Florida
Rangers looking to fix futile power play as series swings to Florida
SUNRISE, Fla. — The Rangers found what they needed at five-on-five on Friday night to beat back the Panthers and tie the Eastern Conference Final at 1-1 before heading south.
But they have yet to gain any traction at all on the power play through six attempts in the series — a necessity if they are to move onto the Stanley Cup Final.
The power play buoyed the Rangers through the first two rounds of the playoffs, as they went a collective 11-for-35 (31.4 percent) against Washington and Carolina.
An 0-for-4 performance Friday that included 1:25 at four-on-three, however, was cause for worry.
“They’re coming with all four guys. It’s hard,” said defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who has occasionally taken Adam Fox’s spot on the top unit. “We gotta make fast, quick plays, otherwise it’s not gonna be pretty. Putting the puck to the net is not a bad option, even if it’s just a wrist shot from the blue line or the corner or whatever. We have one of the best guys in the netfront [in Chris Kreider].
“When they’re forechecking so hard, I think we have to put a little bit more pucks to the net. I think the breakouts can be a little bit better.”
The Rangers had opportunities in Game 2, spending 7:14 total on the power play, including the four-on-three.
Per Natural Stat Trick, however, they had just one high-danger chance at 5:49 in Game 2 — the same number they recorded in Game 1.
“We’re playing a team that’s been really good and they’ve been aggressive,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “We’re looking at it and trying to make small adjustments, [trying] to do things a little bit sharper, a little bit crisper make some adjustments. And we’ll get with the guys and get that information to them.”
Last round, the Rangers went three straight games without scoring on the power play before making adjustments in time for Kreider to tie Game 6 at five-on-four.
It might take similar adjustments this time around for the Rangers to get things moving.
The Rangers have never played a playoff game at Amerant Bank Arena.
When these teams last faced off in the postseason in the 1997 first round, they split the first two games at Miami Arena before Esa Tikkanen won the series for the Rangers with an overtime goal in Game 5 at the same venue.

Barclay Goodrow’s overtime winner broke a 12-game overtime playoff winning streak for Sergei Bobrovsky and an 11-game playoff overtime winning streak for the Panthers.
Bobrovsky is tied with Patrick Roy for the longest OT winning streak for a goalie in playoff history.
Neither team held practice Saturday as both made the trip to Florida.
Florida
Judge cites ‘stand your ground’ law in clearing 3 more Florida officers in shooting of a UPS driver
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A South Florida judge on Monday cleared three more police officers of wrongdoing in the shooting death of a UPS driver who had been taken hostage during a 2019 robbery.
Broward Circuit Judge Ernest Kollra ruled that Miami-Dade police officers Richard Santiesteban, Leslie Lee and Rodolfo Mirabal — who had been charged with manslaughter in the death of UPS driver Frank Ordonez — could not be prosecuted because Florida’s “stand your ground” law justified the shooting. The same judge cleared officer Jose Mateo in September for the same reason.
The Broward State Attorney’s Office said it will appeal all four rulings.
“Immunity from prosecution is not the same as a defense presented to a jury from this community,” the state attorney’s statement said. “It is our belief that Stand Your Ground immunity does not apply in matters involving innocent bystanders, like Frank Ordonez and Richard Cutshaw, who presented no danger to officers. In this incident, two innocent men were killed, and the lives of numerous other innocent bystanders were endangered.”
Cutshaw was also killed in the barrage of gunfire that afternoon.
Ordonez, 27, had been delivering packages in Miami-Dade County on Dec. 5, 2019, when police said two would-be jewelry store robbers abducted him and forced him to drive from the scene. A rush-hour police chase ended at a busy intersection in neighboring Broward County.
Prosecutors said Mateo fired the shots that killed Ordonez. The two robbers and a passerby were also killed in a hail of gunfire at an intersection in Miramar, Florida.
Footage from a body camera that was played in court showed Mateo’s pursuit of the UPS truck that afternoon. His partner could be seen in the passenger seat with a long gun drawn. The video also showed Mateo approaching the UPS truck. He emptied his firearm’s magazine, reloaded and then pulled Ordonez from the vehicle.
The judge ruled the officers had reason to believe deadly force was necessary to end the confrontation.
The four officers are currently suspended from the their jobs.
Florida
South Florida to enjoy plenty of sunshine, warm weather this week with low rain chances
After a beautiful weekend across South Florida, the warm weather continues for the workweek.
A cool start mostly in the lower to mid-60s will lead to a warm and sunny afternoon with highs in the lower to mid-80s.
Afternoon highs linger in the lower to mid-80s each day for the workweek with changes not arriving until the weekend.
Beachgoers can expect excellent conditions with a low rip current risk as water temperatures remain in the mid-70s.
The NEXT Weather Team will continue to monitor an enhanced fire weather risk due to dry air and the ongoing drought conditions.
While there are no major wildfires being reported in South Florida, light north and northwesterly winds overnight have been bringing smoke from ongoing fires along the Gulf Coast and the Southeast U.S. into South Florida, lowering our air quality for the morning hours.
Conditions improve by midday as the wind shifts.
No significant rain chances will be found throughout the workweek with just a slim 10% shower chance Wednesday through Friday.
However, rain chances will be on the rise over the weekend as our team monitors a possible disturbance bringing the potential for scattered showers on Sunday.
These showers could help lower afternoon highs to upper 70s by the end of the weekend.
Florida
Florida takes lead in ICE arrests this year
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida has become the country’s busiest hub for immigration arrests this year, with ICE agents in the Miami Field Office — which oversees Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands — logging more detentions than any other region in the nation according to our news partners at the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
According to figures reported by the New York Times, agents under the Miami office are averaging about 120 arrests a day, totaling nearly 9,900 arrests as of March 10. That pace puts Florida well ahead of other regions experiencing federal “surge” operations, including Minnesota, where a high-profile enforcement push drew national scrutiny after two U.S. citizens were killed.
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