Thursday night time was the beginning of the subsequent two and a half weeks away from dwelling, because the Florida Panthers paid a go to to the New York Rangers for his or her first matchup since they met within the 2024 Japanese Convention Ultimate, the place the Cats gained the sequence in six video games.
Of their one and solely go to to Madison Sq. Backyard this 12 months, the Panthers scored early and by no means surrendered the lead as they went in and defeated the Rangers by a remaining of 3-1 in a battle of two of the league’s greatest goaltenders.
Lower than a minute into the sport, the Panthers acquired on the scoresheet as they chipped the puck into the Rangers zone.
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After a little bit of a battle on the half wall, Eetu Luostarinen chipped the puck all the way down to the nook to Sam Reinhart, and with the Rangers failing to choose up Anton Lundell within the low slot, he made them pay.
Lundell didn’t hesitate as his one-timer beat Igor Shesterkin over the shoulder 44 seconds into the primary interval.
It didn’t take lengthy for the Panthers to get their second aim, because the Cats rimmed the puck across the boards, and with Gustav Forsling forcing a turnover, he dropped it off to Carter Verhaeghe the place his wrist shot discovered the again of the online previous the far facet of Shesterkin at 2:42 of the primary to make it 2-0.
With going up in opposition to the Japanese Convention runner-up from final 12 months, there was a sense that the Rangers had been going to have some sort of response.
Alexis Lafreniere saved the puck within the Panthers zone and rimmed it across the boards. The puck discovered Adam Fox, the place he went to battle on the half wall earlier than centering it again to Lafreniere who drove to the blue paint with pace.
Lafreniere had it on his forehand with no Panthers there to interrupt it up, and with Sergei Bobrovsky committing to the precise publish, Lafreniere introduced it to his again hand and simply transformed to chop their deficit to 1 at 4:44 of the primary.
The Panthers had the primary 5 pictures of the sport earlier than the Rangers acquired the subsequent six.
Neither group scored within the the rest of the interval, however Bobrovsky got here up huge as Chris Kreider had two alternatives in entrance of the online on the Rangers energy play to maintain it at a one-goal lead.
Panthers acquired the primary aim of the second interval after they acquired the puck deep within the Rangers zone after they had been referred to as for icing.
They had been in a position to get their modified, labored the puck low-to-high, point-to-point, and Niko Mikkola’s slap shot was redirected by Sam Bennett to as soon as once more give the Cats a two-goal lead at 6:59 of the second interval.
Each Panther on the ice touched the puck on that aim.
Florida managed the second interval as they allowed 5 pictures on aim, and didn’t permit a single shot try on the penalty kill halfway by the body.
The Panthers continued to manage play within the third interval, and though the Rangers did have a chance to chop it to 2 once they went on the ability play with 3:03 to go.
New York introduced on the additional attacker, and Florida was nonetheless in a position to power them to the skin and closed the sport out to provide them a 3-1 win of their one and solely go to to Madison Sq. Backyard this season.
Bobrovsky acquired win quantity 400 for his profession, and the Panthers began their five-game street journey on a superb be aware.
They’re 73-0-4 since March of 2023 when main after two durations, together with the playoffs.
Florida will now shift their focus to the Islanders as they’ll pay a go to to UBS Enviornment on Saturday night time as they proceed their tour round state of New York.
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