Rangers’ supporting cast stepping up when it matters in Conference Final

You know what they say about hockey…it’s a game of runs. Just kidding. But, wow, was Game 3 between the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers a roller coaster and arguably one of the highest-event games in all of the playoffs thus far. And the 5-4 overtime victory ranked among the Rangers’ most emotional of the spring.

“It’s definitely up there,” Rangers blueliner Braden Schneider said. “You look at the first — a lot of penalties and I thought we did a good job at taking it back to them. We took the second period, and then I thought they took the third.”

When you look at the scoreboard and the analytics from Game 3, the results might not make any sense, but there are a couple of common themes that we’re starting to see on this playoff run for the New York Rangers. When the big dogs like Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox aren’t producing, other guys are finding ways to step up. Oh, and they have a guy in the blue paint named Igor Shesterkin, he’s a difference-maker. 

Sunday, it was Barclay Goodrow and Alexis Lafreniere’s turn to make some magic happen. 

“He’s confident in his game and given the opportunity that he’s gotten — he’s ran with it”, Schneider said about Lafreniere. “He’s a special player and schnikes that second goal was unbelievable — the first one was sweet too. He’s runnin’ and we love it.”

Lafreniere scored two absolute beauties and has taken over many games in these playoffs at certain points. With his two goals in Sunday afternoon’s game, he now has six goals and six assists for 12 points in 13 games. “I thought Lafreniere had a heck of a game,” said Rangers coach Peter Laviolette. “His speed was evident. When he grabbed the puck he was a difference-maker and maybe one of our most noticeable guys tonight.”

It’s great to see the confidence level of a 22-year-old blossoming in key moments like this, but to a different degree, there is something to be said about a veteran guy who isn’t necessarily known for his goal-scoring catching fire.

Goodrow now has three goals in his last two games and six goals in 13 games this postseason. He had four goals in 80 games in the regular season.

“We ask different players to do different roles and certain responsibilities — his is the heavy lifting on the defensive side of the puck,” Laviolette said. “He certainly has been a guy who has put up some numbers in his career. Big goals and big opportunities in playoffs past. The fact that he’s doing it now — I don’t think it necessarily surprises anybody because he works for what he gets.

“Barclay seems to be in one right now and that’s a good thing for us. He’s dialed in and focused. He’s capitalizing on his chances — he’s doing the dirty work.”

All of that said, none of this would be possible without the play of Igor Shesterkin. Guess what, goaltending is a big part of what makes any team successful in this league, so the comments like “The Rangers wouldn’t have any success if it weren’t for Shesterkin” are going to need to be put to rest.

“At the end of the day, you need your goalie to help out and he does it more than once or twice,” said Alex Wennberg, who sealed Game 5 with the overtime winner after the Rangers blew a 4-2 lead. “It’s a good feeling to have that goalie that can make those saves and make a difference.”

The team of destiny vibes are starting to feel more real every time they face adversity. Even when the Rangers are being completely outplayed, they have that “it factor” that allows them to find a way to win. On a night where the power play wasn’t finishing, the penalty kill wasn’t at its best — they just continue to get someone to make a big play. 

“We have kind of a no-panic mentality that it’s kind of relied on in those moments when we’re under siege,” Goodrow said. “It might get ugly sometimes, but guys had to block some shots and Shesty made huge saves. In the end, a win’s a win,” Goodrow said.

Even though the Rangers won this game, there is still a lot to learn from. If they’re as undisciplined as they were on Sunday again, it might not go their way next time, but it’s nice to know that the Rangers are comfortable being uncomfortable, even if the fans are not. 

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