Simulating Rangers vs. Florida Game 3 in NHL 24
NHL 24 incorrectly predicted a Florida win in Game 2. Barclay Goodrow played hero scoring the overtime winner in the real life Game 2.
The series now shifts to sunny Florida for the next two games with the Eastern Conference Finals all knotted up at 1-1.
Rangers Head Coach Peter Laviolette made some lineup changes for Game 2. He inserted the New York fan favorite, Matt Rempe, back in the lineup, who expectedly brought the physicality with a game-high nine hits. He also moved Filip Chytil up to play with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, moving Jack Roslovic down to the third line.
Unfortunately, their fourth line winger, Jimmy Vesey was injured last game after taking a jolting hit from Florida's Ryan Lomberg, and he is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Laviolette will have to decide whether to put Kaapo Kakko back in the lineup, who he just scratched for Rempe, or the veteran Blake Wheeler who has been cleared to play.
Here are the lines we used in the simulation
New York's Projected Lines:
Kreider - Zibanejad - Chytil
Panarin - Trocheck - Lafreniere
Cuylle - Wennberg - Roslovic
Kakko - Goodrow - Rempe
Lindgren - Fox
Miller - Trouba
Gustafsson - Schneider
Shesterkin
Quick
Despite the 2-1 overtime loss, we aren't foreshadowing any lineup changes by Paul Maurice for the Panthers.
Florida's Projected Lines:
Tarasenko - Barkov - Reinhart
Verhaeghe - Lundell - Tkachuk
Luostarinen - Bennett - Rodrigues
Lomberg - Stenlund - Cousins
Forsling - Ekblad
Mikkola - Montour
Ekman-Larsson - Kulikov
Bobrovsky
Stolarz
Sam Bennett opened the scoring early on the powerplay, and that would be the only goal scored until the 14:12 mark of the third period.
The AI penalty meter appeared to be turned up for this simulation, particularly for New York. The Rangers incurred seven minor penalties, and the Panthers capitalized on 4 out of 7 powerplay opportunities.
The goals came in bunches in the third period as New York and Florida combined for seven goals. Sam Reinhart and Alexis Lafreniere scored twice and finished the game with three points.
Reinhart's second of the simulation with 2:29 left put the Cats up 4-3. Aaron Ekblad took a tripping penalty with 30 seconds left and the Rangers made him pay for that penalty. Alexander Wennberg tipped Alexis Lafreniere's one-timer which settled on the line, until in classic NHL 24 AI goalie fashion, Bobrosvky backed up and nudged the puck across the line, sending this game to overtime.
In the extra frame, Artemi Panarin made a nifty stride deke to the middle and took a half-clapper that was perfectly placed over the glove of Bobrovsky. The New York Rangers win the Game 3 simulation 5-4 in overtime.
Florida's top pairing of Forsling and Ekblad had a disastrous game, both finishing as a minus-4.
New York's line of Lafreniere, Trocheck, and Panarin combined for three goals, 10 shots, nine hits, and seven points. All three were also a plus-3.
The Rangers and Florida play the real life Game 3 today at 3pm EST.
For more NHL 24 playoff simulations, bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site.