Game #7: Florida Panthers vs New York Rangers Open Thread

After a successful toad trip against Original Six teams, the Rangers have returned home for a rematch of the 2024 Eastern Conference Final with the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. A six game series that saw the Rangers hold a 2-1 lead before losing three consecutive games, the Panthers taking the ice tonight will be a group missing a handful of key contributors from last season's championship squad.

Captain Sasha Barkov remains out with a lower-body injury, though he is expected back soon. Brandon Montour, (Seattle) Oliver Ekman-Larsson, (Toronto) and Vladimir Tarasenko (Detroit) headline the list of players Florida saw exit via free agency. Off to a 4-3-1 start, the Panthers have been up and down in the early goings of 2024-25, and the Rangers are hoping to catch the champions on a down night at Madison Square Garden tonight.

Player to Watch: Ryan Lindgren

Lindgren missed the first five games of the season with a jaw injury suffered in the preseason, but returned to action for Tuesday's contest in Montreal. Lindgren's injury opened the door for Victor Mancini to make the roster, and with the Blueshirts placement of Chad Ruhwedel on waivers, Lindgren's return surprisingly did not end Mancini's time on Broadway. Keep an eye on Lindgren tonight as he continues to knock off rust and get acclimated to game speed.

Enjoy the game!