Sometimes in sports you just have to steal one. When it’s going against you and momentum has shifted squarely to the other team, you have to find a way to win anyway. Preferably you avoid this but sometimes you don’t have your game and you have to tip your cap to the opposition for playing well. Today was one of those days, and the Rangers still found a way to win anyway. They pulled off such a massive theft that these guys were likely waiting for them at their hotel after the game…

Dated Miami Vice jokes aside, the Rangers brought back a not so classic Gerard Gallant oldie of a third period. They squandered a hard earned 4-2 lead with a third period effort that saw them just hope to run the clock out on the Panthers. They didn’t seem able to recover in the period and got the game to overtime. Stanley Cup playoff overtime loves a random player to make the hero, especially ones that missed a chance earlier in the same series. So that’s how Sunday saw Alex Wennberg go from this…

To this…

This was just Wennberg’s second goal since being acquired from Seattle, and it’s by far the biggest of his Ranger tenure. His offensive game has basically abandoned him in this postseason so hopefully this puck going in sparks him to life. Depth scoring is so important this time of year, especially with how top players on all teams get defended even more tightly than usual in games. Fortunately today the Rangers got that depth scoring from more than just Wennberg as two guys in particular stepped up.

This time a year ago we were talking about how Alexis Lafreniere needed a big season to get his career on track and he delivered. We all hoped it would continue in the playoffs but after a quiet first round against the Caps there was work to be done. The good news is number 13 has been up to the task and game three against Florida was his magnum opus. While his breakaway backhander was a good start, the encore was even better, as he capped off this terrific solo rush to beat Bobrovsky.

Of course every Batman needs a Robin, and today’s was Barclay Goodrow, who had another outstanding game. While doing more of his usual stout defensive work, he bagged two goals of his own. His tip in gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead but his late second period shorty was the icing on the cake. Number 21 is continuing to earn his often complained about cap hit and it’s a real blast to watch.

While this game had its share of heroes, none of them shined brighter than Igor Shesterkin who was utterly magnificent when called upon in the third period. I felt Igor could have had the first Panther goal of the game, as Reinhart roofed a shot on him off the backhand. But from there you couldn’t blame him for the other Panthers tallies as a mix of bounces, tip ins and blown coverages led to the goals. Shesterkin was particularly brilliant on a late third period “cats” powerplay that looked like he was lined up in front of a firing squad. Number 31 has had an excellent postseason but this felt like the high point.

Through two periods I felt the Rangers held their own in this one. The first frame felt similar to game two as both teams traded surges and pushed back on one another. As Mark Messier said at the intermission, “both teams will be mad they aren’t up 2-0” due to the mistakes they made. The Rangers mistakes in particular were committed by K’Andre Miller, as he failed to clear a pair of pucks on the penalty kill directly leading to two goals. Those turnovers aside, the Blueshirts battled through the first 20 fine. Their second was even stronger as they cleaned up the breakouts and got a real foothold in the game. While their powerplay had another power outage, they at least managed to get scoring chances mid-second that seemed to help the offense get going. The “bad at 5 v 5” Rangers potted five at even strength…much to the chagrin of the ESPN booth.

The aforementioned third period was a complete nightmare, one the Rangers were fortunate to escape with the score tied. But to their immense credit, they regrouped before the overtime period and found a way to win it. This group remains tougher than nails, which allows them to dig deep and get it done when it counts. Sure they could use a bit more from the big guns, but while they draw the tougher assignments their backup has stepped up, which was lacking in the first two rounds. The Rangers have no choice but to stick with their top six guys, though I like the odds of them breaking out again soon. Panarin and Zibanejad who had great outings in game two, just need to be more decisive in their particular games to recapture their offensive flair.

Maybe I’m a romantic fool, but the tweet above hit home for me in the aftermath of this win. The Rangers have been on the wrong end of games like this more times than I can count. The epic third period collapse that they just can’t escape, that inevitably swings the series against them. A tale as old as time for this franchise that has come up a day late and a dollar short throughout its existence. This has felt like “the year” for a long time now and moments like Sunday’s win only reinforce that feeling. It’s up to the team to make it count, they’re halfway home in this series, and have done good hard work to get the lead, but there is still work to be done. All we can do in return is believe in them and back them to get it done, one shift at a time, we owe them that much. Enjoy your Memorial Day and buckle up for game four Tuesday night!

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