Some tickets to Thursday’s Game 5 of the Florida-New York series at Madison Square Garden are listed for more than $4,000 apiece on the secondary markets. For Saturday’s Game 6 in South Florida, listings for similar seats at ice level are reaching around $3,000.Florida coach Paul Maurice isn’t going to tell anyone how to spend their dollars.
The Panthers tied the series on Tuesday night in Game 4, winning 3-2 on Sam Reinhart’s goal 72 seconds into overtime – the third straight game that went past the 60-minute mark in this series. Florida won Game 1, New York took the next two in OT and then the Panthers got the equalizer. “Back to New York, it’s 2-2, get ready for Game 5,” Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said. “We didn’t expect it to be an easy series.”Total goals: Panthers 11, Rangers 9. Out of the four games, the margin on the scoreboard has been one goal or less a staggering 95.9 per cent of the time. Florida had a multiple-goal lead for the final 3:48 of Game 1, New York had one for 6:50 of Game 3. Otherwise, it’s been tied or someone up by one the whole way.
The Rangers had the best record in the NHL this season, earning them home-ice advantage throughout the post-season. Florida already has won a game at MSG in this series, and to return to the Stanley Cup Final for a second straight season, the Panthers will have to win there at least once more.“It’s going to be a great atmosphere up in New York for Game 5,” Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said. “At the end of the day, they earned it.