SUNRISE, Fla. -- The New York Rangers bent and broke in the third period, and it didn't matter.
They gave up a two-goal lead before seven minutes elapsed, the Panthers scoring twice in a 1:54 span. They were under siege the entire time, especially late. They looked out of gas when the buzzer sounded. But they still had a chance. They still had overtime.
All this team ever needs is one chance to find a way to win a hockey game, even when it looks like they have no business winning it.
"Stayed with it," center Vincent Trocheck said. "Found a way to win."
Alex Wennberg scored at 5:35 of overtime, his first goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Rangers somehow, someway outlasted the Florida Panthers for a 5-4 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Sunday.
With back-to-back overtime wins, the Rangers have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.
"The third period didn't end the way we want it, but you have to go in and reset," Wennberg said. "We had a little talk there, but I feel like this team, we have that belief. We're maybe not the most vocal, but we all look at each other. We know what to do and you obviously see when we get out there, we get the job done."
New York is 4-0 in overtime in the playoffs despite being outshot 28-20, but this win Sunday was easily the most improbable of them all based on every measurable that can be a predictor for success or failure.
The Panthers had 108 shot attempts in the game. The Rangers had 43.
The Panthers had 41 shot attempts in the third period. The Rangers had 11.
The Panthers had 37 shots on goal in the game. The Rangers had 23.
The Panthers scored on two of their 13 shots on goal in the third period. The Rangers didn't connect on any of their four.
The Panthers went 2-for-6 on the power play. The Rangers went 0-for-2.