New York Rangers spring a shorthanded strike on the Florida Panthers in third-period surge?

The New York Rangers moved to 30-35-9 with 3 points, while the Florida Panthers sat at 35-35-3 with 1 point after a 3-1 Rangers result at Madison Square Garden. The New York Rangers vs Florida Panthers recap turned on a scoreless opening stretch that carried into the later swing of play, with the Rangers finishing with 21 shots and the Panthers with 27 shots.

First period

The Rangers and the Panthers ended the first period at 0-0 as Igor Shesterkin turned aside early pressure on a 27-shot Florida night. The Rangers delivered 24 hits to Florida’s 15, and New York also posted 6 takeaways against 4 for the Cats. The Panthers’ faceoff work showed early with 52 total draws in the game, but the Rangers held the edge by winning 32 faceoffs.

Second period

The second period stayed 0-0 as the Rangers’ penalty kill held Florida’s power play to 0 goals on 3 opportunities with 6 shots. Florida logged 24 blocked attempts in the game, and New York countered with 21 blocked shots while keeping the scoreboard even through 2 periods. The Rangers’ special-teams ledger also included 1 power play that produced 0 goals on 1 shot.

Third period

The Rangers scored 3 times in the third period while the Panthers scored 1 time in the third period to decide the game. New York produced a shorthanded goal and added an even-strength push that accounted for 2 more goals, and the Rangers also recorded 1 empty-net goal. Conor Sheary finished with 1 goal on 2 shots, and Adam Fox posted 2 points on 1 goal and 1 assist with 3 shots. Shesterkin anchored the New York Rangers final whistle reaction with 26 saves on 27 shots against, while Florida’s goaltending line showed 18 saves on 20 shots against with an empty-net goal against.

Postgame notes and what comes next

The New York Rangers match rating centered on a 62 faceoff win percent and a plus-minus of 9, while the Panthers finished at 38 faceoff win percent and minus-11. The New York Rangers full-time result included 16 giveaways, and Florida had 9 giveaways in the same team totals. The Rangers host the New Jersey Devils at 7:00 PM EDT on 3/31/2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, and the broadcast list includes ESPN+, MSGSN, and MSG 2. Keep it locked for the next game, and share this article with other Rangers fans.