Game 5 takeaways: Rangers improve, but get pushed to brink of elimination by Panthers

NEW YORK ‒ You could argue that the Rangers played their best game of the playoffs on Thursday, yet luck wasn't on their side.

Nor were the Florida Panthers.

The resilient Cats matched the Rangers' intensity, ultimately securing a 3-2 victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden. This win handed Florida a 3-2 series lead and pushed New York to the brink of elimination for the first time this postseason.

"Every game has been super close like that," Chris Kreider remarked. "It’s obviously a very tight game, so we’ve just got to continue to get pucks and bodies to the net and not let it all come out in the wash."

Typically, the Rangers prevail in such tight contests, having set an NHL record with 34 combined comeback wins in the regular season and playoffs. They're often cited as leading the league in "Finding Ways to Win per 60," but the Panthers are proving equally adept in clutch moments. Florida, the reigning conference champions, emerged from two evenly matched periods to intensify their play in the third, highlighted by Anton Lundell's decisive goal with 9:38 remaining.

"We have experience of what it's like to be on the bench and down one or even in the game," said Florida coach Paul Maurice. "I do believe that's exponential."

This means the Rangers will face a do-or-die Game 6 in Sunrise on Saturday at 8 p.m., with their dream of ending a 30-year Stanley Cup drought hanging by a thread.

"Leave it all out there," urged captain Jacob Trouba. "The goal is to go win one game. There's nothing to save it for. When your back is against the wall, everybody's got to bring their best game to survive another day."

Chris Kreider made a notable comeback following public remarks from Matthew Tkachuk, who had mocked Kreider for tossing his mouthguard in Game 4. Kreider responded by intercepting a pass from Tkachuk and setting up a shorthanded breakaway goal, scoring to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead early in the second period.

"He’s fast when he gets going," Mika Zibanejad said. "I just put the puck in his hands and let him do what he can do."

The Rangers' penalty kill was much improved, leading to their sixth shorthanded goal of the playoffs, tying a franchise record from 1979. This also marked the first points of the series for both Kreider and Zibanejad, who had been scoreless in the first four games.

"I thought they both played hard tonight," said head coach Peter Laviolette. "They certainly came out with the right intentions and they generated a lot more. I thought Chris was really noticeable. I thought Mika was moving to get things to Chris and make plays to him, so there were some positive things there."

Despite a power play that failed to convert in key moments, the Rangers showed a more balanced game, managing to keep pace with the Panthers throughout.

With the series now shifting to Florida, the Rangers must rally to keep their season alive and their Stanley Cup hopes intact.