Early look · NHL 2026-27

New York Rangers at Florida Panthers: game preview

NY RangersRangers2026-27: 4-1-0 · 8 pts · 2025-26: 34-39-9 · 77 pts · 30that

FloridaPanthers2026-27: 2-0-2 · 6 pts · 2025-26: 40-38-4 · 84 pts · 25th

Puck drop25 Mar · 7:00 PM ET

VenueAmerant Bank Arena

All-time meetings130 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Seven points apart last season

NY Rangers finished last season 30th in the league on 77 points. Florida finished 25th on 84.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 131

Across 130 completed games, NY Rangers lead the head-to-head 74-43-13.

All-time record74-43-13NY Rangers's record in the series

Meetings played130This is number 131

2025-26 series—

Last 53-2NY Rangers

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

13 Apr 2026NYR 2 – FLA 3——FLA

29 Mar 2026FLA 1 – NYR 3——NYR

2 Jan 2026NYR 5 – FLA 1——NYR

14 Apr 2025NYR 5 – FLA 3——NYR

30 Dec 2024NYR 3 – FLA 5——FLA

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateNY RangersFlorida

2 Jan 202620-18-5 · 45 pts17th21-16-3 · 45 pts15th

29 Mar 202630-35-9 · 69 pts30th35-35-3 · 73 pts28th

13 Apr 202633-39-9 · 75 pts30th39-38-4 · 82 pts26th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 2 Jan 2026, NY Rangers were 17th in the league and Florida 15th. By 13 Apr 2026 it was 30th and 26th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Florida out-attempted NY Rangers 207 to 150

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

New York Rangers

150 att · 69 on goal · 10 G · 14.5%

Crease12 att · 1 G

Slot59 att · 5 G

Wing47 att · 0 G

Point26 att · 2 G

Neutral zone6 att · 2 G

Florida Panthers

207 att · 80 on goal · 5 G · 6.3%

Crease19 att · 0 G

Slot71 att · 4 G

Wing71 att · 1 G

Point39 att · 0 G

Neutral zone7 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

NY Rangers and Florida are level on chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

NY RangersFlorida

3.44xG for per game3.01

2.77xG against per game2.34

55.4%xG share56.3%

−1.2FinishingGoals minus expected goals−4.0

+5.8GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+1.4

This season: 5 games for NY Rangers, 4 for Florida. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

NY Rangers

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2721.4%

Power play · 2025-2624.7% · 5th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2787.5%

Penalty kill · 2025-2679.9% · 15th

Faceoffs · 2026-2752.2% · 151/289

Drawn · 2026-2714 (2.80/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2716 (3.20/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Florida

Small sample

Power play · 2026-274.3%

Power play · 2025-2619.5% · 19th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2778.9%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.0% · 9th

Faceoffs · 2026-2750.2% · 115/229

Drawn · 2026-2723 (5.75/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2719 (4.75/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

NY Rangers

Expected starter after their game on 23 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Florida

Expected starter after their game on 23 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

NY Rangers crease

NYR · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 22 Mar

Igor Shesterkin.9264 GP · 3-1-0 · GSAx +4.6

Dylan Garand1.0001 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx +1.4

No appearances against Florida in the last meetings.

Florida crease

FLA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 22 Mar

Jacob Markstrom.9273 GP · 2-0-1 · GSAx +3.2

Akira Schmid.8751 GP · 0-0-1 · GSAx −1.0

No appearances against NY Rangers in the last meetings.

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 5.8 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

13 Apr 20265 · NYR 2–3 FLA

29 Mar 20264 · FLA 1–3 NYR

2 Jan 20266 · NYR 5–1 FLA

14 Apr 20258 · NYR 5–3 FLA

30 Dec 20248 · NYR 3–5 FLA

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

NY Rangers3.201.602.903.05

Florida2.002.003.063.37

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest5.8Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.2Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

9 on the injury lists

NY Rangers · injuries

Adam SykoraLower BodyIRReturn25 Jan

Aidan ThompsonUndisclosedIRReturn11 Oct

Joe VelenoLower BodyIRReturn13 Oct

Joonas KorpisaloLower BodyIRReturn9 Oct

Florida · injuries

Aaron EkbladPersonalOutReturn10 Oct

Aleksander BarkovLower BodyIRReturn27 Nov

Brad MarchandLegDay-to-dayReturn10 Oct

Jonah GadjovichUpper BodyIRReturn17 Oct

MacKenzie EntwistleUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

6 Oct · NYR

Recalled C Gabriel Beaudoin from Hartford (AHL). Placed C Joe Veleno on injured reserve.

5 Oct · NYR

Placed D Matthew Robertson on waivers.

1 Oct · NYR

Placed G Joonas Korpisalo on injured reserve. Recalled G Dylan Garand from Hartford (AHL).

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve. Called up D Alexander Petrovic from Charlotte (AHL).

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · FLA

Placed RW/C Cole Schwindt, RD Alexander Petrovic, LD Donovan Sebrango, LW Kai Schwindt, LW Cole Reinhardt, RW Sam Lafferty and C/LW John Beecher on waivers. Agreed to terms with RW Nathan Bastian on a 1-year, two-way contract.

Injury report

NY Rangers · 2026 draft

See all: NY Rangers · 2026 draft →

#5Alberts SmitsRound 1 · MunchenD

#64Benjamin MacBeathRound 2 · CalgaryD

#67Danai ShaiikovRound 3 · GatineauG

#77Charlie MorrisonRound 3 · QuebecD

Full draft

Florida · 2026 draft

See all: Florida · 2026 draft →

#40Simas IgnataviciusRound 2 · GeneveRW

#48Ryder CaliRound 2 · North BayC

#98Jonas KempsRound 4 · ChicagoD

#168Vilho VanhataloRound 6 · Tappara Jr.RW

Full draft

Thursday 25 March · the full slate

See all: Thursday 25 March · the full slate →

FLAThis game 7:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

New York Rangers at Florida Panthers: game preview

Seven points apart last season

Meeting number 131

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Florida out-attempted NY Rangers 207 to 150

New York Rangers

Florida Panthers

NY Rangers and Florida are level on chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

NY Rangers

Florida

Skaters to watch

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

Who has stopped this matchup

NY Rangers crease

Florida crease

Scoring rates point to about 5.8 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

9 on the injury lists

NY Rangers · injuries

Florida · injuries

Latest moves

NY Rangers · 2026 draft

Florida · 2026 draft

Thursday 25 March · the full slate