Panthers & Rangers 2024 Eastern Conference Matchup
Ladies and gentlemen, we are in for a treat as the Florida Panthers, last year’s runner-ups in the Stanley Cup Final, take on the President’s trophy-winning New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.
Stellar Regular Seasons
The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers had tremendous regular seasons this year. Both won their respective divisions, with New York snagging the President’s trophy as the NHL’s top team.
Also, both teams had record-breaking years as the Rangers set a new franchise record in points with 115, and Florida finished with their second-best regular season in franchise history with 110 points.
What Makes Them Powerhouses?
For both squads, you can count on three things that make them successful: Lethal offensive weapons, depth, and phenomenal goaltending.
Florida arguably has the most exciting player in the NHL, forward Matthew Tkachuk. Since joining Florida in 2022, Tkachuk has accumulated 211 points in 159 regular-season games, as well as 38 points in 31 playoff games. Sure, his highly talented offensive skills make him an exciting player to follow, but it’s his gritty, hard-nosed style of play that gets the Panther crowd rowdy.
As for New York, they lean their offensive talent on forwards Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and long-time Ranger Chris Kreider. In the 2023-2024 season, Panarin ranked 4th among all NHL skaters in points with 120 in 82 games. Kreider and Zibanejad had respectable seasons as well, and Kreider finished one goal short of 40, while Zibanejad hit 70+ points for the 5th time in the last six seasons.
Aiding to their success, depth on the blue line and the 3rd and 4th forward lines have been critical in both teams’ game plans. Both teams have defensemen who can move the puck and quarterback a powerplay, along with towering defensemen who look to play the body and be physical as often as they can.
Each team’s depth forwards have one thing on their mind: forecheck, forecheck, forecheck. The Rangers and Panthers are notorious for their hard forechecks, wearing opposing teams’ defensemen down in the corners and winning battles all game long.
Goaltending Matchup
As for goaltending, Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky and Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin are as good as they come. Bobrovsky, a Vezina trophy finalist this year, played otherworldly in the 2023 playoffs for the Cats. His .915 save percentage and 2.78 GAA propelled the Panthers to their first Cup Final appearance since 1996.
On the other side, Igor Shesterkin has given himself a reputation as one of the league’s top goaltenders year in and year out since his appearance in 2021. Even with a Vezina trophy under his belt, he continues to impress the hockey world. So far in these playoffs, Shesterkin ranks 3rd in saves with 299, 2nd in save% with a .923, and 4th in goals against with a 2.40 GAA.
Panthers & Rangers Regular Season Matchups
Florida and New York played each other only three times in the regular season, with Florida taking two out of the three games. Each game was close, with Florida taking the first two, 4-3 (12/29/23) and 4-2 (3/4/24), and the Rangers winning the last game, 4-3, on home ice (3/23/24). All three games were high-intensity, with both teams recording 30+ shots in all but one matchup (Rangers 28 shots on 3/4/24).
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About the author: Trevor Poetzinger is a recent graduate from Western Michigan University. With a degree in journalism, Poetzinger is looking to start a career in sports journalism. Poetzinger is a big Chicago sports fan, with the Blackhawks and White Sox as his favorites. Poetzinger also loves talking about anything hockey and baseball-related, whether it’s the pros, semi-pros, or college.
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