Rangers vs Panthers Trends, Game 3 Odds & Stanley Cup Preview
Series Even at 1 Heading to Florida after New York’s OT Win in Game 2
Rangers Back in The Saddle, Maybe!
The NHL Eastern Conference Final will pivot in one team’s favor when the Florida Panthers host the New York Rangers in Game 3 at Amerant Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon.
After dropping Game 1, the Rangers rebounded for a 2-1 overtime win on Barclay Goodrow’s game-winner at 14:01 of the extra session. Vincent Trocheck had one goal and one assist, and goalie Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves for the New York team, which evened the best-of-7 Stanley Cup series at a game apiece.
Carter Verhaeghe scored Florida’s lone goal, and Sergei Bobrovsky had 28 saves in defeat. Florida’s four-game road win streak may have been snapped, but it did at least get a split in New York as the series shifts to Sunrise, Florida.
Here’s a look at the Rangers vs Panthers trends to consider ahead of Game 3.
Rangers vs Panthers Game 3 Information
Game: New York Rangers (1-1) at Florida Panthers (1-1)
Location: Amerant Bank Arena
Day/Time:
2024 NHL Series Shifts
The Panthers were slight favorites in each of the first two NHL matchups in New York but are a more substantial -155 moneyline favorite in Game 3. Those odds carry a 60% implied probability of a Panthers win.
The Rangers Analysis:
- They are at 4-1 on the road in the playoffs
- With a plus-6 goal differential and 12 goals against in five games.
- Shesterkin has a .929 road save%
- And the third-best goals-saved above average on the road among playoff goalies.
The Florida Panthers Analysis:
- Has the second-shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup
- Is the favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the upcoming Stanley Cup Final.
- The Panthers are 4-2 on home ice
- Are allowing the fewest goals-against per game (2.17) in home games this hockey postseason.
- Florida is outshooting opponents on home ice by an average of 34-24.
- Bobrovsky has a .917 save% at home, better than his .912 postseason average.
These NHL teams that hold a 2-1 series advantage win 69.1% of best-of-7 series all-time, which means the winner of Game 3 will have a substantial edge even though the loser can still rebound and win the series.
Lineup Changes Coming?
Continuing our Rangers vs Panthers Trends: Hockey teams that win typically don’t tweak their lineups, and teams that lose usually do, which means it’s time to watch what Paul Maurice does for Game 3.
New York coach Peter Laviolette replaced Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, with fourth-line grinder Matt Rempe for Game 2, and New York won. So expect Rempe to be back in the lineup for this Game 3 and for Kakko to sit in the press box again.
Maurice has toggled about two spots on his fourth line during the 2024 NHL postseason, and it could be time for Kyle Okposo to re-enter the lineup for either Nick Cousins or Steven Lorentz. Okposo, who has two points in eight hockey playoff games, has been a healthy scratch for Florida’s past three games, including the first two in the conference final.
- Maurice has run with the same six defensemen for all 13 playoff games so far, so don’t look for a change on Florida’s blue line.
- Laviolette has also rolled with the same six players on his blue line all playoffs, so his defense group should also remain the same for Game 3.
Look for Low Scores
Given the Panthers’ strength suppressing goals and shots, and since the Rangers are only allowing 2.40 goals per game on the road, this should again be an extremely low-scoring game.
Despite the offensive starpower in this series, including Artemi Panarin and Sam Reinhart each of whom finished in the top-five in the list of NHL goal leaders during the NHL regular season, the game should be a race to two goals, or three at the most.
Each team finished in the top-10 in goals-against per game during the regular season, and Florida was tied for first (2.41) with the Winnipeg Jets.
- The Panthers have only allowed more than two goals in one of their six games in Sunrise.
- The Rangers have only allowed more than three goals in one of their five road playoff games.
Rangers vs Panthers Predicted Score
In conclusion of our Rangers vs Panthers Trends: The goaltenders have both been exceptional, combining for a .945 save% in the two games. Bobrovsky has only allowed two goals through two games, and Shesterkin has effectively surrendered the same — Verhaeghe’s goal in Game 1 went in off Alexis Lafreniere, and Sam Bennett had an empty-net goal in Game 1 too.
Plus, the special teams seem largely unspectacular. New York, which rode a red-hot power play to the NHL’s final four, is 0 for 6 in the series and 1 for 16 over the past six games, and Florida has just a 12.5% success rate on home ice and has scored just once in its past 12 man-advantages.
Despite unfavorable -130 odds on under 5.5 goals, another low-scoring game seems likely.
New York vs Florida Prediction
The Rangers stole some life with the OT win Friday. Sadly for them, I don’t think it’ll carry over into Sunrise.
Panthers 3, Rangers 1
