Keys To the East: How the Rangers Can Tame The Panthers For Eastern Crown

It's time to hunt again for the New York Rangers. They've won eight playoff games and defied the odds, "upsetting" the Vegas bettors by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes. However, they still need eight more to reach their goal of winning a Stanley Cup. Yet, to reach their first final in a decade, they must beat the East's reigning beasts, the Florida Panthers. This series should be a classic, so let's consider what to expect.

New York Rangers v Carolina Hurricanes - Game Six | Grant Halverson/GettyImages

Analyzing The Fanbases:

Fanbases: The Rangers will have seven home games since FLA Live Arena is expected to be packed with Blue and white. But don't count out the Panthers' supporters—they'll make themselves heard, especially with their rat-throwing tradition to rattle the Rangers.

Last year, the Panthers caused a stir by temporarily restricting playoff ticket sales to prevent Toronto fans from snapping them up. Now, it's New York's turn. Tickets for the Panthers' home games in the Eastern Conference Final went on sale last Saturday, and just like Carolina, Rangers fans are expected to flood the resale market, adding to the competitive atmosphere. Plenty of Rangers fans are already living in Florida, further fueling the ticket frenzy.

It's also going to be a lucrative series for the box offices. For context, here are the ticket prices: The total cost to attend all 41 home games for the Panthers this season on TickPick was $823. Meanwhile, the least expensive ticket to Game 1 of the ECF at MSG is $482, significantly higher than the average Panthers game. Here are the cheapest get-in prices for the series. Game 1: $479, Game 2: $531, Game 3: $325, Game 4: $264, Game 5: $651, Game 6: $369, and Game 7: $912, reflecting the high demand and value of these playoff games.

This fan battle will be as intense as the one on the ice.

Analyzing The Fanbases:

Schedule