RECAP: Panthers 3, Rangers 2

SUNRISE, Fla. – This one was for the fans.

Putting on a show during their annual Fan Appreciation Night, the Florida Panthers earned a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.

With one game left to play before getting a well-deserved rest, the defending Stanley Cup champions sit at 39-38-4.

“It’s big,” forward Mackie Samoskevich said. “Especially these last two games, it’s all about them (the fans), ending off on the right note and making everyone happy.”

Extending his scoring streak to three games, Cole Reinhardt broke the ice for the Panthers in the first period when he pounced on a juicy rebound after a shot from Tobias Bjornfot and fired it past Jonathan Quick to make it 1-0 at 9:35.

Making the final start of a career that could very well land him in the Hall of Fame someday, Quick, whose 410 wins rank 12^th on the NHL’s all-time list, received hugs from all the Panthers after the game.

“What a career,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “Such a competitive athlete in such a tough position. To be that good for as long as he was, it was an honor to be on the ice against him tonight.”

After blocking a shot in the defensive zone, Samoskevich flew up the ice and roofed a shot on a breakaway to push the lead to 2-0 for the Panthers at 11:31.

On fire to close out the season, Samoskevich has scored six goals in his last nine games.

“It’s nice,” said Samoskevich, who’s now up to 12 goals on the season. “I felt like I played good enough, but now the pucks are just going in. It’s nice to kind of end it off on a high note, and then get a good summer.”

Getting the Rangers on the board, Matthew Robertson fired a shot through traffic and past Daniil Tarasov to make it 2-1 at 15:19.

With little action at either end for much of the second period, the Rangers finally found the equalizer thanks to a lucky bounce.

After Tarasov stopped a shot from Adam Fox, the rebound went directly off Gabe Perreault’s leg and into the net to make it 2-2 at 17:20.

A tight game, the Panthers and Rangers were tied 13-13 in shots on goal after 40 minutes.

Keeping the Rangers at bay, Tarasov denied J.T. Miller on a point-blank shot from the doorstep with just over eight minutes left in the third period.

Of Tarasov’s 24 saves, 13 came in the final frame.

“I’m just trying to make a save,” Tarasov said. “Just a bit more action than in the first two periods. I’m just happy with finished strong.”

Finding the back of the net a second time, Reinhardt teed up a pass from Luke Kunin and blasted a one-timer past Quick’s glove from the center of the left circle to put the Panthers up 3-2 with 1:50 remaining in regulation.

“We just had some sustained pressure,” Reinhardt same of his game-winner. “Dodge (Donovan Sebrango) ripped it around, and Kunny (Kunin) put it on my tape. Yeah, it worked out.”

While the Panthers won’t have a chance to chase a third straight Stanley Cup, these late-season wins are still a reason to smile.

“Winning is still fun,” Samoskevich said. “Maybe the games don’t mean as much, but we still enjoying winning a lot, especially in front of our fans.”

THEY SAID IT

“I liked the game a lot. They’re a good team. Despite the standings, they’re pretty deep. I’m proud of the guys.” – Mackie Samoskevich

“It’s a new chapter in my career. There’s a little success happening right now, and I’m trying to run with it.” – Cole Reinhardt

" I remember when I was a kid watching him (Jonathan Quick) in his super prime, you know, making those unbelievable saves with like the toe and blades. It's stuck in memory. It's awesome." – Daniil Tarasov

CATS STATS

- Luke Kunin had a team-high five hits.

- The Panthers led 31-28 in hits.

- Donovan Sebrango has dished out three assists in his last four games.

- Marek Alscher saw a team-high 22:04 of ice time.

- Florida led 13-6 in shot attempts at 5-on-5 when Eetu Luostarinen was deployed.

WHAT’S NEXT?

One left.

Closing the book on their 2025-26 season, the Panthers will host the Detroit Red Wings at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.

For tickets, click HERE.