They’d reached the breaking point. So dominated were the Rangers in a lopsided third period that coach Peter Laviolette took his timeout to try to settle down his team. By then, the Panthers had scored two consecutive goals less than two minutes apart to tie the game.

Following the timeout, the Rangers played a bit better. But they couldn’t sustain it. For what felt like an eternity, the Panthers had the puck in the offensive zone and were firing shots from everywhere. It felt like they’d eventually get one more puck by Igor Shesterkin. It never happened.

Despite constant icings and high danger chances, they couldn’t beat Shesterkin. He turned away Carter Verhaeghe twice and stoned Matthew Tkachuk point blank with the game on the line. He never buckled.

It was the brilliance of Shesterkin that allowed the Rangers to steal home ice back. After surviving the end of regulation, the Rangers found a way to take Game 3. Alex Wennberg’s goal at 5:35 of overtime gave the Rangers a 5-4 win over the Panthers. With a second straight overtime win, they lead the best of seven series 2-1.

They don’t ask how you win? They ask how many. If it was decided by puck possession, the Panthers would be the Corsi kings. They out-attempted the Rangers by a wide margin. The total favored the Cats 108-43. It was absurd. It didn’t matter. Of the 108 attempts they took, only 37 made it through.

The Rangers also blocked 37 shots. That included nine from Jacob Trouba, who really struggled. He took three penalties and was on for both Panthers’ goals with partner K’Andre Miller in the third period. Miller had an even tougher game. His failure to clear two pucks led to a pair of Sam Reinhart power-play goals in the first period.

Despite most of the defense having trouble, the Blueshirts persevered. The Panthers had another 29 attempts miss completely. Goalscorer Gustav Forsling, who tied the game off a faceoff, also had a shot hit the goalpost with just over eight minutes left in regulation.

With less than six minutes remaining in the third period, the Rangers had to kill off a third Trouba penalty. After he broke his stick, he held Tkachuk to send the Panthers to their seventh power play.

It was a shooting gallery for Verhaeghe. He was stopped three different times by Shesterkin and had two other shots miss the net. The Rangers survived. They also bailed Trouba out on a four-minute penalty when he got called for slashing and elbowing with 2:25 left in the second period.

He elbowed Evan Rodrigues up high to initiate a review to determine if it was a major penalty. The replays showed that Trouba caught Rodrigues in the shoulder and neck. He was fortunate.

As bad as the penalty kill was in the first, they killed off the last three Florida power plays. Not only did they get it done. But they also got a shorthanded goal from the suddenly hot Barclay Goodrow that put them up 4-2 late in the second.

Goodrow continues to be a clutch player. After winning Game 2 in sudden death, he scored two more goals in the win on Sunday afternoon. That included a nice redirection of a Braden Schneider shot that gave the Rangers two consecutive goals in a 25-second span to give them their first lead.

Alexis Lafreniere had tied the score when he took a lead pass from Vincent Trocheck and beat Sergei Bobrovsky with a wicked backhand on a breakaway. Lafreniere had a great game scoring twice, including a highlight reel goal that gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead late in the second.

Reinhart got his second of the first period with Matt Rempe in the box for roughing. It was a questionable call. Rempe finished a check on Reinhart, who went down after taking a windmill into the boards. Rempe’s strength worked against him again.

Previously, Sam Bennett turned an Adam Fox shove into a deliberate attempt to interfere with Shesterkin. He made no attempt to get out of the way and smirked. Shesterkin voiced his displeasure to the refs during a stoppage. Bennett is the same player who got away with a rabbit punch on Brad Marchand last round.

Miller’s clearing attempt was knocked down by Verhaeghe. He then got the puck to Reinhart, who had his backhand deflect off Trouba’s skate underneath Shesterkin to tie the score.

Earlier in the first, with Braden Schneider off for delay of game, Miller had his clear around the boards intercepted by Tkachuk at the blue line. He then moved the puck down to Aleksander Barkov, who slid it for Reinhart. He then came out and slipped a backhand past Shesterkin for the game’s first goal.

The Panthers pressed for more. However, Shesterkin held them off the scoreboard. Despite some early dominance from Florida, the Rangers were able to tie the game thanks to Lafreniere. On a Trouba pass up for Trocheck, he sent Lafreniere in for a backhand that beat Bobrovsky high glove to tie the score.

On the next shift, Laviolette sent his fourth line out. Thanks to some good work down low from Will Cuylle, he moved the puck up for a Schneider point shot that Goodrow tipped past a screened Bobrovsky for a 2-1 lead. He never saw the puck due to Rempe, who stood in front of him.

The Panthers drew even thanks to Reinhart’s second power-play goal of the period. All Miller could do was hang his head when he got to the bench. His two mistakes gave Florida three power-play goals in two games.

Buoyed by Reinhart’s second of the game, the Panthers began to take control. They spent a good portion of the final five minutes in the Rangers’ zone. It remained tied thanks to Shesterkin, who managed to stop 12 of 14 shots.

In the second period, the Rangers got two straight power plays. Trouba drew an interference minor on Kevin Stenlund. The first power play was so bad that it did virtually nothing. Fox had a tough time on it. Erik Gustafsson replaced him. He was more effective.

Halfway through the contest, Zibanejad took a Barkov high stick to put the Rangers back on the man advantage. The top unit was so ineffective that Laviolette took them off after 45 seconds. The second unit was no better. The Panthers’ aggressiveness seems to have caused the power play to panic with the puck. They remain 0 for the series. It’s up to 0 for 8.

In a tighter played period, the Blueshirts outshot the Panthers 7-5. They were much better at five-on-five. On a good breakout from Miller, Trouba got the puck up for Lafreniere, who did the rest. He gained the Panthers’ zone with speed and then dusted both Dmitry Kulikov and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to score an incredible goal that put the Rangers in front with 4:37 remaining.

He maneuvered around Kulikov and, in one motion, deked and beat Bobrovsky on a filthy backhand. Ekman-Larsson was fooled so badly that he tripped Lafreniere into Bobrovsky on the goal. Fortunately, Lafreniere’s skate didn’t make contact with Bobrovsky up high. That could’ve been bad.

With the Rangers up by a goal, Trouba gad a very bad sequence that could’ve proved costly. He first got called for a slash on Bennett. Then, he went for a desperation hit on Rodrigues with his elbow extended. Had he made serious head contact, it would’ve been a major, game misconduct, and suspension. Instead, the Panthers had a four-minute power play.

In the first minute of it, Ryan Lindgren sent a clear down the ice. It went into the corner for Trocheck to play it. He then skated around the net and patiently waited for the Panthers to chase him. That allowed him to find a cutting Goodrow for a one-timer that beat Bobrovsky top shelf for a shorthanded goal with 1:46 left. That made it 4-2.

The Panthers were unable to do much on the remainder of the power play, which carried over to the third period. After Trouba returned, they finally picked it up.

On an extended shift in the Rangers’ zone, they had the puck on a string. Eventually, the Barkov line tired out the Wennberg line with Miller and Trouba. Niko Mikkola pinched in to keep the puck alive for Verhaeghe. He then sent it in front for Barkov, who had it go off his body past Shesterkin to cut the deficit to 4-3 with 14:56 left.

On the goal, Barkov snuck past Trocheck to put himself in a perfect position to get his first of the series. He’s a very smart player. From that moment, the ice became tilted.

The Panthers kept coming. You knew it was only a matter of time. If there was one gripe, it was self-inflicted for the Rangers. For some reason, Zibanejad iced the puck when there was no pressure on him. That was a big mistake.

He then lost the defensive draw clean to Rodrigues. Rodrigues got the puck over to Tkachuk, who then found an isolated Forsling in the left circle. With Filip Chytil nowhere near him, Forsling had plenty of time to skate in and fire a laser high glove on Shesterkin to tie the score with 13:02 remaining.

It looked like the Rangers wouldn’t hang on. They looked exhausted. With the Panthers coming close to taking the lead, Laviolette tried to give his team a chance to regroup. He took a timeout with 11:30 left.

Initially, they responded. Zibanejad got a shot on Bobrovsky. Trocheck then missed wide. Artemi Panarin had a shot blocked. He was a non-factor. The effort was there. But the Panthers have swarmed Panarin, making it tough on him. When he attempts shots, they’re usually blocked. The Rangers desperately need Panarin and Zibanejad to get going if they want to advance.

Following a good defensive play in his zone, Gustafsson joined the rush and tested Bobrovsky. He had a second straight solid game.

That was followed by some anxious moments. Forsling got another chance to score. This time, he drew iron. The Rangers then scrambled around. Verhaeghe had a shot blocked by Miller. He also missed two more attempts. He totaled 20 attempts for the game. Seven were on goal. In the three games, he’s been the Panthers’ best player.

With 6:20 left, Zibanejad thought Barkov high-sticked him. At least, that’s what both refs indicated. However, video review confirmed that Barkov lifted his stick free and that it was Zibanejad’s stick that cut himself. A double minor was overturned.

Then, Trouba was forced to take a holding penalty after breaking his stick. It eliminated a scoring chance. That left it up to the penalty kill. The four-man unit of Fox, Lindgren, Trocheck, and Goodrow were exhausted. Verhaeghe kept firing away on Shesterkin, who made the clutch stops. There also were some misses from Verhaeghe and Reinhart. That sure helped.

With the Rangers just content to play for overtime, they kept icing the puck. It led to some dangerous chances. They defended most of the net front well. But when Tkachuk had the game on his stick, Shesterkin never blinked. He made the save of the game with 39 seconds left to send it to overtime.

At the start, it felt like a continuation of the third period. The Rangers were on their heels. Shesterkin stopped Barkov six seconds in. He then denied Tkachuk and Brandon Montour later.

A good move by Lafreniere allowed him to get a tough shot on Bobrovsky that he just got a piece of to keep it out. Even with them finally getting their legs, there was another scary moment when Vladimir Tarasenko was nearly in. But Trocheck made a huge block to deny his bid.

Chytil sent a long shot that bounced into Bobrovsky, who decided to freeze the puck for a faceoff. That innocent looking play proved to be the difference.

On the faceoff, Wennberg beat Rodrigues. Kaapo Kakko helped out. Then, Jack Roslovic tipped the puck back for a Lindgren point shot that Wennberg tipped in to win the game at 5:35 of overtime.

It happened so quickly. Wennberg got free of Rodrigues in front. He was left all alone to deflect home the Lindgren shot for the overtime winner.

They couldn’t have drawn it up any better. As MSG Network’s Dave Maloney put it, “There was a robbery in Florida.”

The bottom line is that Shesterkin stole the game. The Rangers were so bad in the third period that they probably should’ve lost in regulation. Somehow, it’s considered a comeback win. But they led 4-2. The Panthers might regret not winning it.

Now, the Rangers lead the series. The pressure is back on the Panthers. They need to win Game 4 on Tuesday night to tie the series. What a wild game.