Panthers one step closer to Stanley Cup Final after Game 5 win in New York

The Florida Panthers are just one win away from consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances after they defeated the New York Rangers 3-2 on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. 

Anton Lundell scored the ‘defacto’ game winner — at least how Panthers head coach Paul Maurice put it — putting the Panthers up 2-1 with 9:38 to go in the third.

“That was huge,” Lundell said when asked of his goal. “We had some good chances in the third and we were playing really good. [It] felt like we had chances after chances. Just kept grinding and trusted that we were going to get the chance and a goal.”

The 22-year-old has been huge this postseason, putting up 11 points in 16 games.

“Anton Lundell. I have absolutely no idea how good he can be,” Paul Maurice said. “But we’re going to find out, it’s just going to take a little while.”

Sam Bennett had the official game winner when he buried an empty net goal with 1:52 left in regulation.

Down two, the Rangers pulled goaltender Igor Shesterkin one more time and they scored —  cutting Florida’s lead to 3-2 with 50 seconds left in the game, but the effort came up to late as the Panthers won their second road game of the series. 

2:04 into the second, Chris Kreider opened the game’s scoring when he buried the Rangers’ sixth shorthanded goal of the postseason on a breakaway.

“We have great composure. Our starts haven’t been great, haven’t been what we wanted,” Bennett said. “It just seems as the game goes on we’re getting better and better. I think that contributes to our composure and willingness to keep playing the same way.”

The Panthers got their first goal six minutes later, tying it after Gustav Forsling put away his fourth goal of the playoffs with a backhander over Shesterkin. 

Florida has been great away from Sunrise in the postseason, holding a 6-2-0 on the road.

Despite their success in other team’s barns, they’ll hope a trip back to New York isn’t in the plan for a couple of months as they hold a 3-2 series lead and can win the Eastern Confernce on Saturday in South Florida.

While they are one win away from consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov isn’t looking ahead, rather focusing on finishing the current task.

“Right now I just need to recover and think about that,” Barkov said. “When the game comes you think about the game. That’s all we can do right now. We don’t want to think too much ahead.”