Panthers have the Rangers on the ropes: Grades, takeaways from Game 5, early look at Game 6
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Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter
The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers entered Game 5 Thursday night with their Eastern Conference finals series tied at two games apiece.
After the visiting Panthers edged the Rangers 3-2, they’ll take that same lead back home for Saturday night’s potential series-clinching game (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+).
Here’s what stood out in Florida’s victory, along with key players to watch in Game 6, and the biggest lingering question.
Panthers grade: B+
The Panthers controlled possession. They made it difficult for the Rangers to find the needed time to get settled in the offensive zone over the final two periods.
Above all, they found ways to reach the net front while consistently ensuring the Rangers struggled in that department, beyond the late goal Alexis Lafreniere scored to cut it to a one-goal margin.
If not for Igor Shesterkin, it’s possible the Panthers could have won by a larger margin and head into a Game 6 that could see them return to a consecutive Stanley Cup final for the first time in their team’s history.
Exercising patience has been crucial for the Panthers during these playoffs. Look no further than the events that led to an empty-net goal. They set up in front of Sergei Bobrovsky‘s net before forechecking and pressuring the Rangers into a mistake, en route to grabbing a two-goal lead. If they replicate that formula consistently in Game 6, the Panthers will become the first team to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.
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Sam Bennett’s empty-net goal pads Panthers’ lead late
Sam Bennett wrists in a goal on an empty net to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead vs. the Rangers.
Rangers grade: B-
Watching Lafreniere get near the net and score did more than cut the lead to 3-2 with less than a minute left. It was one of the few times the Rangers could really get set in the offensive zone while having a player in a position to grab a goal in a part of the ice the Panthers largely worked to take away. Is that repeatable in future games?
Finding openings was a challenge for the Rangers once the second period started. They went from 11 shots in the first period to a total of 11 more in the next 32 minutes of game time. They finished with 27, and quite a few of them were from distance.
Even with those 11 first-period shots, Natural Stat Trick’s metrics show the Rangers had a 46% shot-share in 5-on-5 play. An inability to consistently gain possession was further compounded by the fact that the Panthers broke through for 18 high-danger chances, while allowing only seven high-danger chances for the Rangers. One example of that was the Sam Reinhart shot at the doorstep that Shesterkin stopped with 5:49 left.
Another item that didn’t help was the Rangers, who have the second-best power-play unit of the four remaining teams, drew just one penalty; however, they get bonus points for a short-handed goal from Chris Kreider, his first tally of the series.
Players to watch in Game 6
Gustav Forsling. This goes beyond the fact he scored the game-tying goal. What Forsling did in Game 5 is an extension of what he’s done this season and how he’s emerged as one of the Panthers’ most important players.
So much of the Panthers’ success has been their ability to take away time and space from opponents, with the idea they can quickly get in the offensive zone. Forsling has allowed the Panthers to find success in both zones while averaging more than 23 minutes per game during the Panthers’ postseason run. He’ll be critical again as they look to put the Rangers away Saturday.
Artemi Panarin. It gets complicated as one chooses how to measure Panarin’s production. He’s arguably been the Rangers’ strongest facilitator in the postseason while still being a threat to score goals of his own. The four shots he had on net in Game 5 are the most he’s had since the second round in Game 6 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Panarin’s ability to create for others has been beyond vital for the Rangers. But if he can find a way to score a goal in Game 6, it would play a major role in the Rangers forcing a Game 7. If not, there are obviously other ways the Rangers could win and get to a Game 7. But as Game 5 showed, getting as many offensive contributions as possible from star players will only make things easier.
Big question for Game 6: Can the Rangers find some sort of success with the power play?
Success is something of a relative term when it comes to the Rangers’ power play at the moment: Is success breaking through to score a goal? Or would the first piece in finding success simply be finding a way to get on the power play at all?
Going into Game 5, the Rangers have had one of the NHL’s best extra-skater advantages during the playoffs as a whole but have struggled since reaching the conference final round. They’ve converted only 9.1% of their power-play chances. Having such a low success rate is made more of an issue by the fact they had just one power play in Game 5; by contrast, they saw one of their three chances converted in Game 4. So the task ahead is both drawing more penalties and making the Panthers pay when they do.
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Kristen Shilton
EDMONTON, Alberta — Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz is back in the lineup for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday.
The club’s top skater, sidelined since Game 2, when he took a slash to the left leg from Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, was placed on the top line, alongside Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen after taking warmups and line rushes prior to puck drop.
Hintz also took part in warmups before Game 3 on Sunday but exited early and was ruled out. He was back on the ice for Dallas’ optional practice Monday and told reporters he was “feeling good” and “trying to do everything I can” to get back in for Game 4.
It was early in the third period of Game 2 when Hintz — parked in front of the Oilers’ net — shoved Nurse from behind, and the Oilers’ blueliner responded by swinging his stick at Hintz’s leg. Hintz went down to the ice for several minutes before being helped off by Lian Bichsel and Mikael Granlund.
Nurse received a two-minute penalty for the slash but no supplementary discipline from the league. The blueliner addressed the incident publicly for the first time Tuesday, saying it didn’t come with malicious intent.
“I was backing up to net and I got shot in the back. And I think it was just a natural reaction [to respond],” Nurse said. “It’s probably a play that everyone in this room, whether you’re a net-front guy or D man, probably happens a dozen, two dozen times in a year. It’s unfortunate that I must have got [Hintz] in a bad spot. You don’t want to go out there and hurt anyone. But it was just one of those plays that happens so often.”
Having Hintz unavailable hurt the Stars in Game 3, a 6-1 drubbing by the Oilers that put Dallas in a 2-1 hole in the best-of-seven series. Hintz is the Stars’ second-leading scorer in the postseason, with 11 goals and 15 points through 15 games. He was hopeful when taking warmups Sunday that he’d feel good enough to get back in, but a quick discussion with the training staff made it clear he wasn’t ready.
Before Tuesday night, coach Peter DeBoer had since classified Hintz’s status as day-to-day.
“Of course you want to go every night, but sometimes you just can’t,” Hintz said. “I don’t know how close I [was to playing]. But I have played many years [and I] know when it’s good and when it’s not. I should be good to know that [when] it comes to that decision.”
The Oilers will have some lineup changes of their own to sort through in Game 4. Connor Brown, who is out after taking a hit from Alexander Petrovic in Game 3, will be replaced by Viktor Arvidsson. Calvin Pickard, injured in Edmonton’s second-round series against Vegas, will return to back up Stuart Skinner. And Edmonton continues to wait on defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who is getting closer to returning from a lower-body injury.
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Kristen Shilton
EDMONTON, Alberta — NHL official Chris Rooney was back on the ice Tuesday night for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals between the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars.
It was the veteran referee’s conference finals debut, and a fitting return for Rooney given the circumstances. It was Rooney’s first game since he took a high stick to the face on May 17 during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference second-round series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.
Rooney was injured 13 seconds into the second period when Panthers’ defenseman Niko Mikkola caught him with the end of his stick while fighting for a puck. Rooney fell to the ice and was tended to by trainers from both teams.
While bloodied, he was able to leave under his own power. Rooney sustained a black eye and received stitches for his injury but had no lasting damage. He was replaced at the time by Garrett Rank, in the building on standby in case on injury.
It was clear even the day after his injury that Rooney, 50, hoped to resume duties at some point in the playoffs. The Boston native was finally able to step in for Game 4 with fellow referee Dan O’Rourke.
The pair was joined by linesmen Ryan Gibbons and Matt MacPherson. Referee Graham Skilliter and linesman Ryan Daisy were in the building as alternates.
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Kristen Shilton
EDMONTON, Alberta — Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz remains a game-time decision ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference Final on Tuesday.
The club’s top skater has been sidelined since Game 2 in the series when he took a slash to the left leg from Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. Hintz took part in warmups before Game 3 on Sunday but exited early and was ruled out. He was back on the ice for Dallas’ optional practice on Monday and told reporters he was “feeling good” and “trying to do everything I can” to get back in for Game 4.
It was early in the third period of Game 2 when Hintz — parked in front of the Oilers’ net — shoved Nurse from behind, and the Oilers’ blueliner responded by swinging his stick at Hintz’s leg. Hintz was down on the ice for several minutes after that before being helped off by Lian Bichsel and Mikael Granlund.
Nurse received a two-minute penalty for the slash on Hintz but no supplementary discipline from the league. The blueliner addressed the incident for the first time Tuesday, explaining it didn’t come with malicious intent.
“I was backing up to net and I got shot in the back. And I think it was just a natural reaction [to respond],” Nurse said. “It’s probably a play that everyone in this room, whether you’re a net-front guy or D man, probably happens a dozen, two dozen times in a year. It’s unfortunate that I must have got [Hintz] in a bad spot. You don’t want to go out there and hurt anyone. But it was just one of those plays that happens so often.”
Having Hintz unavailable hurt the Stars in Game 3, a 6-1 drubbing by the Oilers that put Dallas in a 2-1 hole in the best-of-7 series. Hintz is the Stars’ second-leading scorer in the postseason, with 11 goals and 15 points through 15 games. He was hopeful when taking warmups Sunday that he’d feel good enough to get back in but a quick discussion with the training staff made it clear he wasn’t ready.
Coach Pete DeBoer has since classified Hintz’s status as day-to-day.
“Of course you want to go every night, but sometimes you just can’t,” said Hintz. “I don’t know how close I [was to playing]. But I have played many years [and I] know when it’s good and when it’s not. I should be good to know that [when] it comes to that decision.”
The Oilers will have some lineup changes of their own to sort through in Game 4. Connor Brown is out after he took a hit from Alexander Petrovic in Game 3; he’ll be replaced by the incoming Viktor Arvidsson. Calvin Pickard — injured in Edmonton’s second-round series against Vegas — will return to back up for Stuart Skinner. And Edmonton continues to wait on defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who is getting closer to coming back from a lower-body injury.
Puck drop for Game 4 is 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
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