Panthers’ ability to win individual battles is taking them far

May 31, 2024, 13:54 EDT

Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov

Credit: May 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) passes the puck as New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (16) defends during the third period in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

The Florida Panthers were able to overcome a 1-0 deficit to win Game 5 against the New York Rangers on Thursday. Florida took over the game, outshooting New York 29-16 over the final two periods and secured a 3-2 win at Madison Square Garden to take a 3-2 series lead back home to Sunrise.

While the games have all been tight, Florida has seemed like the better team. They dominated in Game 1, controlled big chunks of play in Games 2, 3 and 4 and used their physicality and size to push the Rangers to the brink of elimination.

One thing that the Panthers have done very well throughout the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs is win battles. Whether that is a 50/50 puck battle or an individual matchup, it has been a huge part of their run through the Eastern Conference and it has proven to be vital in this series with the Rangers.

Colby Cohen: You just look at the way that the Florida Panthers play. I equated it this morning on “Morning Cuppa Hockey” and I’ve said it throughout the playoffs, this Florida Panthers team is like watching an NFL team that runs the ball 80 percent of the time. It doesn’t always look sexy, it doesn’t always look tic-tac-toe pretty… They wear you out in the neutral zone, they wear you out below the tops of the circles in both zones… Generally speaking, this is a team that doesn’t beat themselves.

Frank Seravalli: They have been a beast to play against… They just seem like the hungrier team.

Colby Cohen: Yeah. And I think some of that is because of the size and the strength of their backend. I think they win more puck battles. You can point to Artemi Panarin, who I don’t think has won a puck battle this entire round… Compare that with a guy like Sasha [Aleksander Barkov], who leads the way on his team, who doesn’t lose a 50/50 battle, doesn’t lose a puck battle. I just think that right now, you look at the tops of these two teams, you’re just getting so much more from the top of the Florida Panthers… Sometimes, it’s just a really simple equation: win more 50/50 battles, win the hockey game. It sounds cliche, it sounds simple, but it’s true 100 percent of the time.

You can watch the full episode here: