Well this one should be interesting.....................Rangers had a tough first round match-up with the Senators most games were very close and the series went to 6 games before the Rangers won it. Panthers had a first round up match-up with the Penguins however the Penguins lost their starter and backup goalie just before the end of the season. This prooved to be to much to overcome and they were swept.
Match-ups
Regular Season Standings
Panthers
51-31-4-4 110 Points
Rangers
49-29-8-0 106 Points
Team Statistics
PowerPlay NYR 20.1% vs Panthers 16%
Penalty Kill Panthers 85.7% vs NYR 85.3%
Team Scoring Panthers 3.63 vs NYR 3.59
Team Defence NYR 2.73 vs Panthers 2.79
Season Series
Rangers won 3 / Panthers won 1
Panthers 6 / Rangers 5
Scoring Summary
Period 1
1. RANGERS, WHITNEY 11 (AUBIN, YASHIN), 07:10
2. PANTHERS, HANDZUS 13 (SATAN, O'NEILL), 13:35
3. RANGERS, YORK 12 (RATHJE, STILLMAN), 14:53
4. PANTHERS, SAMUELSSON 6 (MODANO), 17:04
PENALTIES: G. MURRAY RAN (HIGHSTICKING, Double Minor) 06:30, J. NIINIMAA PAN (ROUGHING, Minor) 06:30
Period 2
5. RANGERS, STILLMAN 11 (YORK), 13:16
6. PANTHERS, SATAN 24 (O'NEILL), 18:01
PENALTIES: J. DOIG PAN (CROSS-CHECKING, Minor) 01:55, A. YASHIN RAN (UNSPORTSMANLIKE-CONDUCT, Minor) 06:13, S. AUBIN RAN (CROSS-CHECKING, Minor) 10:15
Period 3
7. RANGERS, KOIVU 5 (MURRAY, JOVANOVSKI), 03:42
8. PANTHERS, NIINIMAA 8 (HEJDUK), 04:17
9. RANGERS, MURRAY 17 (UNASSISTED) (PP), 12:58
10. PANTHERS, MARCHANT 6 (KOROLYUK, VANRYN), 13:25
11. PANTHERS, SATAN 25 (NIINIMAA, MODANO) (PP), 15:50
PENALTIES: B. BERARD PAN (UNSPORTSMANLIKE-CONDUCT, Minor, Misconduct) 08:14, E. JOVANOVSKI RAN (HIGHSTICKING, Double Minor) 08:34, J. NIINIMAA PAN (CROSS-CHECKING, Minor) 09:15, M. HANDZUS PAN (CROSS-CHECKING, Minor) 11:37, J. LECLAIR RAN (HOOKING, Minor) 15:29
Goalie Statistics Dwayne Roloson (RAN), 17 saves out of 22 shots, L, 11-14-4
Mika Noronen (RAN), 2 saves out of 3 shots
Evgeni Nabokov (PAN), 28 saves out of 33 shots
Trevor Kidd (PAN), 1 saves out of 1 shots, W, 3-0-0
PANTHERS at RANGERS
Rangers 4 / Panthers 3
Scoring Summary
Period 1
1. RANGERS, WHITE 15 (YORK, MODRY), 00:07
PENALTIES: B. MCCABE PAN (ELBOWING, Minor) 08:21
Period 2
2. RANGERS, YORK 19 (WHITNEY, MODRY), 06:53
3. RANGERS, YORK 20 (WHITE, WHITNEY) (PP), 14:26
4. PANTHERS, SAMUELSSON 10 (SATAN, RATHJE), 18:30
PENALTIES: M. MODANO PAN (HIGHSTICKING, Minor) 10:28, R. LANG PAN (CHARGING, Minor) 13:11, M. NYLANDER PAN (GOALIE INTERERENCE, Minor) 19:24
Period 3
5. PANTHERS, HANDZUS 18 (MARCHANT, KUBINA) (SH), 11:21
6. RANGERS, STILLMAN 19 (REINPRECHT, ROBIDAS), 18:22
7. PANTHERS, NYLANDER 21 (MARTINEK, BERARD), 19:34
PENALTIES: J. VANDERMEER RAN (ROUGHING, Minor) 07:56, M. MODANO PAN (ELBOWING, Minor) 10:36, J. DOIG PAN (HIGHSTICKING, Minor) 12:00, M. HANDZUS PAN (ROUGHING, Minor) 16:08, M. MODANO PAN (UNSPORTSMANLIKE-CONDUCT, Minor) 19:46
Goalie Statistics Evgeni Nabokov (PAN), 25 saves out of 29 shots, L, 24-13-3
Dwayne Roloson (RAN), 19 saves out of 22 shots, W, 16-19-4
PANTHERS at RANGERS
Rangers 3 / Panthers 2
Scoring Summary
Period 1
1. PANTHERS, MCCABE 10 (MODANO, GONCHAR), 02:50
2. RANGERS, WHITNEY 17 (TARNSTROM, YORK) (PP), 05:29
PENALTIES: B. MCCABE PAN (BOARDING, Minor) 04:31, B. MCCABE PAN (HIGHSTICKING, Minor) 09:56
Period 2
3. RANGERS, LETOWSKI 9 (REASONER, LECLAIR), 16:30
PENALTIES: J. VANDERMEER RAN (UNSPORTSMANLIKE-CONDUCT, Minor, Misconduct) 03:58, B. MCCABE PAN (BOARDING, Minor) 09:20
Period 3
4. PANTHERS, MODANO 18 (IGINLA, HEJDUK), 02:10
5. RANGERS, REINPRECHT 17 (KOIVU, NIINIMAA), 19:07
Goalie Statistics Evgeni Nabokov (PAN), 20 saves out of 23 shots, L, 25-15-3
Dwayne Roloson (RAN), 29 saves out of 31 shots, W, 18-19-5
RANGERS at PANTHERS
Rangers 4 / Panthers 2
Scoring Summary
Period 1
1. RANGERS, TUCKER 13 (REASONER, YONKMAN), 01:26
2. RANGERS, YORK 27 (NIINIMAA, WHITNEY), 03:05
3. PANTHERS, VISNOVSKY 13 (RICHARDS, ZUBRUS), 15:21
Period 2
4. RANGERS, DRURY 28 (MORRISON, TARNSTROM), 11:20
5. RANGERS, TUCKER 14 (NIINIMAA, REINPRECHT), 17:54
PENALTIES: N. YONKMAN RAN (ROUGHING, Minor) 00:57, L. VISNOVSKY PAN (BOARDING, Minor) 00:57, J. SMITH PAN (ROUGHING, Minor) 02:05, J. VANDERMEER RAN (ROUGHING, Minor) 02:47, R. BLAKE PAN (CROSS-CHECKING, Minor) 02:47
Period 3
6. PANTHERS, KOROLYUK 5 (MALTBY, SMITH), 00:38
PENALTIES: R. MARTINEK PAN (HIGHSTICKING, Minor) 07:04, A. KOROLYUK PAN (ELBOWING, Minor) 15:38, M. MODANO PAN (GOALIE INTERERENCE, Minor) 18:47
Goalie Statistics Dwayne Roloson (RAN), 29 saves out of 31 shots, W, 24-24-7
Evgeni Nabokov (PAN), 26 saves out of 30 shots, L, 29-20-3
Key Factors- Panthers are a healthly team while Rangers have their #1 Center Todd White on the IR.
- Can the Rangers defense contain the high scoring Panthers offense? This is the biggest question in the series. Panthers are the number 1 scoring team in the playoffs with a avg of 5.25.
- Rangers have found peace with the SIM Gods can this continue......?
- Who will be the better goalie Roloson or Nabakov?
- Can the Rangers contain the Panthers PowerPlay? Panthers Power Play has a 22% effeciency in the Playoffs.