3 things Florida Panthers did wrong in Game 2 loss to New York Rangers

The Florida Panthers lost a tough, one-goal contest in game 2 on Friday night. The Panthers lost 2-1 on an OT goal by Rangers center Barclay Goodrow. The loss was especially painful for Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who was having a spectacular game.

The Eastern Conference Finals is now tied at 1-1, with the Florida Panthers heading home for games 3 and 4. The Panthers will look to regroup ahead of game 3 and reclaim the series lead.

As they look to recover, it’s worth taking a look at what went wrong for the Panthers in game 2:

---

Three things that went wrong for the Florida Panthers in game 2

#1 Florida couldn’t match the Rangers’ intensity

The Rangers came out swinging from the opening faceoff. While the Florida Panthers did their best to keep up, there were moments where the Rangers seemed to dominate the game. Usual physical forwards like Matthew Tkachuk were largely unable to take over the game.

The scrum between Vincent Trocheck and Tkachuk seemed to show frustration on Tkachuk’s part. It’s interesting that tempers would boil over like that in the first period. Unfortunately for the Panthers, Tkachuk’s antics weren’t enough to set a physical tone in the contest.

---

#2 The Panthers squandered a fantastic performance from Bobrovsky

Had the Florida Panthers won, the narrative would have revolved around how Sergei Bobrovsky stole the game for the Panthers. However, the Panthers squandered a tremendous performance from Bobrovsky.

While Bobrovsky only faced 30 shots, he came up big, especially on the 4-on-3 penalty kills the Panthers pulled off in the second period. That penalty kill kept the Panthers in the game.

Nevertheless, the Panthers could not score the winner and give Bobrovsky a much-deserved win. The Panthers will continue to rely on him to keep them in games, but the team must score in front of him. Otherwise, they risk losing tight matchups like game 2.

---

#3 The defense couldn’t handle the Rangers’ speed

The Panthers defense looked slow at times, allowing the Rangers to utilize their speed to create chances.

Case in point: The two goals the Rangers scored. On both occasions, the goals started with quick, transition plays the Panthers defense could not stop. In both situations, the Rangers gained the zone and created dangerous opportunities.

In Trocheck’s goal, the defense was unable to pick up Adam Fox streaking down the right side. No one picked up Trocheck from behind the net as Trocheck tapped in Fox’s nifty feed, leading to the first goal.

Goodrow’s winner happened similarly. A turnover in the Panthers’ end led to a transition where the Panthers defense couldn't corral a steaking Goodrow.

The Panthers will need to readjust their defensive approach for game 3 as they look to keep the Rangers in check. The Panthers will hope to use home-ice advantage in their favor and return to New York with the series lead.