What to watch for in Game 3 of Rangers vs. Panthers
The Eastern Conference Finals shifts to Florida on Sunday for Game 3 between the Rangers and the Panthers and we probably should expect more of the same kind of hockey that marked the first two – evenly-matched, hard-hitting, goals scarce.
“That’s what happens when you get the two best teams in the conference,” Florida forward Carter Verhaeghe told reporters Friday after Game 2 at Madison Square Garden. “They’re playing hard defense, we’re playing hard defense and it’s tough to get chances.
The Panthers wrested home-ice advantage away from the Rangers by earning a split of the first two games, but the Blueshirts can claim a smidge more momentum entering Sunday’s 3 p.m. match. That’s because of their overtime win in Game 2.
The Rangers are an excellent road team – they were 25-12-4 in hostile arenas during the regular season and are 4-1 so far in the playoffs. Florida won the only meeting between the teams at Amerant Bank Arena during the regular season.
Here are five things to watch in Game 3, where any edge could tilt the series:
Power Rangers
A hallmark of the Blueshirts’ offense this season was their deadly power play, which finished the regular season ranked third in the NHL. It’s been a reliable source of goals in the playoffs, too. Except in this series. The Rangers are 0-for-6 so far against Florida’s penalty kill, which is third in the playoffs with an 88.1 percent success rate, just behind the Rangers.
Overall in the playoffs, the Rangers are 11-for-41 with a man advantage and that 26.8 percent rate places them fourth among playoff teams and is slightly better than their regular-season percentage. But the Rangers, who are potentially vulnerable at 5-on-5, must generate tallies on the power play against the rugged Panthers, who excel at shrinking open ice.
