Just when it seemed like the Presidents Trophy-winning New York Rangers were gearing up for a comeback against the reigning league runner-ups, Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Lafrenière accidentally redirected the puck into his own net, handing Florida a 2-0 lead with just three minutes left on the clock. The goal ended up being credited to Carter Verhaeghe. Now you could argue it was goaltender Igor Shesterkin's fault, although most blamed the Rangers forward.
To add insult to injury, Sam Bennett sealed the deal with an empty-netter, making it 3-0 for the Panthers as they snatched the win in New York on the backs of a Sergei Bobrovsky 23 save shutout . It's definitely a moment Lafrenière would rather forget. Other than that, he had a fine game.
Despite the mishap, Lafrenière has been having a stellar year, with career-high stats of 28 goals and 29 assists during the regular season. Here's hoping he bounces back strong in Game 2 on Friday and so do the Blueshirts.
