Sergei Bobrovsky and Jesper Boqvist — not to mention Adam Boqvist — helped get them a needed victory.
Jesper Boqvist scored twice, the game-winner coming off an assist from his younger brother, to help Bobrovsky and the Panthers get a 5-3 win against the Rangers.
Florida had lost two straight, but got things going for the most part against a New York team which is a shell of its former self.
The Rangers have lost four straight, seven of eight, and 15 of their past 19.
Florida won the Stanley Cup last season helped in part by dropping the Presidents’ Trophy winning Rangers in 6.
New York, now, does not even look like a playoff team despite the talent on the ice.
No One Covers the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers Like FHN.
“The Boqvist goals,” Paul Maurice said, “were really important because the Rangers are so desperate at this point and have lots of world-class players.”
Florida had a 2-goal lead going into the second, led by 1 going into the third thanks to Jesper’s first goal which came near the end of the second.
Tied at 3, Jesper Boqvist punched in a rebound off Adam’s shot and, thanks to some playoff-worthy saves from Bobrovsky, turned out to be the game-winning tally.
“It’s amazing, a dream come true,’’ Jesper Boqvist said. “We are living the dream here and having a lot of fun. We are super thankful.”
Sasha Barkov ended up polishing the thing off by putting in a contested empty-net goal only after Bobrovsky stood on his ear to kill off a 6-on-4 power play in the game’s final minutes.
Those Rangers fans who stayed until the end probably did not enjoy their walk out of the arena and into the parking lot.
“It’s a good way to end the year,’’ Maurice said as a smirk enveloped his face.
“We’ve had a spectacular and memorable year and it’s nice that our fans in the building tonight get to go home happier than the other team’s fans. So they get to enjoy that on the way out, as well.”
Florida had been shut out in its past two losses, getting outscored 8-0 to the Lightning and Canadiens.
Eetu Luostarinen ended that goal drought 3:04 into the game, deflecting a point shot from Gus Forsling to make it 1-0.
Not long after, Dmitry Kulikov’s wrist shot went off Mackie Samoskevich in a play New York challenged for goalie interference. It stood, and it was 2-0.
The Rangers scored a pair of quick goals in the second to tie the score, yet Jesper Boqvist made it 3-2 by firing into an empty net by blasting a rebound into an open net after Carter Verhaeghe shuffled Anton Lundell’s try from down low.
Florida got its first four goals by attacking the net and making Igor Shesterkin’s life fairly miserable.
“We went hard to the net,’’ said Bobrovsky, who made 33 saves. “said. “They have a good goalie. You don’t score easy goals on him; he’s going to stop it. The only way you can score is into the crease. You have to make it uncomfortable.”
The Panthers, who retook first place in the Atlantic from Toronto with the win, have a couple days off before hosting Carolina and. Pittsburgh in a tough back-to-back which kicks off 2025.
If the New Year is anything like the last one, the Panthers will be quite happy.
For the Rangers, they can only hope things get better — in a hurry.
“That’s where it’s at right now: We did enough to win the game, we did enough to lose the game,” coach Peter Laviolette said.
“It is frustrating because you feel that you are doing more good than bad out there. At the end of the day, it’s not the showing on the scoreboard. That’s the business, it’s winning. Not good enough.’
