Panthers vs. Rangers, Game 1 of Eastern Conference Final: Instant reaction

The Florida Panthers defeated the New York Rangers 3-0 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to take the lead in the best-of-7 series.

Here are some immediate takeaways from the game by NHL.com Editor-in-Chief Bill Price:

Star of the game

Though he wasn’t extremely busy, especially in the first two periods, Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky got the second Stanley Cup Playoff shutout of his career, making 24 saves, including 12 in the third period. His other shutout came exactly one year earlier, in Game 3 of the conference final last season against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Goal of the game

Though the Panthers had three goals in the game, only one went in off a Florida player’s stick past New York goalie Igor Shesterkin. That came from Matthew Tkachuk at 16:26 of the first period. The forward took a pass from Gustav Forsling and fired a wrist shot that appeared to handcuff Shesterkin. It was his fifth goal and second game-winner of the postseason. The other Panthers goals came on an own goal off the stick of Rangers forward Alexis Lafrenière that was credited to Carter Verhaeghe and an empty-net goal by Sam Bennett.

Save of the game

Bobrovsky wasn’t tested much, but when the Rangers pushed late in the third period, he shut them down. Perhaps his best sequence came when he made back-to-back saves on Alex Wennberg during a mad scramble in front with 7:21 left in what was then a 1-0 game.

What’s next

The Rangers will try to even the series in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden on Friday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).