New York Rangers drop Game One to the Florida Panthers

New York did not start the Eastern Conference Finals as they wanted to. With issues across the roster, the Florida Panthers were able to come into the Garden and easily win game one of the series 3-0, giving the Rangers their first deficit in a series this postseason and being shut out for the first time this playoff run. It was a difficult night as the offensive weapons fell silent, and the Rangers faced an uphill battle to win this series from here. 

It started poorly when Matthew Tkachuk could walk into the offensive zone during the rush and receive a drop pass. With no pressure on him, he found his way to snap the puck past Igor Shesterkin from the high slot, and the Rangers found themselves in an early hole against the ferocious Cats. Someone would have to find a way to get that goal back. 

In the third period, the Panthers thought that they had doubled their lead when a shot from the point beat everything. But Peter Laviolette didn't like that Ryan Lomberg drove to the crease and made contact with Shesterkin before a cross-check from Lindgren sent him toppling over the Russian netminder, so a quick call to Toronto had the officials check the goal, and it came back. 

That didn't matter, as it turned out. The Panthers would gain the Ranger's zone again and try to feed a pass into the middle of the ice, but Alexis Lafreniere does well to chase back and get a stick on the pass into the middle of the ice. The problem is that he knocks the puck through the legs of Shesterkin and into his net to give the Panthers a multiple-goal lead anyway. An empty net goal would seal the deal, and the Rangers drop game one on home ice.