Rangers set tone with early physical play in Game 2 victory

It wasn’t the game-winner. That would come later — off the stick of Rangers uncannily clutch and versatile center Barclay Goodrow at 14:01 of overtime that would send the Garden into a state of utter delirium.

With a 2-1 Rangers victory in Game 2, the Goodrow goal tied the tightly contested conference final series 1-1 in front of a nervous and electrifying Garden crowd.

The goal had a sense of gravitas to it because it was the product of the physicality the Rangers lacked in Game 1. Early in Game 2, a tone was being formed that was absent in Game 1. The Rangers were retaliating.

Alexis Lafreniere’s hard hit on Panthers standout Carter Verhaeghe in front of the net set up Trocheck’s goal. The collision gave Trocheck the opportunity to receive an Adam Fox pass and bury it from the back door, creating space in front of Florida goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky and freeing up the ball.

There was so much in the one play. After being shut out in Game 1, the Rangers finally gave the Garden supporters something to cheer about with a goal.