The Florida Panthers came into Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final knowing they needed to play with more of an edge — a “growl,” as coach Paul Maurice described it following their second consecutive overtime loss to the New York Rangers that put them in an early hole in the series.
After a spotty first period, the Panthers came to life in the second period, but needed heroics beyond regulation to beat the Rangers 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena.
Sam Reinhart scored the game-winning goal 1:12 minutes into overtime on the power play to get the Panthers level in the series, 2-2. Game 5 is at 8 p.m. Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead midway through the first period on a Vincent Trocheck power-play goal, with his slap shot from the high slot banging off the crossbar and into the net. That was all the scoring in the opening frame.
When action resumed after the first intermission, it was all Florida in the second period. The Panthers put up 13 shot attempts in the first six minutes alone, peppering Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin with a pair of flurries before they finally broke through for two goals in a span of three-and-a-half minutes.
Sam Bennett tied the game 8:45 into the period when he found his own rebound after a wrist shot while speeding toward the net and jammed the puck past Shesterkin from the side.
And then Carter Verhaeghe gave Florida a 2-1 lead at the 12:16 mark on the power play after a Matthew Tkachuk centering pass went off Verhaeghe, then off Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren’s back and then into the air before Verhaeghe batted a backhanded shot past Shesterkin.
The totals from Florida’s dominant second period, beyond the two goals: A 15-5 edge in shots on goal, 33-10 lead in shot attempts and 19-4 advantage in scoring chances (including 7-0 in high-danger chances). It was just the start of Florida’s offensive onslaught. The Panthers continue to sustain the offense pressure in the third with 34 shot attempts (to New York’s seven), 13 shots on goal (to New York’s five) and 15 scoring chances (to New York’s four) only for the Rangers to get the only goal of the frame with Alexis Lafraniere beating Sergei Bobrovsky from up close early in the frame.
And then Reinhart sealed the game in overtime for the Panthers with a shot from the slot on the power play — a place he has scored from so often this season.