When Alex Wennberg scored at 5:35 of overtime to win Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final for the Rangers, the Panthers showed no class.

After losing the game, a couple of Panthers acted like trolls towards Matt Rempe. As the Rangers came off the bench to celebrate Wennberg’s clutch goal, both Matthew Tkachuk and Oliver Ekman-Larsson intercepted Rempe and tried to start something.

Ekman-Larsson gave Rempe a slash, and Tkachuk cross-checked him. It was uncalled for. They lost the game. It sure looked like they were picking on the 21-year-old rookie forward.

Tkachuk is one of those players who isn’t shy about mixing it up. The game’s premier power forward is very skilled. He picked up two assists in the Panthers’ loss. He could’ve shown better judgment than to act like a sore loser.

Ekman-Larsson isn’t known for any rough stuff. He’s primarily an offensive defenseman who is used on the power play. He is on the third pair with Dmitry Kulikov. They got victimized by Alexis Lafreniere for a highlight reel goal that gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead late in the second period on Sunday.

It’s hard to argue with the Daily Faceoff’s Jonny Lazarus’ assertion that the Panthers are a bit caught up in Rempe. Why else would they go after him following an overtime loss? He only played 4:02 the other day.

He was on for Barclay Goodrow’s first goal. He set a perfect screen on Sergei Bobrovsky. Rempe’s roughing minor led to a Sam Reinhart power-play goal.

In a game that Florida dominated, they still were taking runs at guys. The Panthers play a very aggressive, physical brand of hockey. When Jacob Trouba was called for elbowing Evan Rodrigues, the Panthers forward tried to sell it to get a major. As bad as it was for Trouba to extend his elbow, he never caught Rodrigues’ head. He got the shoulder and neck.

On another play during the game, Rodrigues led with an elbow that missed Wennberg. Luckily, he didn’t come close on the attempted illegal check.

It was during Game 2 that Kulikov came late with a high hit on Wennberg that sent him down. After reviewing the play for a major, the officials determined that it was a two-minute minor for interference.

It was the correct ruling. Kulikov’s check made contact with the chest of Wennberg. The fact that it was late made it a minor penalty.

At this stage of the postseason, it’s hit or be hit. Sometimes, players will play on the edge. The Panthers remain the aggressor in the series. They’ve outplayed the Rangers in two of three games but trail 2-1. Now, a critical Game 4 awaits later tonight in Sunrise, Florida.

Obviously, the Rangers need to put forth a better effort. They can’t expect to get away with what happened on Sunday. Even if shots were 37-23, most of the play was spent defending in their own zone.

The Panthers will be desperate. They know how difficult it is to beat Igor Shesterkin. Even in allowing four goals, he made the clutch saves to help the Rangers steal Game 3. He’s the biggest reason they’re two wins away from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.

There’s something to be said for this team’s character. They find ways to win. They’re now 4-0 in overtime this postseason. The Blueshirts are a resilient bunch who sticks together.

They can’t expect to win later unless Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider play better. None of their biggest scorers have a goal in the first three games.

Panarin has one assist with seven shots while other attempts have been blocked or missed completely. Zibanejad is going up mostly against Aleksander Barkov. His line with Kreider has been neutralized. They can still do a much better job of getting pucks in and spending time attacking.

The Rangers are 0-for-8 on the power play. They’ve struggled to get much set up. The Panthers have done a good job taking away what they like to do.

Complicating matters, Adam Fox is playing on one good leg. He isn’t able to move well due to the knee on knee hit he took from Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen in Game 4 of the first round on Apr. 28. The injury is serious.

Fox is still out there giving everything he has. He’s not as effective. Partner Ryan Lindgren has been better. It was his point shot that Wennberg tipped in for the game-winner on Sunday.

Obviously, Trouba and K’Andre Miller need to be better. Considering the strong character they have, expect them to rebound. Erik Gustafsson has been more effective since being reunited with Braden Schneider. He’s shown more confidence at making plays with the puck and jumping into the rush.

If things get ugly tonight, then maybe Rempe will pay back the Panthers for their shenanigans. But if it’s close like the previous games, then anything is possible. We’ll see what happens.