The New York Rangers faced the Florida Panthers Thursday night for the first time since their Eastern Conference Finals matchup last season. Similarly to that playoff series, the Blueshirts lost. This comes as New York’s first regulation loss in the 2024-25 season after earning a point in their first six games.
Alexis Lafreniere is staying hot
One of the few positives from this loss was Rangers youngster Alexis Lafreniere. After a breakout campaign last season, Lafreniere is already looking to set new career highs this year. He scored his fourth goal of the year against the Panthers, keeping him on pace to hit new personal records.
Lafreniere has been a star through the first seven games of the season. Being placed on the Rangers’ second line has been a blessing, one that should have come much earlier. As long as Lafreniere and the rest of this offensive unit remain together, there should be no shortage of goals coming New York’s way.
The Rangers’ special teams units were heavily outperformed
The Rangers failed to score on any of their three power-play chances against the Panthers. It was incredibly sloppy overall, with Florida having numerous high-scoring chances despite being down a skater four times in the game.
The Blueshirts have been inconsistent on the man advantage this season. They struggled immensely in their first three games but looked a bit better in the next three. Things went back to bad Thursday against Florida. If the Rangers want to win a Stanley Cup, they’ll need to bring some consistency to their power play.
The Panthers still own the Rangers
Last season featured a devastatingly physical playoff series between the Rangers and the Panthers. When all was said and done, Florida eliminated New York- and they went on to win the Stanley Cup. Florida hasn’t gotten any worse, meaning the Rangers might have to face them again later this year in the playoffs.
It’s never an even matchup when these two teams face each other. Both are highly skilled, but Florida’s aggressiveness and defensive abilities clearly outmatch the Rangers. There’s a lot of work to be done if the Rangers want to advance further than the Panthers in another potential postseason run.
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Looking ahead to the Rangers’ next game against the Anaheim Ducks
Despite this loss, there’s more to look forward to for the Rangers. They’ll be back on the ice Saturday night to face the Anaheim Ducks, a team that has struggled to start the season. New York will be the home team once again, looking for redemption at Madison Square Garden. Hopefully, the Rangers will be able to start a new point streak that will last much longer than this one.
