NY RANGERS VS FLA PANTHERS POST GAME RECAP

Rangers Return Home And Beat Panthers 4-2

Prior to Monday's game at Madison Square Garden Rangers forward Rick Nash said that the team needed a "huge response" coming off Saturday's dismal loss in San Jose. Nash then went out and led by example, playing a strong two-way game while also scoring a clutch third period goal in the Rangers 4-2 victory over the Florida Panthers.
Nash created prime scoring chances on his first two shifts of the game, doing so both times by driving hard to the net, thus setting the tone that the Rangers were prepared to work hard and do whatever it took to win this contest.
Then with the Panthers pressing and the Rangers clinging to a 2-1 lead, Nash scored his first goal since returning from injury six games ago and New York had some much-needed breathing room. Kevin Klein made a slick pass into the right circle and Nash sniped it past Panthers goalie Al Montoya for his 13th goal just as a Blueshirts power play had ended with 8:46 remaining in regulation.
Florida did get a power play goal from Jiri Hudler with 35.7 seconds left in the period; but that was off-set by a Tanner Glass shorthanded goal with 8.2 seconds remaining in regulation.
Henrik Lundqvist finished with 25 saves as the Rangers reached 90 points on the season and regained sole possession of second place in the Metropolitan Division, two points up on the idle Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Rangers had scored once in the opening period and once again in the middle stanza, all the while playing stout defensively and keeping the Panthers off the scoreboard, to carry a 2-0 lead into the second intermission.
Viktor Stalberg's ninth goal of the season--and first since February 12, a span of 18 games--at 11:15 of the first period opened the scoring. Stalberg played give and go during a 2-on-1 with linemate Dominic Moore while sprinting up left wing before taking the puck to the net and beating Panthers goalie Al Montoya through the pads on a backhand shot.
The Rangers doubled their lead at 3:33 of the second period when Mats Zuccarello scored on the power play on a wicked snap shot from the slot while falling to the ice. The goal was Zuccarello's 23rd of the season, and sixth on the power play; and it was assisted by Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan.
New York outshot Florida 8-3 in the first period and 15-9 in the second as Lundqvist was not tested often. However Lundqvist did make a terrific glove save while scooting from right to left in his crease to deny Jussi Jokinen off a rare odd-man rush 6:20 of the second.
The Panthers finally created some sustained pressure on Lundqvist in the latter stages of the second period and early in the third, and a pair of video reviews helped the Blueshirts keep their 2-0 lead.
With 3:13 to play in the second a turnover by Marc Staal led to a wild scramble in Lundqvist's blue paint--with, oddly enough, one of the referees caught in the middle of the action. Lundqvist made three huge saves during the sequence before Jokinen shoved a shot off the post before Lundqvist could glove the puck along the goal line.
Video review upheld that on-ice no-goal call, as it would again 2:28 into the third when the officials ruled that Panthers defenseman Steven Kampfer batted a puck out of midair and into the cage with a high stick. Still Florida was skating with purpose and a distinct advantage in the early moments of the third, outshooting New York 6-1 to open up the period.
Then at 6:51 the Panthers finally broke through as Vincent Trochek drove to the net to redirect a pass from Jokinen into the cage to cut the Rangers lead to 2-1 with his 23rd goal of the season.
Florida came ever-so-close to tying the game while killing a Jonathan Huberdeau penalty midway through the third, but Lundqvist stoned Jokinen's shorthanded attempt in alone off the rush at 9:32. Less then two minutes Nash scored to restore the Rangers two-goal lead.

Jim Cerny
BlueshirtsUnited.com
POST GAME WRAP UP: FINAL STATS

NY RANGERS 4 FLA PANTHERS 2
SOG: NYR 32  FLA 27
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Period
11:15    NYR Viktor Stalberg (9) Backhand shot - ASST: Dominic Moore (9)     1 - 0 NYR
2nd Period
03:33    NYR PPG - Mats Zuccarello (23) Snap shot - ASST: Derick Brassard (28), Derek Stepan (23)     2 - 0 NYR
3rd Period
06:51    FLA    Vincent Trocheck (23) Tip-in - ASST: Jussi Jokinen (39), Reilly Smith (23)     2 - 1 NYR
11:14    NYR    PPG - Rick Nash (13) Snap shot - ASST: Kevin Klein (11)     3 - 1 NYR
19:24    FLA    PPG - Jiri Hudler (14) Wrist shot - ASST: Teddy Purcell (24), Dmitry Kulikov (14)     3 - 2 NYR
19:51    NYR    EN - Tanner Glass (4) Wrist shot - ASST: Kevin Klein (12)     4 - 2 NYR

PENALTY SUMMARY
1st Period
19:53    FLA    Vincent Trocheck  Roughing  - 2 min against  Dominic Moore
19:53    NYR    Dominic Moore  Roughing  - 2 min against  Vincent Trocheck
2nd Period
02:31    FLA    Vincent Trocheck  Hooking  - 2 min against  Mats Zuccarello
11:06    NYR    Derick Brassard  Delay of game  - 2 min against  Steven Kampfer
11:06    FLA    Steven Kampfer  Delay of game  - 2 min against  Derick Brassard
3rd Period
09:14    FLA    Jonathan Huberdeau  Hi-sticking  - 2 min against  Chris Kreider
17:59    NYR    Viktor Stalberg  Tripping  - 2 min against  Jonathan Huberdeau

FINAL TEAM STATS
Power Plays FLA 1/1 NYR 1/2
Hits FLA 19 NYR 17
Faceoff Wins FLA 21 NYR 35
Giveaways FLA 7 NYR 16
Takeaways FLA 5 NYR 13
Blocked Shots FLA 11 NYR 15
Penalty Minutes FLA 8 NYR 6

RANGERS Final Faceoff %: 
E Staal 71%, Brassard 58%, Stepan 60%, Moore 69%, Miller 100%, Glass 0%

Three Stars of the Game
1. NYR RICK NASH
2. NYR HENRIK LUNDQVIST
3. FLA Vincent Trocheck

NY RANGERS BROADWAY HAT
#61 RICK NASH

NEXT GAME:
Rangers return to action on Wednesday March 23 at 8:00 PM to take on Original 6 Rivals the Boston Bruins