The Florida Panthers snapped a two-game losing streak in style on Monday night, defeating the New York Rangers 5-3 at FLA Live Arena. Jesper Boqvist stole the spotlight, scoring twice, including the go-ahead goal in the third period, to lift the Panthers to victory.
Eetu Luostarinen, Aleksander Barkov, and Mackie Samoskevich also found the back of the net for Florida, while Uvis Balinskis contributed two assists. Sergei Bobrovsky stood tall in goal, making 33 saves to anchor the Panthers’ defensive efforts.
Florida took an early 1-0 lead just 3:04 into the first period when Luostarinen tipped Gustav Forsling’s shot past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, breaking the Panthers’ two-game scoreless streak.
The Rangers answered quickly, with Filip Chytil scoring to tie the game at 1-1 midway through the first. Florida regained the lead in the second period thanks to Aleksander Barkov, but New York struck back with a goal from Ryan Lindgren to make it 2-2.
Boqvist gave Florida a 3-2 edge later in the second, capitalizing on a chaotic sequence that left Shesterkin scrambling out of position. Boqvist knocked a loose puck into the open net, seizing momentum for the Panthers.
New York’s Chris Kreider tied the game once again with a power-play goal at 5:19 in the third, his 13th of the season. However, Boqvist responded with the decisive blow, netting his second goal of the night off a rebound with 8:22 remaining in regulation. His brother, Adam Boqvist, provided the assist for Jesper’s first multi-goal performance of the season.
Mackie Samoskevich sealed the win with an empty-netter in the final minute, ensuring Florida’s victory and a much-needed boost in confidence.
New York has now dropped seven of their past eight games and sits at 4-15 over their last 19 contests, a stretch that has exposed significant inconsistencies. Artemi Panarin reached a milestone with his assist on Kreider’s goal, becoming the 14th player in Rangers history to record 500 points with the franchise. He achieved the feat in just 384 games, the fastest in team history.
Florida ended a two-game losing streak during which they were shut out in back-to-back home games. Boqvist standout performance was a key highlight, providing the offensive spark Florida desperately needed.
Jesper Boqvist’s second goal of the night was the turning point. With the game tied 3-3 in the third, he pounced on a rebound to give the Panthers a lead they would not relinquish.
The Rangers’ Artemi Panarin became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 500 points, doing so in just 384 games.
Both teams return to the ice Thursday night. The Rangers will host the league-leading Boston Bruins, while the Panthers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to South Florida.
