Rookie winger Adam Sykora delivered the breakthrough goal early in the third period, and goaltender Igor Shesterkin turned aside 26 shots to lift the New York Rangers to a 3–1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.
After two scoreless periods defined by tight checking and strong goaltending, Sykora finally cracked the deadlock at 5:10 of the third. The rookie, a second-round pick in 2022, tipped a shot from defenseman Adam Fox past Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky for his second goal of the season. The tally continued a strong weekend for Sykora, who also scored in Friday’s 6–1 win over Chicago.
New York built on that momentum midway through the period when veteran forward Conor Sheary capitalized on a short-handed breakaway, slipping his fifth goal of the season past Bobrovsky at 11:14 to make it 2–0. Fox later sealed the result with an empty-net goal at 16:06, finishing off a standout two-point performance.
Shesterkin was sharp throughout, turning away quality chances as the Rangers improved despite continuing to struggle on home ice this season, where they now sit at 11-18-7. His shutout bid was spoiled late when Mackie Samoskevich scored with 40.2 seconds remaining to account for Florida’s only goal.
The Panthers nearly seized momentum earlier in the third period when Matthew Tkachuk appeared to score on a breakaway at 3:22. However, the Rangers successfully challenged the play, and the goal was overturned for offside — a turning point that helped preserve the scoreless tie until Sykora’s breakthrough.
New York also came inches from scoring late in the second period when Mika Zibanejad’s shot trickled along the goal line with 1:35 left before Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling swept it away to keep the game even at the time.
Florida entered the matchup looking to rebound after a 5–2 loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday, a game in which Tkachuk scored both Panthers goals. Instead, the defending champions dropped their second straight game on the New York swing.
The Panthers return home to host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, while the Rangers stay at Madison Square Garden to face the New Jersey Devils the same night.
