Merry New Year! Panthers End 2024 by Beating Rangers Again

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers ended 2024 with a bang, ending a two-game slide all while keeping the New York Rangers in a serious funk.

The Rangers at least showed signs of life as Aaron Ekblad predicted, but in the end, it was the Panthers getting yet one more win in what has been a spectacular year for hockey in South Florida.

The Panthers scored twice in the first and got two goals from Jesper Boqvist before winning 5-3.

Florida had been shut out in its past two losses, its scoring drought ending at 2:03.39 when Eetu Luostarinen deflected a shot from Gus Forsling at 3:04 of the first.

Dmitry Kulikov put one off Mackie Samoskevich just over 2 minutes later.

The Rangers, who have lost three straight and seven of eight, tied the score with a couple quick goals in the second.

Only Jesper Boqvist grabbed a loose puck with Igor Shesterkin down on the ice after Carter Verhaeghe’s jam-job was blocked.

The Panthers will be back in 2025 with a set of home back-to-backs starting Thursday night against the Hurricanes.

PANTHERS V. RANGERS NOTES

• Sam Reinhart ended 2024 by leading the NHL with 66 goals (counting both regular season and the playoffs). It is just the fifth time that many have been goals scored by one player since 2000 — Connor McDavid getting 67 in 2022.
• The two teams met for the 10th time in 2024 which is tied for second-most in the NHL this calendar year. The Maple Leafs and Bruins met 11 times. Florida also played the Bruins 10 times in 2024.
• The Panthers are 15-0 this season when leading after 40 minutes; New York is 0-16-1 when trailing after two periods.

HOW THEY SCORED

• Panthers 1, Rangers 0 (3:04 1st): The Panthers ended their scoring drought early in this one, Gus Forsling’s point shot being deflected by Eetu Luostarinen before going in off New York defenseman Ryan Lindgren. 
• Panthers 2, Rangers 0 (5:21 1st): Dmitry Kulikov rips a wrister from beyond the left circle. The Rangers challenged for goalie interference on Mackie Samoskevich — who was later credited with the goal — but it was for naught.
• Panthers 2, Rangers 1 (14:25 2nd): Brett Berard’s shot was stopped by Sergei Bobrovsky, but Filip Chytil corralled the puck in the slot and put it through.
• Rangers 2, Panthers 2 (16:17 2nd): Adam Fox perfectly times a point pass that Lindgren redirects from the slot.
• Panthers 3, Rangers 2 (16:55 2nd): Jesper Boqvist finds a loose puck after Carter Verhaeghe was taken down trying to jam it in from the side of the net. With Igor Shesterkin on the ice with Verhaeghe, J-Bo had an empty net to shoot into.
• Rangers 3, Panthers 3 (15:19 3rd PP): Chris Kreider scores from the slot to break New York’s 0-for-22 drought on the power play.
• Panthers 4, Rangers 3 (11:38 3rd): Jesper Boqvist gets his second of the night, this time by stuffing the puck in off a rebound from a slot shot from younger brother Adam Boqvist.
• Panthers 5, Rangers 3 (19:23 3rd EN): Sasha Barkov ends it.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

• 1. Jesper Boqvist, Florida
• 2. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida
• 3. Dmitry Kulikov, Florida

ON DECK: GAME No. 39

CAROLINA HURRICANES AT FLORIDA PANTHERS 

• When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise 
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Carolina Won 2-1
• This Season (Panthers Lead 2-0) — At Florida: Panthers 6, Hurricanes 0 (Nov.30); Thursday. At Carolina: Panthers 6, Hurricanes 3 (Nov. 29).
• All-Time Regular Season Series: Carolina/Hartford leads 73-49-10, 11 ties
• Postseason History: Florida 1-0 (2023 ECF)
• Up Next for the Panthers: Friday vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.