Regulation loss to Rangers gives Panthers one piece of clarity with their playoff picture

Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald on Apr 14, 2025

Published in Hockey

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MIAMI — The Florida Panthers will officially begin their Stanley Cup playoff run — and their chance to win back-to-back titles — on the road.

With their 5-3 regulation loss to the New York Rangers on Monday at Amerant Bank Arena, a game in which they blew a two-goal second-period lead, the Panthers (47-30-4) are locked into the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Division. They will open the playoffs against whoever wins between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs finishes second in the division, with their exact opponent being decided over the next three days and as soon as Tuesday.

Toronto wins the division if it gets one point over its final two games — a road game at the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday and home game against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday — or if Tampa Bay does not go a perfect 2-0-0 in its final two games against the Panthers at home on Tuesday and against the Rangers on the road Thursday.

As for the game Monday, the Panthers led 3-1 with 6:06 left in the second period after Sam Reinhart scored twice and Carter Verhaeghe added a goal, his third goal in as many games played. Matt Rempe scored in the first period for the Rangers (38-36-7).

And then New York tied it before the second period ended via a Juuso Parssinen tip-in with 4:05 left in the second, a J.T. Miller wrist shot from up close after taking a feed from Mika Zibanejad with 2:33 left in the middle frame.

Vincent Trocheck gave the Rangers their first lead on a shorthanded goal 3:40 into the second period and Johnny Brodzinski added an insurance goal with 3:29 left to play.

The Panthers end their regular season on the road against the Lightning on Tuesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

This and that

— The Panthers rested five regulars on Monday in forwards Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Brad Marchand and Mackie Samoskevich along with defenseman Niko Mikkola. All five will presumably play on Tuesday against Tampa Bay.

— Gustav Forsling’s primary assist on Verhaeghe’s second-period goal was his 20th of the season. It’s his fourth consecutive season with at least 20 assists.

— Aleksander Barkov assists on both Reinhart goals to increase his total to 51 on the season. It’s Barkov’s third consecutive season with at least 50 assists.

— Sergei Bobrovsky gave up five goals on 25 shots against. Assuming he doesn’t play on Tuesday in Tampa, he will finish the regular season 33-19-2 in 54 games.

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