Anton Lundell's Tipped Shot Secures Panthers' Win, Puts Florida on Verge of Stanley Cup Final Rematch

Thursday, May 30th, 2024

Anton Lundell's deflected shot secured a tight 3-2 win for the Florida Panthers over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. This vital triumph placed the Panthers within one game of returning to the Stanley Cup Final.

Gustav Forsling and Sam Bennett also found the back of the net to help the Panthers' cause, while Sergei Bobrovsky tallied 25 saves. After losing to Vegas in last year's championship series, the Panthers are now on the verge of reaching the Final for the first time since 2014.

Chris Kreider and Alexis Lafreniere scored goals for the Rangers, and Igor Shesterkin delivered an impressive 34-save performance. The reigning Presidents' Trophy winners now face the challenging task of winning back-to-back games to keep their Finals aspirations alive.

Lundell's pivotal go-ahead goal came with just over nine minutes left in the third period. Following a turnover in the Panthers' zone, Lundell received the puck and launched a shot from the right circle, which deflected off a Rangers defenseman's stick and slipped past Shesterkin.

Bennett ensured the victory with an empty-net goal late in the contest, although Lafreniere managed to score for the Rangers with only seconds to spare. Despite one last shot attempt in the final moments, the Rangers were unable to force the game into overtime.

Kreider, along with Mika Zibanejad, who had both been goalless in the first four games of the series, combined to give New York an early lead in the second period. Kreider's eighth playoff goal was a shorthanded one, matching the Rangers' postseason record for shorthanded goals.

Forsling responded for the Panthers six minutes later, with an assist from Bennett. Both teams had scoring chances in the goalless first period, with Bobrov

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