'Just grind': Gritty Panthers push Rangers to the brink

Here's a frightening thought: Maybe the regular season's best team's best effort still isn't good enough.

The New York Rangers elevated their offensive zone pressure. Their beleaguered stars were much more noticeable. And their all-world goaltender was — as he's been all series — all world. 

Heck, they even got another shorthanded goal and had a raucous Madison Square Garden gusting their sails.

And yet, for the fourth time in this Eastern Conference Final and third straight game in a row, it would be impossible to walk out of the arena and not believe the Florida Panthers were the superior, hungrier and more prepared outfit.

Maybe not by a yard, but an inch is plenty come May.

"We showed it all playoffs. We battle right to the end," Florida's Sam Bennett told the cameras, after his solo-effort empty-net goal held up as Thursday's comeback winner in a 3-2 game and 3-2 series. "It's what we've done all year. We have buy-in from the entire group."

"Gritty effort. Very proud of the guys," added Matthew Tkachuk. "We're playing really well right now."

Boy, are they ever. And even when lulls seep in, the way the Rangers pushed early and appeared up to the challenge throughout Game 2 and in the first periods of Games 4 and 5, the Panthers' four rounds of playoff experience in 2023 give them faith they can weather such storms.

In yet another hard, structured contest, coach Paul Maurice didn't believe his bunch didn't get to its game until the third period — which seems to be when the Cats' health and conditioning and patience all pays off at once.

After 40 minutes, the sides were knotted 1-1.

"Our game got very simple in the third period, and that was the key to it," Maurice said. "Just grind."

At 5-on-5, Florida dominated the final frame in shots (14-7), scoring chances (12-5), and high-danger shot attempts (8-2), per NaturalStatTrick.com.

So, when New York's Kaapo Kakko drew a tripping penalty on Niko Mikkola, and the Panthers penalty kill snuffed out yet another man-advantage, the tables flipped for good.

Anton Lundell used a Vladimir Tarasenko screen and sniped one past a dialed-in Igor Shesterkin on a counterattack rush. 

"You just have to trust the process. Follow the plan," Tarasenko said. "Sometimes when you can't score right away, you have to be patient."

Later, Bennett added enough insurance so that Alexis Lafreniere's following 6-on-5 goal with 50 seconds on the clock would go for naught.

"It's a game that's going back and forth," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "They pushed in the third period.

"They got a couple chances off our turnovers and were able to capitalize on one of them."

On the topic of turnovers, Florida had just one all game. New York had 12.

Until Thursday's buzzer, the outplayed Rangers could take solace that the series was tied, that they held home-ice advantage, and that they had yet to face elimination all season.

Now, none of that is true.

They are hopping a charter down the coast and staring the end of a brilliant run in the face.

"You get into (Games) 5, 6, and 7, the desperation, the finality, you start to feel it," Maurice said.

What's become increasingly evident is not only will the Rangers need to bring their best Saturday night. They must also pray that their potential executioners don't bring theirs.

“We’ve got business to take care of still,” Bennett said.

He sounded as serious as one of his bodychecks.

Fox's Fast Five

• The recently maligned Mika Zibanejad (two primary assists) and Chris Kreider (shorthanded goal) finally hit the scoresheet. And the goal-less Artemi Panarin led all skaters with 11 shot attempts.

A positive the Rangers must build upon if they are to rally in this series.

Kreider's third career playoff shorty gives New York its sixth in these playoffs and ties Mark Messier for the franchise record. The NHL record for shorthanded goals in a single postseason is seven (four teams).

• The Panthers were the East's best team away from home in the regular season (26-11-4) and have carried that title through the postseason (6-2).

Aaron Ekblad lit up Thursday when asked about road trips. 

"I love it. Boys will tell you, one of my favourite things to do is play poker in the team suite and on the plane," Ekblad said. 

"I think about those times being what I'll remember most in my time in the NHL, especially on runs like this and last year, where you're together so much. Those moments are ones I’ll never forget."

• As fantastic as Shesterkin is (.944 in another loss), the man doesn't need to be calm to excel. He is emotionally engaged.

Florida's game plan is clearly to rattle him as best as possible, whether it's "accidentally" knocking the stick out of his hand, Niko Mikkola blatantly bulldozing him over, or Matthew Tkachuk relentlessly crowding his crease and barking at his mask.

"I'm lucky because I don't speak English," Shesterkin said (in perfect English) of Tkachuk, following Game 3.

Yet by Game 4, Shesterkin was yapping back at Tkachuk (language unknown). By Game 5, he was punching the elite pest with his blocker.

"For good goalies, you have to create traffic," says Tarasenko. "Make their life harder."

• Matt Rempe's ice time in Game 5 was 2:43. 

Maybe just dress someone else if you don't trust him.

• Yes, Maurice is still able to enjoy a series this tight — on one condition:

"You don't have to be winning. You don't have to be dominating. But you have to be playing the way you have prepared your team to play. If you've done your job, we should look a certain way. It's the Conference Finals against the Presidents’ Trophy team, so you're not owning that game or all of it or chunks of it. 

"If we're playing the game the way we feel we should look, then I enjoy the hell out of it. Because in your own brain then, you're not looking for a solution to a problem."