Alex Wennberg’s first playoff goal couldn’t have come at a better time for the Rangers.
His tally off a deflection at 5:33 of overtime gave the Rangers a thrilling 5-4 win over the host Panthers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final on Sunday afternoon.
The Rangers now lead the series 2-1.
Alexis Lafreniere and Barclay Goodrow, the overtime hero in Game 2, each scored two goals for the Rangers.
Gustav Forsling tied the game 4-4 at 6:58 of the third period, converting a wide-open chance from the left circle.
Jacob Trouba took his third penalty of the game at 14:23 of the third, a holding on Matthew Tkachuk, but the Rangers were able to kill it off.
Sam Reinhart scored the first of his two first-period, power-play goals just 2:50 into the game to give the Panthers an early edge.
Lafreniere scored his first of the afternoon at 7:17 of the first, and Goodrow put the Rangers ahead just 25 seconds later.
Reinhart’s second goal at 14:46 of the period came after a Matt Rempe roughing penalty against him.
Lafreniere then scored a pretty backhand at 15:23 of the second to put the Blueshirts up 3-2.
Despite Trouba giving Florida a four-minute power play for slashing Sam Bennett and then elbowing Evan Rodriguez, Goodrow came through with a shorthanded goal at 18:14 of the second to double the Rangers’ lead.
Florida’s Aleksander Barkov scored in front at 5:04 of the third after sneaking by a sleeping Vincent Trocheck to put one past Igor Shesterkin.