After losing in overtime last night, the Rangers are tied with the Panthers through four games of the Eastern Conference Final. Game 5 is tomorrow night at The Garden.

It’s best-of-three to decide which team advances to play for the Stanley Cup. If you’ve watched this series closely, you know how fortunate the Rangers are to be tied.

For most of it, they’ve been dominated by the relentless forecheck of the Panthers. Somehow, they’ve survived the heavy pressure to get two wins. Both came in overtime. In Game 2, which was by far their best effort, Barclay Goodrow won it on a perfect shot set up by Vincent Trocheck. 

In Game 3, which saw them beat Sergei Bobrovsky four times in regulation, they hung on for dear life after blowing a 4-2 lead in a lopsided third period. Igor Shesterkin was the only reason they even reached sudden death. His clutch saves gave them a chance to steal it. An Alex Wennberg tip-in of a Ryan Lindgren shot gave them the win.

That was despite being outplayed by a wide margin. Forget the huge discrepancy in shot attempts. It’s been beaten up enough by ESPN. The Rangers have spent way too much time in their end zone defending. It isn’t sustainable.

The Panthers proved that point in Game 4. After the Rangers had their best period of the series, with Trocheck scoring on the power play off a good Artemi Panarin setup, they only totaled 10 shots for the remainder of the game. They were completely outplayed by a more desperate Panthers, who knew they had to win to even the series.

Even if that was the case, most concerning was how lethargic the Rangers looked. They couldn’t complete passes or get much done. The neutral zone became a wall. The Panthers sealed it up to go on the attack. There were uncontested break-ins that Shesterkin stopped. It looked like he was taking on the Panthers on his own.

Unfortunately, Shesterkin had some bad luck when a Gustav Forsling shot went off him to Sam Bennett behind the net. He didn’t know where the puck was. That allowed Bennett to bank it in off Shesterkin to tie the score. That goal was all the Panthers needed to surge ahead.

Less than four minutes later, Carter Verhaeghe scored a power-play goal by getting another favorable bounce, which allowed him to bat a backhand out of midair past Shesterkin to make it 2-1.

They could’ve run the Rangers out of the building. But Shesterkin never allowed it to happen. He stopped Aleksander Barkov in front to give his back pedaling team a chance.

Early in the third period, Evan Rodrigues missed wide on a dangerous chance. Shesterkin then denied Vladimir Tarasenko, who was given too much time and space.

If there was a positive, it was the play of the Rangers’ bottom six. They supplied energy with some hits and even a shift in the Florida zone. Something the top two lines haven’t proven capable of. That’s why they’ve spent so little time on the forecheck. A pattern that can’t continue.

An icing led to the Rangers tying the game. After losing a draw, the Trocheck line finally applied the kind of pressure needed to create offense. On a good forecheck created by Artemi Panarin, he got the puck to Adam Fox, who then made a Brian Leetch like spin-a-rama and wheeled a backhand pass for Alexis Lafreniere to redirect in to tie the score.

It was a sensational play. The execution from both Fox and Lafreniere, who the Panthers can’t seem to handle, was perfect. If only Lafreniere could be cloned. His game-breaking speed and skill have been on display during the postseason. His seven goals are tied with Chris Kreider for the second most on the team behind Trocheck’s eight.

Peter Laviolette needs to find a way to get Lafreniere more ice time. If that means playing him up for a few shifts with Mika Zibanejad and Kreider, he should do it. They need help. None of the other options have worked. Lafreniere is 22. He can be double shifted. After Trocheck, he’s been the best Rangers skater this postseason. He has 13 points (7-6-13) so far.

The most alarming aspect of last night’s game was how quickly the Panthers tilted the ice. The Rangers got no momentum from Lafreniere’s goal. It was unacceptable. They simply couldn’t stop the heavy pressure that the Panthers mounted.

Florida attacked at will. Matthew Tkachuk missed wide on a wrap-around. Wennberg blocked three shots to help prevent scoring chances. He made some excellent defensive plays.

Shesterkin came across to rob Kyle Okposo on the doorstep. Okposo was inserted by Paul Maurice to play on the fourth line. Even they had opportunities. It was a shooting gallery.

Somehow, the Blueshirts held on. There was a close call late in regulation for the all but invisible Zibanejad to be the hero. But he sent Kreider’s feed over the net. It was frustrating. Earlier in the game, he had a shot go off Sergei Bobrovsky and the goalpost on a power play. He has no goals in the last nine games.

With under two minutes left in regulation, Shesterkin made one more big save by gloving a Tarasenko point blank shot with ease. That’s how locked in he is. If only he had more support from his teammates.

Less than a minute into sudden death, Will Cuylle passed across for Zibanejad inside the Panthers’ zone. Instead of attempting a shot, he tried a cute pass for Blake Wheeler, who was bottled up. It led to a turnover.

Barkov had a breakaway on Shesterkin. He was hooked from behind by Wheeler. It probably should’ve been a penalty shot. I’m sure the Rangers wouldn’t have minded if it was called instead of a penalty. The way Shesterkin’s played, you’d take your chances.

Barkov set up Sam Reinhart in the slot for the game-winning power-play goal 72 seconds into overtime. The Panthers earned the 3-2 victory to draw even.

More than that, their aggressive style has been winning out against what looks to be an exhausted team. It’s increasingly difficult to keep playing on the defensive.

The Rangers are losing too many battles. They’re coughing up too many pucks. They’re turning it over constantly. They’re unable to get out of their zone consistently and come with speed through the neutral zone. There’s no sustained forecheck.

It isn’t like the Panthers are perfect. They’re not. They had more giveaways (17-12) than the Rangers last night. They can be exploited defensively. Bobrovsky can be beaten upstairs. That was proven in Game 3. They take bad penalties. The Rangers must make them pay for it.

In order to turn this around, they have to take the play to the Panthers. In Game 2, they were the aggressors. It led to a better end result. The first period in Game 4 was how they must play. Use that as a blueprint.

It’s easier said than done. Can the Blueshirts summon the energy necessary to win the series? Tomorrow feels like do or die. They’re on the ropes. We’ll see if they can get off the mat.