Panthers Overtime Magic Is Back In Game 4 Win

Sunrise, FL – The Florida Panthers found themselves in unfamiliar territory after Sunday’s overtime loss to the New York Rangers. The Panthers had won 11 consecutive overtime games in the playoffs, dating back to the 2021-22 season. But Sunday’s 5-4 loss was the second of back-to-back overtime defeats in these Eastern Conference Finals.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lemon City Live 🎙🍋 (@lemoncitylive)

After the Panthers allowed a game-tying goal in the third period in Game 4 on Tuesday night, it’s fair to say nerves were settling in. If not for the players, for the fans.

Fifty-nine seconds into the extra frame, Rangers winger Blake Wheeler, playing his first game since being sidelined with a leg injury in February, was called for a hooking penalty on Aleksander Barkov.

Thirteen seconds into the man advantage, number 13, Sam Reinhart, scored the game-winner to tie the series at 2-2. 

CALLING ALL PANTHERS FANS! 😼

You know the drill! Let's see those reactions to Sam Reinhart's OT winner that tied up this series! #StanleyCup

Send us your best videos ➡️ https://t.co/spRr6pVPsC pic.twitter.com/kGmfM4foLw

— NHL (@NHL) May 29, 2024

“We have the utmost belief that someone in the locker room is going to get it done,” Panthers center Sam Bennett said. “Tonight, it was Sam Reinhart.”

The Panthers winger was in the slot – his office on the power play this year in which he scored 27 goals in the regular season – when he one-timed a pass from Barkov and got it past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

The Rangers, meanwhile, ended the regular season with the third-best penalty kill in the league, with an 84.5 percent kill rate – just a couple of ticks better than the Florida Panthers.

New York followed the status quo in Game 1 against Florida, keeping the Panthers off the scoresheet while on the powerplay. But the Panthers got better with each game: one goal in Game 2, two goals in Game 3, and two goals again in Game 4.

The first power-play goal Tuesday night was from Carter Verhaeghe to take a 2-1 lead halfway through the second period. Verhaeghe was in front of the net when Matthew Tkachuk sent the puck toward the mess of players in the crease, and Verhaeghe was able to swing at it mid-air like a baseball bat for the goal.

SWAGGY STEPS UP TO THE PLATE! pic.twitter.com/t6TKRo02ON

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 29, 2024

Despite the overtime loss in Game 3 on Sunday, the Panthers had dominated the Rangers in the third period and scored two goals to force the extra frame. The new first line of Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov, and Sam Reinhart was the catalyst to their two-goal third period to force overtime.

It looked like Game 4 was simply a continuation of that. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice stayed with those lines, telling the media during morning skate that he wasn’t looking for answers or anything new. He just wanted to make adjustments based on what he saw.

Whether the potent offense was a result of the new lines or simply making adjustments to how they attack the Rangers defense, the Panthers made the former Vezina Trophy goaltender sweat all night.

The Panthers had a 2-1 lead over the Rangers after two periods. But they could’ve been up by as much as four goals with the way they were throwing quality pucks at Shesterkin. Florida had 26 scoring chances to New York’s 16 through 40 minutes. One of which was a two-man rush for Barkov and Verhaeghe in the closing minutes of the second period.

Panthers with 15 SOG to New York's 5 in the 2nd period

Florida also led 7-0 in high-danger chances in the middle 20

— Alex Krutchik (@AlexKrutchikFOF) May 29, 2024

It was more of the same in the third period, with Florida getting 13 shots on net with eight high-danger scoring chances. Only this time, Shesterkin stopped them all.

But the Panthers overtime skill – or luck, or magic, or voodoo – will keep them in this series for now. The two teams will travel back up to New York for Game 5 at 8 pm on Thursday.