Panthers vs Rangers Game 5 Odds and Preview
Florida Aims to Take Command of Best-of-7 Series; New York looks to Rebound
Either the New York Rangers or Florida Panthers can push their opponent to the brink of elimination in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
Florida rebounded for a 3-2 overtime win in Game 4 on Sam Reinhart’s power-play goal at 1:12 of the extra session to even the best-of-7 series. Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett each also scored for the Panthers, and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves.
Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere each scored for the Rangers, and Igor Shesterkin made 37 saves in defeat. New York dropped its first overtime game of the playoffs and fell for the first time in five overtime games this postseason.
With the series effectively a best-of-3, the winner Thursday will have a clear upperhand. Here’s a look at the Panthers vs Rangers Game 5 odds and breakdown.
Florida Panthers vs New York Rangers 
Day/Time:
Location: Madison Square Garden
Streaming: ESPN, ESPN+
Series Pivots Again
The Rangers entered Game 4 as a -160 favorite to win the Eastern Conference yet squandered a glorious opportunity in Game 4.
Still, Florida is now a -140 favorite to win the series, and a -120 favorite in Game 5, because it has imposed its will on the series. If you consult the Florida Panthers stats, you know Florida has a 338-228 shot-attempts advantage over New York. But it also has a 132-100 shots-on-goal advantage.
New York scored first and outshot Florida 13-11 in the first period but was hemmed in its own end for almost the rest of the game. The Panthers outshot the Rangers 29-10 after the first period and finished with a 60-14 shot-attempts advantage over the final 41:12.
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Shesterkin was exceptional for the fourth straight game, giving the Rangers the opportunity to even get to overtime. Shesterkin stopped 70 of 77 shots in the two games in Sunrise and has a .924 save% in the Eastern Conference Final.
Shesterkin has outplayed Bobrovsky, but the Panthers goalie was good enough in Game 4, especially in the first period. He also got some help from his trusty crossbar a couple of times, including on Lafreniere’s chance in the third period.
Lineup Shifts?
Both teams have played the same six defensemen for every game, and the superstars will be the same for Game 5. But there are still lineup alterations each coach could make for the pivotal game.
Rangers coach Peter Laviolette inserted veteran Blake Wheeler into the series, leaving Filip Chytil as a healthy scratch for Game 4. But Wheeler, who hadn’t played in more than three months due to a leg injury sustained in February, looked rusty and took a crucial penalty in overtime that led to Reinhart’s game-winner.
The Rangers also had a hard time generating offense, and although Wheeler has been an offensive threat throughout his career, he is playing a reduced role proven by his 9:18 of ice time in Game 4.
It is safe to believe Chytil will re-enter the series for the pivotal game in New York. Whether Laviolette decides to keep Wheeler in and take out either Kaapo Kakko or fan favorite Matt Rempe, remains to be seen. (The Rangers are 2-1 in the series when Rempe plays.)
Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice put forwards Kyle Okposo and Steven Lorentz in on their fourth line in Game 4, and although each was -1 in fewer than 10 minutes played, each also was an impactful player.
Still, Ryan Lomberg, who came out of the lineup for Okposo, is the type of energy player that thrives in road games. We’ll see if he draws back in for Game 5.
Back to Normal
After the nine-goal outburst in Game 3, the fourth game was a return to normal of a tight, low-scoring game that each side wanted to play.
Although Florida generated a slew of chances and shots, it also was tight defensively, especially after the first period. The Rangers seem comfortable counterpunching, since they have reached overtime by doing so in the past three games.
The Rangers finished atop the NHL standings by being one of the best teams on home ice all season. They had 30 wins at MSG and allowed just 2.68 goals-against per game and have surrendered just 2.57 goals per game on home ice in the playoffs.
But New York is scoring just 2.71 goals per game on home ice in the playoffs, and Florida, which is only allowing 2.40 goals per game in the playoffs, has been even stingier on the road (2.29 goals-against per game).
With the chance to move within one win of the Stanley Cup Final each team will surely be trying to avoid mistakes, especially early. They’ll be focused on the details and making safer plays rather than stretching the puck up the ice, especially in the first period.
Under 5.5 goals, which is going off at -130 odds at DraftKings, seems like a safe pick, especially the way Shesterkin is playing. Assuming he is on again, Game 5 should be a race to two goals or three at the most.
Prediction
The team that wins Game 5 after splitting the first four wins 79% of the series all-time.
Game 5 should be super-tight and close again. But the Panthers have been the better team all series, and they should find a way to win on MSG ice.
Panthers 2, Rangers 1
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