Artemi Panarin scored two goals during regular play and also scored the winning goal in the shootout. Igor Shesterkin stopped 27 shots as the New York Rangers came back to defeat the Florida Panthers 4-3 on Saturday night.
Carter Verhaeghe put the Panthers ahead 3-2 late in the third period, but Panarin tied the game at 3-3 just a minute later with his second goal of the game. Matthew Tkachuk and Eetu Luostarinen also scored for the Panthers, who lost their fourth consecutive game.
Adam Fox scored for the Rangers, and Vincent Trocheck had three assists. “It was a good effort by us,” said Fox. “The crowd got into it. It was a big win… They are a good team, on top of the league for a reason.”
During the shootout, Panarin beat Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky with a high shot. Mika Zibanejad also scored for the Rangers, while Sam Reinhart scored for Florida. Shesterkin denied former Ranger Vladimir Tarasenko to secure the win for the Rangers, who moved ahead of the Boston Bruins for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
The victory marked the first time this season the Rangers beat the Panthers in three games. Panarin commented, “They are a good team, hard to play against. The last few games have been great for us. We’re playing consistently.”
Bobrovsky made 34 saves, including four in overtime. “This game was good. We played hard,” said Panthers coach Paul Maurice. “Sergei made a couple of big saves. We were anchored right. Our leadership was fantastic.”
The Rangers have won six of their last nine games against the Panthers and are 6-1-1 in their last eight home games against Florida. New York improved to 25-9-0 at home this season and is 19-5-2 in its last 26 games.
Shesterkin also made four saves in overtime and reached the 30-win mark for the third straight season. “It was a great game. It came down to a shootout,” said Rangers coach Peter Laviolette. “It’s always good to get that extra point.”
Tkachuk and Luostarinen scored for the Panthers in the first and second periods, respectively, while Fox and Panarin scored for the Rangers in the second period to tie the game at 2-2.
Panarin, who had a hat trick in Thursday’s game against Boston, now has 99 points this season. Laviolette praised his performance, saying, “He had another monster game. He gives his all every shift.”
Rangers rookie forward Matt Rempe played his first home game since March 11 after being suspended for four games due to a hit on Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. Florida captain Aleksander Barkov and several defensemen were absent from the game, but Maurice was pleased with his team’s effort.
“I look at it from a regulation point of view because there is no three-on-three or shootout in the playoffs,” said Maurice. “We came in on the road banged up, and I wouldn’t say riding a whole lot of confidence. And we were pretty good tonight. I’m pretty happy.”
