They were staring down the possibility of losing back-to-back home games to begin this Eastern Conference Final when Barclay Goodrow reminded everyone why he was a priority add a few summers ago. 

Goodrow scored the winning goal with 5:59 remaining in overtime, giving the Blueshirts a much-needed 2-1 victory over the Panthers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final on Friday at Madison Square Garden.

That evened the series at 1-1 as they shift to Florida for Game 3, which will be played Sunday at 3 p.m.

“To see him score a goal like that tonight is awesome because his role doesn’t always consist of that,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. 

“It’s not always in the offensive zone. It’s not on the power play, but when you see somebody who does so many other things that helps a team be successful, you’re really happy for a guy like that when he can make a huge impact in the game tonight offensively.”

Fifty-one games into the season, Juan Soto is sparking chants of “M-V-P!” at Yankee Stadium.

“Way too early,” Soto said after his second two-homer game of the homestand led the New York Yankees over the Seattle Mariners 7-3  and stopped New York’s first two-game losing streak in three weeks.

Soto drove a full-count sinker into the visitors’ bullpen in left in the third for a two-run homer and a 4-0 lead, a 414-foot drive off Bryce Miller that hit the back wall on a hop. Soto connected on another sinker on Miller’s first pitch of the sixth inning, a 369-foot shot into the left-field stands.

That prompted the “M-V-P!” chorus from the crowd of 40,224.

“I love when when the Bronx gets behind our guys,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously showing their appreciation for him.”

Sonic is sure to tantalize taste buds nationwide with its latest creation: the new Oreo Big Scoop Cheesecake Sundae and Blast. This collaboration between America’s Drive-In and America’s Favorite Cookie is poised to become the next big thing  for dessert enthusiasts.

These treats promise a fusion of creamy cheesecake and Oreo goodness at Sonic outlets across the country.

• Oreo Big Scoop Cheesecake Sundae: Layers of Oreo cookie pieces on top of a classic vanilla soft serve base, topped with a big scoop of Oreo cheesecake.
• Oreo Big Scoop Cheesecake Blast: Vanilla soft serve with cheesecake flavoring and Oreo cookie pieces mixed in, also topped with a big scoop of Oreo cheesecake.

The Eastern Conference Final is set.

The Rangers will face the Panthers, who are looking for a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final, after Florida finished off the Bruins in Game 6 of their series on Friday night with a 2-1 victory.

This series, which will start at Madison Square Garden pits the Metropolitan Division victors against the Atlantic Division winners.

It is one Stanley Cup-winning coach, Peter Laviolette, against the coach he replaced to get his ring 20 years ago, Paul Maurice.

It is one legendary Russian goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, against another well on his way to all-time status, Igor Shesterkin.

The two sides have faced off just once before in the playoffs, with the Rangers beating Florida in five games in the 1997 Eastern Quarterfinals.

This, however, is a test befitting the Rangers as they look to defeat another franchise looking to call itself the new preeminent team in the Eastern Conference with the Lightning’s decline.

Bell hits tying homer as Marlins score four in ninth off struggling Díaz and rally past Mets 10-9 in 10

Chris Kreider had a third-period hat trick to help the New York Rangers erase a two-goal deficit and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

Kreider single-handedly erased the Hurricanes’ 3-1 lead entering the final period. The go-ahead score came when he got position on Jalen Chatfield at the top of the crease and tipped in Ryan Lindgren’s wraparound attempt to make it 4-3 with at the 15:41 mark.

That finally allowed the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers to put away the Hurricanes, who had won two straight after falling into a 3-0 hole in the best-of-7 series. The Hurricanes appeared on the verge of forcing a Game 7 for a pressure-packed finale, but couldn’t contain Kreider and the Rangers’ surge in the final 14 minutes.

Breakfast enthusiasts and Hostess fans alike have reason to rejoice as the iconic brand unveils its latest innovation: Hostess HoneyBun Donettes. Combining two fan-favorite breakfast snacks into one treat, the HoneyBun Donettes promise a sweet and satisfying start to the day.

Bringing together the warm cinnamon and sweet vanilla glaze flavor of Hostess HoneyBuns with the soft, fluffy texture of Hostess Donettes, this new creation offers a tantalizing twist on traditional breakfast fare. What’s more, the HoneyBun Donettes are crafted without high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, or artificial flavors, catering to consumers’ growing demand for wholesome yet indulgent options.

This latest mashup marks only the second of its kind in recent Hostess snacking history, following the success of last year’s Hostess Ding Dongs x Twinkies Mashups. With the launch of HoneyBun Donettes, Hostess aims to replicate the excitement and delight generated by its previous flavor fusion.

Walt Frazier, Bernard King and Patrick Ewing. When it comes to New York Knick all-time greats, those three names tend to reign supreme. Jalen Brunson is making the case that he belongs among them. 

Brunson is only in his second year as a Knick, but the historic nature of this postseason is placing him in some rarefied air. And Brunson’s performance on Tuesday night may have been his most impressive and important yet. 

In perhaps the biggest game at Madison Square Garden in decades, Brunson led a depleted Knicks team to a critical 121-91 victory over the Pacers. With the win, New York now holds a 3-2 series lead as the rivalry shifts back to Indiana for Game 6 on Friday night. One more win and the Knicks are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. 

While being the star player on a Knicks team that advanced further than any other in almost a quarter of a century would be enough to shine light on Brunson in New York for a long time, the way he’s doing it is why he’s being compared to such legendary names. 

Brunson scored 44 points in Game 5, giving him five 40-point games already this postseason. The last time any NBA player posted five or more 40-point games throughout a single postseason was when LeBron James did it in 2018.  

Rangers Suffer First Playoff Loss to the Hurricanes

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