(1A) Panthers at (1M) Rangers
Eastern Conference Final, Game 1
8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC
NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers will try to win their third straight Game 1 at home in the Stanley Cup Playoffs when they open the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
The Rangers, who won the Presidents' Trophy to secure home-ice advantage throughout the postseason, advanced to the conference final by sweeping the Washington Capitals in the first round and defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in six games in the second round.
"That's why the regular season is so important, you play for that home ice," Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said. "Not only from a strategic last change and that aspect of it, but when a building is behind you, you feel that energy. It seems to play a big factor."
The Panthers, who finished first in the Atlantic Division, are in the Eastern Conference Final for the second straight year, getting here by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the first round and the Boston Bruins in six games in the second round.
Florida advanced to the Stanley Cup Final last season and lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights.
This is the first time since 1997 and only the second time the Rangers and Panthers are facing each other in the playoffs.
"At some point the joy takes over the pressure, right?" Florida coach Paul Maurice said. "There's three other teams left in the National Hockey League and you want something, you want to feel it, because if you don't have that then you're just here, you're just lightning in a bottle, same old story, we're just going out playing our game.
"For some players in your room they'll process it that way and that's fine, but other players won't. They'll carry it. We're right there. You want to bring a little bit of that pressure into this game tonight. Make sure you feel it because the chance is real. And also you've got to be able to enjoy it this or there's no point. So let's have some fun."
The winner of Game 1 in a best-of-7 series during the round before the Stanley Cup Final has gone on to win the series 68 percent of the time (112-53).
Here are 3 keys to Game 1:
1. Shooting against Shesterkin
The Rangers allowed 37.3 shots on goal per game in the second round against the Hurricanes and goalie Igor Shesterkin still played to a 2.80 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in the series.
He was that good, and in the end, the discrepancy in goaltending was the reason the New York won the series in six games. Carolina goalies Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov combined for an .878 save percentage.
The Panthers need to follow the same model and pepper Shesterkin with shots and hope their goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, is up to the task on the other end to at least play even.
Florida is averaging 33.0 shots on goal per game during the playoffs, second behind the Hurricanes (35.7).
"Well, sometimes quantity turns into quality, so there is a value to that," Maurice said. "We will not go into a game thinking, 'Hey, we will be able to put up six, so don’t worry, we can give up five.' That's not who we are anyways."
2. Get physical, but to a point
The Rangers know part of the Panthers' game is to play physical. They feel they're capable of playing that game, giving as much as they get in the trenches. But New York can't do it just to prove it can match Florida in a heavy game.
"I think you just have to be that much more simple," Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider said. "When you know a team is coming as hard as that you've got to be ready, you've got to be ready to match that and bring it right back to them. And you have to make sure you're playing straightforward, simple hockey, especially early.
"They play aggressive, they play physical, they play a playoff game and that's what they've built their team around. We've got to be ready to match it, we've got to be ready to punch back and we've got to be ready to take it to them.
