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New York Rangers and Florida Panthers Prepare for a Game Three Matinee

By Conor Power

May 24, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) scores a goal as New York Rangers center Alex Wennberg (91) defends during the first period in game two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
May 24, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) scores a goal as New York Rangers center Alex Wennberg (91) defends during the first period in game two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
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Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals will start with both teams only three wins away from the Stanley Cup Finals. As the series shifts to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, the Rangers know they need to continue to build momentum in this series if they are going to walk to the Stanley Cup Finals for a chance to add a fifth Stanley Cup banner to the rafters at Madison Square Garden. 

Jimmy Vesey left the last game early with an injury and is not expected to play tonight. This opens up a hole on the fourth line. Kaapo Kakko sat for Filip Chytil in the first few games of this series, so what happens with the Ranger lineup now is a question Peter Laviolette has to answer. Does Kakko get reinserted while Matt Rempe is free to patrol on the fourth line, or does he turn to someone like Blake Wheeler, who has been out for a while with a leg injury? 

In game three, Florida will roll out the same lineup that the Rangers overcame in overtime. Knowing that nothing is changing for the Panthers, New York can expose the same flaws in the Cats lineup they did to win game two. Sometimes, the Blueshirts can exploit these issues and create opportunities. They need to capitalize if they are going to get the win tonight. 

Projected Lineups 

New York Rangers

Chris Kreider - Mika Zibanejad - Filip Chytil
Artemi Panarin - Vincent Trocheck - Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle - Alex Wennberg - Kaapo Kakko
Barclay Goodrow - Jonny Brodzinski - Matt Rempe
Ryan Lindgren - Adam Fox
K'Andre Miller - Jacob Trouba
Erik Gustafsson - Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick

Florida Panthers

Vladimir Tarasenko - Aleksander Barkov - Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe - Anton Lundell - Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Loustarinen - Sam Bennett - Evan Rodrigues
Ryan Lomberg - Kevin Stenlund - Nick Cousins
Gustav Forsling - Aaron Ekblad
Nikko Mikkola - Brandon Montour
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Dmitry Kuikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz

Puck Drop

Tonight's matinee starts at 3 p.m. Eastern as the Rangers look to regain control of the series. It'll be a challenging game for both teams, but the winner will reestablish dominance in this series. New York can regain home-ice advantage. Florida can keep hold of their advantage with more of the series to be played at Amerant Bank Arean than the iconic Madison Square Garden.

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