Game 4 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals required overtime for the third straight game between the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers. Unlike prior games in the series, the extra hockey session did not last very long before the flying rats invaded the ice surface of Amerant Bank Arena.
Sam Reinhart scored the game-winning goal for the Panthers on the man-advantage 1:12 into overtime on a pinpoint one-timer that beat Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin. With the goal, the Panthers even the series at 2 games apiece heading back to Madison Square Garden tomorrow night. Meanwhile, the New York Rangers will need to take a long, hard look at the gameplan after struggling last in both Game 3 and Game 4 in South Florida.
Florida Panthers Power Play Expert Strikes Again
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The NHL player sitting atop the NHL leaderboard in powerplay points was the same man who ended Game 4 on Tuesday night. Sam Reinhart scored 27 powerplay goals for Florida this season, however, his most important one may have just occurred. Reinhart found himself alone in a prime goal-scoring position. The Panthers did not waste the opportunity to feed him the puck for the game-winner.
Carolina teammate Carter Verhaeghe was responsible for the Panthers’ second goal in Game 4 with an incredible Home Run swing that should make MLB-star Aaron Judge proud. Verhaeghe was on the ice in the extra period with a fantastic view of the developing overtime play that ended the game:
“I saw him wide open there, and I was pretty confident he was putting that one in,” Florida forward Carter Verhaeghe said. “He has an awesome shot and obviously he made no mistake on that one, and it was awesome.”
Bobrovsky 4th All-Time In NHL Playoff Overtime Wins
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Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky achieved history with his 17th NHL Playoffs overtime win on Tuesday night in Florida victory. In the extra session win, “Bob” broke his tie with New Jersey Devils Martin Brodeur and New York Islanders Billy Smith for sole possession of 4th place in overtime wins.
If the Panthers pick up another overtime win during this playoff run, Bobrovsky will move into a tie with Grant Fuhr for 3rd place on the list. New York Islanders head coach, Patrick Roy, sits atop the leaderboard with a staggering 40 overtime wins in NHL Playoff history.
Best-of-Three Series For Eastern Conference Supremacy
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The overtime goal allowed the Florida Panthers to claim Game 4 and even the series reduced the best-of-seven matchup to a much simpler best-of-3 series. New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba says that the Rangers will need “to find a way to raise (their game) to that level” as they have gotten outworked in the third period of both games in Sunrise, Florida. Still, the Rangers managed to steal Game 3 in Florida allowing them to return to New York with a clear plan. Win their home games and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
New York earned home-ice advantage with their play throughout the grind of the 2024 NHL regular season. Now, the Blueshirts have put themselves in a position to win their games at Madison Square Garden to earn a matchup against the winner of the equally compelling Dallas-Edmonton Western Conference Finals series.
The Florida Panthers will attempt to replicate the gameplan from Game 1 when they shut out the New York Rangers 3-0 at “The World’s Most Famous Arena”. If the Panthers can bring the pressure like they did in South Florida, it could be a rough end of the week for Rangers fans.
The action gets going again from New York, NY for Game 5 tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden.
About The Author
Christopher Babos is a genuine sports & entertainment journalist with diverse credentials in writing, broadcasting, and digital media. He can be located on X for real-time takes (@CBabosWrites). With various roles in the sports industry over two decades, Chris can speak with authority on the topics he covers. Additional insightful sports articles are located here.
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