrable, swallowing a backhand breakaway from Evan Rodrigues, foiling a Carter Verhaeghe break in from the left circle, and recovering from a sliding save to deny Alexander Barkov to keep the Panthers scoreless for the first period-plus.
And then? Two the hard way, gritty, grimy goals by Sam Bennett on a failed clear by K’Andre Miller in the crease and Verhaeghe on a bouncing puck directly in front of the net.
From there, even at 2-1 Panthers, it could have been worse, if not for a one-on-one point-blank stop on former Rangers teammate Vladimir Tarasenko early in the third period.
Ultimately, though, the onslaught proved too much, even with Shesterkin coming up with four highlight stops against Barkov.
In the end, too much going in one direction, this time the Rangers without the salvation of the overtime victories in the previous two games.
“We can’t afford lapses like that,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said of his team’s decided dropoff after Tuesday night’s opening period. “I definitely think that we need to be better.”
Florida Panthers win in overtime against New York Rangers | PHOTOS
