3 Biggest Storylines for Rangers vs Panthers Eastern Conference Finals

The New York Rangers will face off against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday Night in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Rangers are back for their second time in three years while the Panthers return after winning the East last season. In the regular season, the Panthers took two of three matchups with two of the games being decided by one goal.

The team's are both incredibly deep with special teams units that rank among the best in the league. The two sides couldn't be any closer in talent as this series looks on paper like it may take all seven games to decide. The Rangers are lucky enough to have home ice advantage which could end up being a massive factor in this series.

1. Winning the Special Teams battle

The Rangers have made it this far thanks in part to their special teams, as they dominated the Capitals on special teams while shutting down the Hurricanes' dangerous powerplay. In the regular season matchups, the Panthers drew eight penalties scoring twice while the Rangers drew nine penalties and scored three times.

The Rangers have had one of the best powerplays this postseason, scoring 31.4% of the time. The Rangers saw their powerplay go cold down the stretch in the second series, which could be a massive issue with the lack of 5-on-5 scoring. The Panthers on the other hand have been middle of the road, scoring just 22% of the time on the man advantage.

A weak Panthers powerplay could be a massive advantage for the Rangers as they boast one of the top penalty kills. The Rangers have killed 89.5% of their penalties the best remaining in the playoffs and if you get too careless with the puck look out as the Rangers have scored four shorthanded goals. The Panthers' penalty kill is right up there with the Rangers unit as they shut down opponents at an 86.1% clip, the second-best remaining.

The Rangers will need to win the special team battles if they're going to march on to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Rangers are playing a team that likes to play physical and if the Rangers draw the penalties they should, they must take advantage of their chances.

2. Who is the Rangers' Last Skater?

The New York Rangers have had quite the dilemma and rotation with their twelfth and final forward this postseason. The Rangers have played Matt Rempe at this spot in seven games, Jonny Brodzinski in two games and Filip Chytil has started once.

Heading into this series with the Florida Panthers, the Rangers may have another option as Blake Wheeler has returned from injury. During the time Wheeler was healthy he played on the top line alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. If the Rangers opt to bring Wheeler back into the fold it would be on the top line while moving Jack Roslovic down the lineup.

The Rangers best skater to play would be Filip Chytil if he's healthy as he can bring a scoring ability to the bottom six to help alleviate some of the pressure for the top six. Jonny Brodzinski is likely the best fit if the Rangers want someone that will play a defensive game and not take any penalties.

Chytil indicated to the media on Tuesday that he'll be playing in game one, but how long does it last. Chytil dealt with illness after his last start and if he deals with issues yet again, he'll likely be shut down for the remainder of the year, giving Peter Laviolette some tough decisions.

3. Calling on the Big Guns

The Florida Panthers may be one of the few teams with as much top end talent as the New York Rangers heading into this series. If the Rangers are going to make the Stanley Cup Final, it starts with the top lines scoring early and often. Thus far, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin, and Alexis Lafreniere have all played at a point per game or higher pace.

The player, however, who hasn't produced like you'd expect and hope has been Adam Fox. After suffering a knee injury in game four of the first round, Adam Fox hasn't looked as good as he has in the past and the stats show it as he has just four assists. The Rangers will need Adam Fox to get back to his effective ways offensively if they're going to move on.

The Rangers may also have an advantage on the third line as both Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil are overqualified to play on that line. Kaako has had just two points in ten games, but with Chytil returning that line could once again become a possession-dominant line that creates scoring chances.

At the end of the day, if the Rangers are going to win this series it comes down to the play of the top six. In the past, Artemi Panarin has gone missing in the playoffs, but a solid performance this round will put his name among the Rangers greats. Chris Kreider was Hercules against the Hurricanes and it's now someone else's turn to come through this round.

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