Reinhart scores twice to help Panthers edge Rangers

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Sam Reinhart scored twice, and Aleksander Barkov had three assists for the Florida Panthers in a 4-3 victory against the New York Rangers at Amerant Bank Arena on Friday.

Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist, and Matthew Tkachuk had two assists for the Panthers (21-12-2), who have won three in a row. Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves.

Barkov, who tied Jonathan Huberdeau for the most assists in Panthers history (415), briefly left the game in the third period after taking a shoulder to the head from Alexis Lafrenière.

“It was 3-3 and they had all the momentum because we are without our captain and don’t know if he’s coming back,” Tkachuk said of Barkov. “We end up getting what ends up being the game-winner soon after that and it was huge. They’re a big powerhouse team, lead the Eastern Conference and with as much firepower as they have, I thought we did a pretty good job for most of the night. Once we made it 4-3, I thought we played really well.”

Artemi Panarin, Will Cuylle and Mika Zibanejad scored, and Jonathan Quick made 28 saves for the Rangers (24-9-1), who had won two straight.

“It was a good game, I thought, after we figured out the pressure on the forecheck,” New York coach Peter Laviolette said. “We had lots of opportunities to score goals. Didn’t happen, but we had plenty of chances.”

Zibanejad tied it 3-3 with a short-handed goal at 12:15 of the third period with Lafreniere in the box for an illegal check to the head, but Verhaeghe put Florida ahead 4-3 at 13:37. Verhaeghe got to a loose puck in the high slot, turned and sent a wrist shot to the stick side.

“I don’t think it was a bad game,” said Zibanejad, who tied an NHL career high by extending his point streak to nine games. “It was not our best game, but I thought they played some good hockey too. They got the win this time, and we’ll get a chance to win [at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday].”

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead at 18:45 of the first period when Evan Rodrigues scored over Quick’s shoulder.

Reinhart made it 2-0 at 7:12 of the second period, scoring in the slot off a feed through the crease from Barkov.

Panarin cut it to 2-1 at 13:23 off a pass from Lafreniere following a Florida turnover, and Cuylle tied it 2-2 at 14:36 by finishing a 2-on-1 off a feed from K’Andre Miller.

Reinhart put the Panthers back in front 3-2 on the power play at 17:07 when he deflected Barkov’s point shot.

“It was another great challenge against a really good offensive team,” Bobrovsky said. “They brought a lot of skill and make a lot of good plays. It was fun to compete against them.”

NOTES: Zibanejad has 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) during his streak. … Barkov had his second consecutive game with three assists, and Reinhart scored twice for the second straight game. Barkov had an assist on both of Reinhart’s goals in that previous game, a 3-2 win at the Lightning on Wednesday, and has eight assists in his past three games.