Bobrovsky, Tkachuk perfect for Panthers in Game 1

Under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena, the Florida Panthers walked into the Rangers house and gave them their best display of Panthers hockey.

The Rangers have been phenomenal at MSG all season, posting a 30-11-0 record in the regular season and a 4-1-0 home playoff record in the first two rounds.

Entering the series, Florida was well aware of what they needed to put forth against the Presidents’ Trophy winners. 

On Wednesday night, they did just that — it was a near perfect road game. 

The Panthers became the first team to shut out the Rangers this postseason, defeating the boys in blue 3-0.

From the very first drop of the puck, the Panthers took their brand of hockey and shoved it in the Rangers face. 

Florida is a team that thrives off hard work down low. They pushed the Rangers with an extremely aggressive forecheck — a specialty for Paul Maurice’s teams. Constant cycling, puck movement up and down the zone, Florida came out for the 8:18 puck drop like a bull that was waiting to leave the pen.

If there was one player that played like a bull in the series opener, it was Matthew Tkachuk. 

Heading into the series, the Panthers star forward was ready to show up in the Big Apple.

“We’re the only game on the nights we are playing. There’s nobody else on so all eyes will be on us,” Tkachuk said ahead of Game 1. “That just adds on to the whole New York City, MSG, playing the number one team in the league. It all adds up right now, this is a very exciting time of year to begin with no matter who you’re playing. And to be playing the New York Rangers, it just adds so much to it. This is a huge stage for us, for our team.”

Tkachuk said the stage was huge for the team and he owned it.

On his first shift of the game, he leveled former Panther Vincent Trocheck behind the net — setting the tone for what was to ensue. Later in the first period, Tkachuk would catch Trocheck again, this time steamrolling the Rangers forward at open ice in what was easily the biggest hit of the game. 

While his physicality was prevalent from the jump, the 26-year-old displayed his offensive prowess to the New York faithful, sniping the first goal of the series past Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin with 3:34 left in the first. 

“I don’t put any pressure on myself to score, produce offense. I guess that’s part of my game but at the end of the day it’s not about myself here,” Tkachuk answered when asked if he puts pressure on himself going into the ECF.  “There’s a way bigger goal ahead. Guys on our team that didn’t score tonight were some of our best players… There’s so much buy-in from everybody that nobody cares who’s producing.”

“At the end of the day we’re here for wins, that’s it.”

Finishing the night with three hits, two points, a +3 and the game winning goal, Tkachuk was the best player on the ice that wasn’t named Sergei Bobrovsky. In his five career Eastern Conference Final games, Tkachuk has scored or assisted on all of the game-winning goals. He has five goals and 16 points in 12 games this postseason. 

“I thought tonight (Matthew) righted our team back to the simple parts of our game,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said of Tkachuk’s impact. “You always want to do more. These are the best players in the world and they’re capable of doing more, but sometimes the less is just way better and it’s also quite a bit smarter, and I thought he led in that department.”

Earlier I said Tkachuk was the best player not named Bobrovsky and rightfully so. Florida’s No.1 netminder was a brick wall in Game 1.

Conceding just one goal on 23 shots in Florida’s Game 6 series clincher against the Boston Bruins, Bobrovsky commanded the crease once again in the Eastern Conference Final.

After Tkachuk gave Florida a one goal lead late in the first, the majority of the game remained 1-0 until Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere tipped in Carter Verhaeghe’s pass into his own goal with 3:48 left in regulation.   

On Wednesday in New York City, 35-year-old Bobrovsky looked alot like he did in last year’s Eastern Conference Final against Carolina — where he gave up just six goals and had a .966 save % in Florida’s series sweep over the Hurricanes. 

Bobrovsky stopped all 23 shots he faced — four coming on New York’s dangerous powerplay — in what was his second shutout in 82 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. His first playoff shutout came exactly a year ago to the date, on May 22, 2023 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against Carolina. 

“He’s been unbelievable all playoffs. I can’t say enough about him,” Verhaeghe said of Bobrovsky. “He works so hard and to have him back there we have so much confidence… Obviously when we need him he always comes up big.”

One of the biggest story lines entering the series was the goaltending matchup between Bobrovsky and Shesterkin. Undoubtedly two of the league’s premier goalies, the fellow countrymen were neck and neck in the first two rounds, posting very similar numbers.

Florida got two past Shesterkin (they actually got three but one was rightfully overturned due to goaltender interference), before Sam Bennett sealed the game with an empty net goal. 

The Panthers have been great this playoff run in keeping pucks away from Bobrovsky’s net, allowing just 24.1 shots per game. In the second period, Florida kept New York shotless for a stretch of 14:23. 

Bobrovsky’s workload wasn’t intense, but the Rangers had times where they controlled the flow of the game in Florida’s zone. Unfortunately for them, they ran into a goalie on top of his game. 

“I think you have to be a veteran goalie to do what he did tonight. Sit for a while, make huge saves,” Maurice said of Bobrovsky after Game 1. “You’re playing the President’s Trophy winner, the best team in the National Hockey League. They’re getting to get theirs (chances) and he was that good.”

Wednesday was a classic Florida Panthers playoff game. Fast paced, low scoring, great goaltending and some heroics from the big boys. 

The Panthers are now 5-1-0 on the road this post season and will be happy to have already stolen one in New York. The road warriors will probably need to do it again this round if they want to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.