Laviolette’s timeout refocuses Rangers in OT win
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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
SUNRISE, Fla. — The New York Rangers needed a timeout.
Literally.
New York held a two-goal lead entering the third period in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Florida Panthers on Sunday and the Panthers were taking it to their opponent. Florida was dominating New York in all three zones, and when the Panthers tied the game 4-4, Rangers’ coach Peter Laviolette knew his group had to take a breath.
He called for a stoppage. Talked things out on the bench. And New York went back to work with renewed vigor, leaning on a terrific performance from goaltender Igor Shesterkin to get out of that final frame tied. The Rangers went on to win 5-4 in overtime on Alex Wennberg‘s tally.
It was the Rangers’ second overtime win in a row. They lead Florida in the best-of-seven series 2-1.
“The third was probably our toughest go in the series so far,” Laviolette said. “We’re up 4-2, we’re under siege, they were able to capitalize, and that was by far their best period. It was a pretty even game going into the third period. They got [a goal], got another one, the building was into it. So it was moving in their direction. We came out of the timeout and had three or four good shifts in a row. But they got it into overtime. Shesterkin had to make a few big saves for us. And then [came] a big goal for us in overtime to win it.”
Shesterkin was the Rangers’ backbone in a vital road win. He put in his best performance of the postseason to steal the victory while Florida threw everything it had toward the net, edging the Rangers 38-23 in shots and outchancing them 94-35 in regulation.
Some saves were more impactful than others. Shesterkin made an incredible stop on Panthers’ forward Sam Reinhart with 35 seconds left in the regulation to get New York out of the third and into a fresh overtime slate.
New York is 4-0 in overtime in the postseason.
“[Shesterkin] was our best player tonight,” center Vincent Trocheck said. “When you have a guy back there like that, you have a lot of confidence in him. He stole this game late.”
Shesterkin put on a monstrous performance early in overtime as well to keep Florida at bay. That allowed Wennberg to come through the winner and give New York an advantage, while putting the Panthers in their first series deficit of the postseason.
“They had some good chances,” Wennberg said. “You need a goalie who can help out and [Shesterkin] did more than once or twice. He did that, and it’s a good feeling to have that goalie making a difference.”
New York was behind early in Game 3 because of its own disciplinary issues.
Braden Schneider went to the box for delay of game less than two minutes into the first period and Sam Reinhart immediately capitalized with a power-play goal to give Florida a 1-0 lead.
New York wouldn’t be in that deficit for long though, with Alexis Lafreniere and Barclay Goodrow scoring just 25 seconds apart midway through the frame to make it 2-1 Rangers.
It was Reinhart making New York pay with his second power-play goal of the night to tie the game 2-2 through 20 minutes. Reinhart’s two goals on the man advantage is tied for most ever by a Panthers’ player in a postseason contest.
That four-goal first period came after a combined six goals were tallied in Games 1 and 2. But shot attempts were 30-10 Florida in the first period, and 20-10 at even strength, only underscoring how valuable Shesterkin was to keeping New York in check. While Florida made good on its power-play tries, the Rangers couldn’t do the same.
They were 0-for-2 on the night with an extra man but benefited from Goodrow’s shorthanded tally that, along with a second goal of the game from Lafreniere, gave New York its 4-2 lead going into the third period.
That’s where the Rangers would be truly tested. The Panthers pushed hard and controlled play until they’d even things on the scoresheet. Florida was all over New York, scoring two goals from Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling while outshooting the Rangers 13-4 and outchancing them 40-10.
Laviolette took his timeout. That’s when the mood shifted for New York.
“It’s an up-and-down game,” Trocheck said. “[In the third] period, they had the edge again. Our team is resilient. Going into overtime, anything can happen.”
Shesterkin stood tall in the extra frame to allow New York the chance to secure a victory. Wennberg came through in the clutch.
“Really good work by him in all zones. Really smart player,” Laviolette said. “Really committed. Gave us what we needed at the time and what we were hoping for.”
In the end, the Panthers attempted 108 shots on the Rangers, and it didn’t result in a win. Florida coach Paul Maurice hopes that helps his team bounce back in Game 4 on Tuesday.
“A lot of times in the playoffs you want to make sure you keep your energy and cut off your losses,” Maurice said. “And you let it go. Then there are times you want to keep it. And eat it. And let it burn for a while. And find a different kind of energy source. When you put up what we put up tonight and don’t come up with the win, you should be a little growly.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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