Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers put together a dominant third period Thursday night at Madison Square Garden to place themselves within one win of the Stanley Cup Final.
Sam Bennett scored the difference-maker into the New York Rangers’ empty net to seal both a 3-2 Panthers victory and a 3-2 Eastern Conference Finals lead.
B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIce
BENNETT GETS THE ENG WITH LESS THAN 2 MINUTES LEFT pic.twitter.com/jzDZ5yqvGw
The Rangers were first on the board Thursday night as Chris Kreider opened scoring with a shorthanded goal in the second period.
The Panthers responded with three straight tallies, starting out with a highlight-reel setup from Bennett on the tying goal:
B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIce
FORSLING TIES IT UP 🚨 pic.twitter.com/4KOQU3ETFO
HockeyStatCards @hockeystatcards
#NHL GameScore Impact Card for Florida Panthers on 2024-05-30:#TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/bu4v5lkpvZ
Derek @NewYorkPuck
Say what you want. Sam Bennett was the best player in this game.
Grady Sas @GradySas
27-year-old Sam Bennett is a heck of a player. #TimeToHunt
The third line struck next as Anton Lundell scored past a screen from Vladimir Tarasenko, a go-ahead goal that showcased the Panthers’ depth:
B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIce
THE PANTHERS TAKE THE LEAD 👀 pic.twitter.com/wHzNo8GBIP
Reilly Moore @reillymoore
Tarasenko has not had a great series but his screen made the Lundell goal happen. More bounce in his game in the last two games. Big factor for the Cats having 3 effective lines.
Peter Ginter @GintyFresh36
First line wasn’t on top of it. It was the Lundell line with Bennett and Bob had his best game of the series considering the stakes. (yes I know he had a game 1 shutout) Team win.
The Panthers outshot the Rangers 16-10 as the home team struggled to control play in the third period.
Jameson Olive @JamesonCoop
Panthers with another strong third period, which has become a trend in this series.
At 5-on-5, they led 14-7 in shots, 12-5 in scoring chances and 8-2 in high-danger shot attempts, per @NatStatTrick.
Tom Reed @treed1919
Just a textbook third period from Panthers. Completely controlled play. #NYR didn’t get anywhere near the net until Lafreniere scores in dying seconds. Hard to see this series getting past Saturday night. Panthers built for grind-it-out games. The Rangers are not.
A late goal by Mika Zibanejad wasn’t enough to erase the deficit, and Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky finished the outing having allowed two or fewer goals for the fourth time in the five-game series.
Disappointed Cats Fan @sportspessimism
Bobrovsky your star tonight. He was great.
San Diego Super Padres @PadresTillDeath
It’s like you have to play a perfect game to beat the @FlaPanthers
Bobrovsky is basically a brick wall in goal.
The Panthers are now one victory away from the Stanley Cup Final, and their dominant third period left some fans convinced they would get that final win.
Bob Beers Fanclub @bobbiebrewski
Rangers look like defeated. Panthers are a lot closer than one win away from the Final.
Greg Boysen @GregBoysen
The Panthers have been the better team in all five games. They have dominated 5v5, have had better depth, and have made most of the Rangers’ top stars ineffective. If it wasn’t for Shesterkin, this series would already be over.
This would mark the second consecutive season Florida has capped with a trip to the Final. In 2024, the team lost their title bid in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights.
David Alter @dalter
If the Panthers get another win here, they’ll be the first Stanley Cup runner-up to get back to the Final the next year since the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins.
Chris Shepherd @ChrisShepherd
Panthers closed out the 2023 Eastern Conference Final at home.
Panthers can close out the 2024 Eastern Conference Final at home Saturday. #TimeToHunt #NYR
The Rangers will meanwhile need a road victory in order to keep their playoff hopes alive when the puck drops for Game 6 at 8 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena in Florida.
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