Rangers and Panthers Set for 2024 Eastern Conference Finals

The Rangers and Panthers are gearing up to play in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, aiming for a coveted spot in the Stanley Cup.

In a bit of an ironic twist, less than two years after their last high-stakes encounter, both teams met again in a game that didn’t hold much weight. This past Sunday, the Rangers took the win, beating the Panthers 3-1 at Madison Square Garden. It’s interesting to think how things have shifted; back then, both teams were at the bottom of the conference, but they’re in entirely different places now—almost 22 months later.

And, well, the Panthers have something to show for their efforts: two Stanley Cup rings.

On Sunday, the Rangers showcased another strong performance led by a promising rookie. Igor Shesterkin was particularly impressive, making 27 saves and keeping the game within reach. The Rangers capitalized on a Florida team that looks set to miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Adam Sikora broke the scoreless tie just over five minutes into the third period, redirecting a shot from Adam Fox and netting his second goal of the game.

After that, the Rangers extended their lead when Conor Sheary scored his fifth of the season, and an empty-net goal from Adam Fox wrapped up the victory comfortably.

Since their face-off in the conference finals, the Rangers have managed a 3-2-0 record against the Panthers this regular season, including a solid 5-1 win during the Winter Classic held in Miami earlier this season. There’s still one more game against them on April 13, which will be the second to last of the 2025-26 season.

A significant change is apparent: of the 20 players who took the ice in the ECF Game 6 on June 1, 2024, only eight were present for Sunday’s game.

Among those who played in that vital series and were available for this matchup are Igor Shesterkin, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere, Braden Schneider, Johnny Brodzinski, and Will Quill. Notably, Jonathan Quick, who was the backup goaltender for Game 6, was sidelined for the previous six games due to an upper-body injury.

The Panthers rolled into Sunday’s game with seven players who had participated in 2024’s playoff lineup that ended their season: Sergei Bobrovsky, Aaron Ekblad, Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, Dmitri Kulikov, Etu Luostarinen, and Gustav Forsling. However, they were also missing six players due to injuries—their roster took a hit with names like Sam Bennett, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Anton Randell, Evan Rodriguez, and former Ranger Niko Mikkola all out of commission.