Panthers defeat Rangers in Recreation 6, attain Stanley Cup Remaining

Bennett, Tarasenko rating for Florida, which advances to championship spherical for 2nd straight season

June 02, 2024

SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers superior to the Stanley Cup Remaining for the second straight season with a 2-1 win in opposition to the New York Rangers in Recreation 6 of the Japanese Convention Remaining at Amerant Financial institution Area on Saturday.

Florida, which misplaced to the Vegas Golden Knights in 5 video games final season, will play both the Edmonton Oilers or Dallas Stars. Edmonton leads that best-of-7 collection 3-2.

“Final yr was the primary yr we went that far and it felt superb,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov mentioned. “You wished to do every part you can to get again right here. Everyone knows it’s not one huge factor, it’s not at some point. It’s important to begin the grind in the summertime, in coaching camp. … All of us had the identical objective to get higher and get again. Right here we’re once more.”

Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for the Panthers, who’re the No. 1 seed from the Atlantic Division.

Artemi Panarin scored, and Igor Shesterkin made 32 saves for the Rangers, who have been the No. 1 seed from the Metropolitan Division and received the Presidents’ Trophy because the NHL’s prime crew through the common season.

“It was tough to attain, producing the standard we wished to generate,” New York coach Peter Laviolette mentioned. “We knew that coming in from the best way [Florida] completed the season and from the primary and second spherical. They weren’t giving up quite a bit. In the end, it’s one thing we have been in a position to do fairly constantly via the course of the yr. Take a look at the scores, the video games. Low-scoring, one-goal video games. In the end, discovering the subsequent objective inside a sport may very well be the distinction.”

NYR@FLA ECF, Gm6: Bennett blasts in a one-timer to open scoring

Bennett gave Florida a 1-0 lead at 19:10 of the primary interval. Evan Rodrigues knocked down a clearing try by Erik Gustafsson within the impartial zone and swatted the puck to Bennett. Bennett then skated into the zone and despatched a move to Rodrigues, who dropped the puck again to Bennett for a one-timer from the left circle.

“It was huge as a result of they’re crew with quite a lot of offensive weapons,” Bennett mentioned. “[New York] goes to attain some objectives, however we did job of limiting that and simply shutting it down. It was a heck of an effort. The close-out video games are all the time the toughest and reveals simply how devoted this group is to profitable.”

Tarasenko made it 2-0 at 9:08 of the third interval, burying a backdoor move from Anton Lundell on the proper put up. The play began after Eetu Luostarinen chased down the puck and took it away from Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller.

“It is vitally good, particularly for the younger guys, to get this playoff expertise,” Tarasenko mentioned. “Most everybody was right here final yr. It’s one factor to listen to about it, it’s one other factor to really feel it. It’s serving to us out quite a bit.”

NYR@FLA ECF, Gm6: Tarasenko fires it in previous Shesterkin

Panarin minimize it to 2-1 at 18:20, roofing a shot over Bobrovsky from the suitable circle with Shesterkin on the bench for the additional skater.

“I do not suppose you possibly can say they do not need to win,” Rangers captain Jacob Trouba mentioned. “I feel they positively deserved to win collection. We have been proper there however simply got here up somewhat brief.”

NOTES: For the reason that NHL’s growth period started in 1967-68, solely 5 different groups had returned to the Stanley Cup Remaining after shedding in it the yr prior: the St. Louis Blues in 1969 and 1970, the Boston Bruins in 1978, the Oilers in 1984, and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. … The final crew to win the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the identical season was the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks. … Tarasenko’s game-winning objective was his first level of the collection.