Rangers top Panthers 3-1 in low-stakes rematch of 2024 playoff rivalry
The Rangers and Panthers battled it out in the 2024 Eastern Conference finals for the right to compete for the Stanley Cup. Less than two years later, the teams squared off in a meaningless game that resulted in a 3-1 Rangers win Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. Stacked at the very bottom of the conference, the Rangers and Panthers are in much different places than they were just under 22 months ago. The difference? Florida actually has something to show for it: two Stanley Cup rings. In this Sunday matinee, however, the Rangers received stellar goaltending from Igor Shesterkin (27 saves) and broke through on another encouraging game from rookie Adam Sykora. They took advantage of a hampered Florida team that is projected to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2018-19. 'That team over there, they're not going to give you an inch no matter who's in their lineup,' said Adam Fox, who assisted on Sykora's first-period goal and scored one of his own into an empty net from the length of the ice to seal the win. 'They're a proud team. [Sykora has] been great. He's brought a lot of energy. And that's part of his game too. He'll get in the mix and bring some jam. So, you know, it's definitely been some help for us.' Sykora scored his second goal in as many games and got into the 'first ever fight in my life.' Getting a stick on Adam Fox's shot just over five minutes into the third period, the 21-year-old opened the scoring and continued his impactful play since making his debut three games ago. The Rangers then doubled their lead on Conor Sheary's short-handed goal before Fox potted one into an empty net to seal the victory. Since that conference finals meeting, the Rangers have gone 3-2-0 against the Panthers in the regular season, including a dominant 5-1 win in the Winter Classic in Miami earlier this season. 'I thought we got better as the game went on, in particular the second half of the game,' head coach Mike Sullivan said. 'The second half of the second period, we started to, I think, play with the intensity that we needed to play with and the intentions that we needed to play with.'
