Eastern Conference final Game 2: New York Rangers 2, Florida Panthers 1 (OT)

The Eastern Conference final is tied.

Barclay Goodrow scored the game-winner with 5:59 left in overtime to lift the New York Rangers to a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the series on Friday at Madison Square Garden. The series is now tied 1-1. Florida won Game 1 3-0 on Wednesday.

New York’s Vincent Trocheck and Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe each scored in the first period. That was all that would get past either Sergei Bobrovsky or Igor Shesterkin in regulation.

Panthers-Rangers going to overtime

Well, folks, this one’s going to overtime.

Neither the Panthers nor the Rangers got one in the back of the net in the third, so the game remains tied 1-1 after 60 minutes.

This is Florida’s second overtime of the playoffs. The Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in Game 2 with the game going past regulation.

And worth noting: Florida has won 11 consecutive playoff games that have gone to overtime.

A scoreless but stellar second period

The scored remained tied 1-1 after two periods but, man, what a fun middle frame that was.

There was a nearly six-minute stretch without a whistle, with both teams running up and down the ice only to see stellar chances fall short, many of which hit posts.

There was another strong penalty kill effort by the Panthers.

And there were a couple individual heroic efforts by Florida’s Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling.

Florida will start the third period with 1:16 of power play time.

First intermission thoughts

The Panthers weathered the Rangers’ early intensity and began to shift the momentum into their favor to close out the opening period.

After New York dominated in the first eight-plus minutes, the game wound up essentially equal by the time the teams went to their dressing rooms — Florida actually led 21-20 in shot attempts with the game at even strength. The Panthers’ penalty kill, while not the sharpest, got things done both times it was called upon in the first period.

Particularly noticeable in that opening frame for Florida: Sam Bennett and Aleksander Barkov.

Panthers tie it on the power play

Carter Verhaeghe, who was at the center of the scrum following the Rangers’ game-opening goal, tied the game with a shot from the slot on the power play with 1:51 left in the first period.

Evan Rodrigues screened Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin to aid in Verhaeghe’s goal.

Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell had the assists.

It was Verhaeghe’s eighth goal of the playoffs.

Panthers having to weather physical Rangers start

At the first television timeout (8:17 into regulation), the Rangers have already logged 11 hits and are outshooting the Panthers 6-1.

Florida knew New York was going to try to get off to a quick start. Well, that has happened.

The Panthers need to figure out how to counter.

Rangers score first — and then things get chippy

Vincent Trocheck opened scoring for the Rangers by tapping in a pass from Adam Fox on a relatively wide open net 4:12 into the period.

Things then got chippy shortly afterward with basically everyone on the ice getting involved in a scrum of some sort.

The casualty of it: Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe as well as New York’s Alexis Lafreniere going to the penalty box, resulting in a Rangers power play.

Series recap and schedule

▪ Game 1: Sergei Bobrovsky had a 23-save shutout, while Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett scored goals in Florida’s 3-0 win.

▪ Game 2: Tonight

▪ Game 3: Sunday, May 26, Sunrise’s Amerant Bank Arena, 3 p.m., ABC, ESPN+

▪ Game 4: Tuesday, Sunrise’s Amerant Bank Arena, 8 p.m., ESPN, ESPN+

▪ Game 5 (if necessary): Thursday, May 30, New York’s Madison Square Garden, 8 p.m., ESPN, ESPN+

▪ Game 6 (if necessary): Saturday, June 1, Sunrise’s Amerant Bank Arena, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN+

▪ Game 7 (if necessary): Monday, June 3, New York’s Madison Square Garden, 8 p.m., ESPN, ESPN+

Pregame reading

Need to catch up ahead of Game 2? Here are the highlights of the Miami Herald’s coverage over the past two days.

▪ How Sergei Bobrovsky shut out the Rangers to open the series

▪ ‘A hard style to play against:’ The Panthers’ defense is thriving in front of Bobrovsky in playoffs

▪ Five telling stats from the Panthers’ Eastern Conference final Game 1 win vs. the Rangers

▪ Sam Bennett’s role change, Ryan Lomberg making physical impact and more Panthers notes ahead of Game 2

▪ From columnist Greg Cote: The magic of Madison Square Garden takes another hit with the Panthers’ series-opening road win over the Rangers