NEW YORK — Sergei Bobrovsky reached a significant milestone in his career by securing his 400th victory, making 24 saves as the Florida Panthers triumphed over the New York Rangers 3-1 on Thursday night.
The game started off strongly for Florida, with Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe both finding the net in the first period. Just 44 seconds into the match, Lundell scored after getting a clear shot in the slot against goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Verhaeghe followed shortly, pushing the lead to two goals at 2:42 into the first period.
The Rangers responded when Alexis Lafreniere scored at 4:44, cutting Florida’s lead in half. However, that would be the only goal the Rangers would manage against Bobrovsky throughout the game.
Sam Bennett extended Florida’s advantage again at 6:59 of the second period, making it a two-goal margin once more. The Panthers were able to maintain this lead through the remainder of the match, claiming a victory that echoed their successes from last spring’s Eastern Conference Final, which they had won in six games.
Shesterkin recorded 26 saves for the Rangers in the effort.
In terms of noteworthy takeaways, Thursday’s game marked the first regulation loss for the Rangers after a solid start of 5-0-1. In contrast, the Panthers improved to a 3-2-0 record on the road, building on their impressive away performance from the previous season where they had the best record in the Eastern Conference at 26-10-5.
A pivotal moment in the match featured Bobrovsky, who thwarted a breakaway attempt by Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski at 5:47 in the first period before making a pad save against Filip Chytil at 6:35. He further showcased his skills with a crucial stop against Chris Kreider later in the opening frame at 15:20.
On the statistical front, Bobrovsky became the 14th goalie in NHL history to reach the 400-win mark. Now at 36 years old and in his sixth season with the Panthers, he holds a career record of 400-226-56 over 15 seasons, which also includes time spent with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Among active goalies, he ranks second in wins, following only Marc-Andre Fleury of Minnesota.
Notably, Rangers forward Artemi Panarin, who leads the team with 13 points including six goals, had his first scoreless game of the season.
Looking ahead, the Rangers will face the Anaheim Ducks at home on Saturday, while the Panthers will remain in New York to take on the Islanders on the same day.