Madison Square Garden ice shortly before the Rangers and Florida Panthers took the ice. NEW YORK ^NY

The Florida Panthers beat the NY Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final in a shutout 3-0 win at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky registered 21 shots, while Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk scored a first-period goal, and later in the third period Carter Verhaeghe received credit after Alexis Lafrenière tipped the puck in his own goal, putting the Panthers up 3-0.

Game 2 is scheduled to take place on Friday at 8 p.m. back at MSG.

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