Panthers get Bobrovsky shutout, take early lead in Eastern Conference finals with road win over Rangers

The Panthers drew first blood in what is expected to be a tight Eastern Conference final series.

Florida star Matthew Tkachuk scored a first-period goal, and that proved to be enough Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. The Panthers went on to win 3-0 over the Rangers, taking a 1-0 series lead.

Tkachuk had a relatively quiet second round against Boston, but he started the conference finals with the Rangers with a bang. The star forward got a pass from defenseman Gustav Forsling and fired it past the Rangers’ star goalie...