The Rangers simply have to get more ice time for Alexis Lafreniere, who scored a pair of spectacular backhand goals off the rush.
I’m not sure how the Rangers did this and I am not sure this is sustainable but despite being mauled physically while playing nearly the entirety of Sunday’s Game 3 in their own end below the hash marks, the Blueshirts somehow persevered to record a 5-4 overtime victory over the Panthers to grab a 2-1 lead in the conference final.
But perhaps this serves as a perfect illustration of this team’s greatest asset. That is their mentality. That is their mindset. They can bend like a gold medal-winning gymnast. But they do not break. They do not lose their composure. Much like the 2011-12 Black-and-Blueshirts, they seem comfortable taking punches on the ropes.
“It’s kind of a no-panic mentality,” said Barclay Goodrow, who has scored five of the team’s last 16 goals after getting a pair in this one that included one on the penalty kill. “It’s the structure that’s been instilled in us all year by [Peter Laviolette] and the coaching staff.
“That’s what we’re kind of relying on when we’re under siege and it’s not looking good at times. You know, guys blocked some shots, Shesty made some huge saves.”
Igor Shesterkin sure did make some huge saves to deny the Panthers after they had scored twice within a span of 1:54 to tie the score at 4-4 by the 6:58 mark of the third period, after trailing 4-2 despite a 54-25 advantage in attempts that swelled to 95-36 after regulation. Scoring chances in the third period were 21-4 against.
In the end, after Alex Wennberg’s deflection in front won it at 5:35 of OT, the Rangers had blocked 37 shots, led by Jacob Trouba’s nine, as they were out-attempted 108-44 overall.
