Rangers Score Four Unanswered Goals, Stun Surging Panthers

Sunrise, FL – In what could have been a great ending to an impressive homestand to end the season, the Florida Panthers fell flat against the hapless New York Rangers, falling by a final score of 5-3 in the final regular-season game at the Amerant Bank Arena.

To say Florida entered this game on a heater would be an understatement. Battling through injuries and suspensions, the Cats lost four straight on the road before facing Toronto in Sunrise on April 2nd. Since then, they bounced back hard, winning their last three over the Maple Leafs, Detroit, and Buffalo.

On the other side, this has been a season to forget for the Rangers. Despite winning the President’s Trophy and making it to the Eastern Conference Final last season, they won’t be in the postseason in 2025. This is the first time in NHL history that New York, Boston, and Pittsburgh have all failed to qualify for a spot in the playoffs in a single season.

Considering the different directions that Florida and New York are going, you would think the Cats would roll them. And for a while, you were right.

Sleeping Behind The Wheel

It was the Panthers that got the party started in the first period. After being cross-checked, Sam Reinhart scored the first goal of the game off a long-range slap shot in the power play. Even without the likes of Brad Marchand, they had no issue pushing the puck to New York’s zone.

Fast forward, and Florida was in cruise control with a 3-1 lead. Reinhart doubled up with a second goal of the night, and Carter Verhaeghe deflected a shot into the net.

WE GOT A HAT TRICK ALERT! 🚨

Sam Reinhart has doubled down with a snap shot to the net to extend the Panthers' lead!

FLA – 3
NYR – 1#TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/gcgIdJFKWe

— Jake Gibson (@JakeTheEmcee) April 15, 2025

However, New York didn’t back down, cutting the deficit at the 15-minute mark of the second period. They then tied up the game two minutes later. Ultimately, it felt like Florida started to slow down and become sloppy with the puck. All the Rangers had to do was take advantage, and they did.

For as bad as the second period was for Florida, the third period was a bad look. After going on the power play off a New York tripping penalty, former Panther Vincent Trochek skated past the Cats and sank a shorthanded goal, which, in spirit, put the game away.

It looked like it was going to be Florida’s night. But with 17 giveaways to New York, they made their shots count despite racking up five fewer shots than the Panthers.

While not every goal was Sergei Bobrovsky’s fault, he had an admittedly bad night, allowing five goals while making 20 saves off 25 shots.

That was the final home game of the regular season for Florida. With a record of 47-30-4, they’re comfortably in the playoffs but might not have a home-ice advantage. They’ll head north to take on a potential playoff opponent – Tampa Bay – on Tuesday, April 15th at 7:30 pm.