It’s Go Time: Game 2, Round 3 !

NYR trail in series 0-1
24 May 2024 8:00 PM EDT at MSG
TV ESPN, ESPN+, SN, CBC

The NY Rangers look to bounce back and regain the home ice advantage with a win tonight at the Garden. Though Florida has not been good at home during the playoffs, no team wants to be down 0-2 and going on the road.

Lineup wise – rampant speculation about who is in and who is out. It could end up exactly the same as game one. Laviolette is not saying and the real deal will not be apparent until pre-game warm-ups. We’ll try to update the box prior to puck drop with the real lineup, until then, just speculation. Panther’s look to be going with the same group as game one.

Keys tonight: the Rangers looked slow of foot, tentative and lacking an edge in game one on Wednesday. They need to keep moving their feet, be quicker and cleaner with passes/shots and most definitely need to start forechecking hard. On shots, the Rangers need to take what is available to them. A shot and a rebound is more likely to lead to a goal then passing up the chance and continuing to skate when time and space are minimized.

There has been some press about the lack of production from the defense but we’d prefer they stay focused on playing defense first against an explosive Panthers team. If it is there, jump in but darn well be sure you’re back side is covered first.

On this date in history: In 1989 Phil Esposito was fired as NYR GM and Coach, later replaced by Roger Nielson (coach) and Neil Smith (GM).

Zebras tonight (from Scouting The Refs):

Probable NYR lineup

1st line ⊳ Kreider ⋄ Zibanejad ⋄ Chytil
2nd line ⊳ Panarin ⋄ Trocheck ⋄ Lafrenière 
3rd line ⊳ Cuylle ⋄ Wennberg ⋄ Roslovic 
4th line ⊳ Vesey ⋄ Goodrow ⋄ Rempe

1st pair ⊳ Miller ⋄ Trouba
2nd pair ⊳ Lindgren ⋄ Fox
3rd pair ⊳ Gustafsson ⋄ Schneider

Starter ⊳ Igor Shesterkin
Backup ⊳ Jonathan Quick

Healthy scratch: F: Brodzinski, Kakko, Edström, Wheeler D: Ruhwedel, Jones G: Domingue 
Injured: none
In the Cooler: none

Long-term IR: none