Here is why the Rangers defeated the Panthers in Game 3 and why they feel like a team of destiny.
A Rangers-eye-view of the Stanley Cup keeps getting clearer and clearer with each passing victory.
And after tomorrow night in Beautiful Downtown Sunrise, Florida, it should be just five wins away before The Canyon of Champions hails the indomitable Blueshirts.
No, this is not idle goal-gobbledigook, the Rangers have become Destiny's Child and it was all there in Florida yesterday for the human eye to see.
Even when New York plays a mostly lousy game – as they did last night – the team still manages to win. That's magic.
They were badly outshot; they were out-faced-off; they were out power-played and their big guns had turned to popguns.
You can say that Lady Luck was claimed on waivers by Blueshirt GM Chris Drury, but that would be being too cute when trying to analyze a 5-4 overtime triumph.
Granted luck was a pro-Ranger factor but this was not a win manufactured from thin air. There were several elements behind the W and that's why the Rangers now lead the series two games to one.
GOALTENDING: As The Maven has said all along, if Igor Shesterkin brings his A Game, the Rangers will win. And I also said that he is meaningfully better than Sergei Bobrovsky. Well, Iggie made 33 saves and Comrade Bob a paltry 18. As this series unfolds, a key difference will be age. Bobrovsky will falter and Iggy – six years younger – will retain his mastery.
DEPTH: It didn't matter a bit that Breadman Panarin, King Kreider and Magic Mika played like they'd rather be swimming in the briny. Once again the reliable slugs came through. The People's NON-Choice, Al Wennberg, even got the winner. Barclay Goodrow was all over the place with a pair of red lights. And budding new superstar, Big Al Lafreniere matched Goodie with a pair of goals of which one was a 14-carat gold highlighter.
OVERTIME MAGIC: The Rangers thrive in OT and that's why they made it four sudden death W's in a row. Alas, poor Florida is now 1-2. "When it comes to OT," says defenseman Braden Schneider, "we reset because we're comfortable in that position."
RESILIENCY: This win marked the 34th comeback – regular season and playoffs.
THE MYSTICAL MATT REMPE: The Skating Steeple can do absolutely nothing in a game – like last night – and still the Blueshirts inevitably emerge with a victory. Go figure!
Mind you, Florida has a splendid team; of that there's no question. It's just that it doesn't have what it needs most and right now it's a goalkeeper who can match The Iggy Man.
The Cats will get a shot at evening the series at home tomorrow but they haven't figured out what they're up against and what to do about it.
Let's face it when on a night that sees the Rangers do a ton wrong AND Wennberg scores the winner AND the eventually-to-be traded Kaapo Kakko gets an assist on the play, YIKES!
The Cats are being de-clawed by a Team of Destiny.