George Richards, FHN Publisher
The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers met up at Madison Square Garden on Sunday in a late-season game that will have absolutely no bearing on the NHL’s playoff race.
It could play a role in the draft lottery, however.
Although the Rangers 3-1 win over the Panthers did nothing to change where these two stand in the Eastern Conference, New York has won two straight now and pulled within four points of the Panthers for 15th in the East.
The Panthers have nine games remaining and could be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs this week.
Florida has lost six of its past eight games following this back-to-back weekend sweep in New York.
The Panthers are fifth from the bottom of the NHL standings — which should help them retain their first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
If Florida’s first-round selection is ranked 11th or lower, it goes to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Panthers keep it if it is within the top 10.
Anyway, on Sunday the Panthers and Rangers played scoreless hockey thanks to some standup goaltending both by Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky.
It appeared that Matthew Tkachuk broke the scoreless streak at 3:26 of the third, only Carter Verhaeghe was offside and that was that.
The Rangers ended up scoring three in the third for the win.
Mackie Samoskevich got a strange goal off a broken stick with 40.2 seconds left.
HOW THEY SCORED
- Rangers 1, Panthers 0 (5:10 3rd): Adam Fox sends a feed from the left circle that Adam Sykora knocks past Sergei Bobrovsky from down low. This came moments after Matthew Tkachuk’s goal was taken off the board for offside.
- Rangers 2, Panthers 0 (11:14 3rd SH): J.T. Miller springs Conor Sheary for the shorthanded breakaway and he walks in on Bobrovsky and scores.
- Rangers 3, Panthers 0 (16:06 3rd EN): Fox ices it for the Rangers.
- Rangers 3, Panthers 1 (19:19 3rd): Mackie Samoskevich breaks his stick taking a shot near the net but the puck goes off Igor Shesterkin’s stick and in with 40.2 seconds left.
FHN’S 3 STARS
- 1. Igor Shesterkin, Ramgers
- 2. Adam Fox, Rangers
- 3. Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers
ON DECK: GAME No. 74
OTTAWA SENATORS at FLORIDA PANTHERS
- When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
- Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
- Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
- Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
- Last Season: Senators won 2-1
- This Season (Panthers Lead 2-0) — At Ottawa: Panthers 3, Senators 2 (Jan. 10); Ap. 9.At Florida: Panthers 6, Senators 2 (Oct. 11); Tuesday
- All-time Regular Season Series: Ottawa leads 59-50-5, 3 ties
- Up Next for the Panthers: Thursday vs. Boston Bruins, 7