Rangers get first 2-goal comeback of their season, rally to top Panthers 5-3

SUNRISE, Fla. -- — Vincent Trocheck scored a short-handed goal early in the third period against his former team, and the New York Rangers beat the Florida Panthers 5-3 on Monday night.

Trocheck, playing in his 800th game, got the go-ahead goal during a Rangers comeback like none other this season. The Rangers were 0-30-1 in games where they trailed by two or more goals, the NHL's only winless team this season in such a scenario.

But they got goals from Juuso Parssinen and J.T. Miller 1:38 apart late in the second to tie the game, erasing a 3-1 deficit. Matt Rempe and Jonny Brodzinski also scored for the Rangers.

Sam Reinhart scored twice and Carter Verhaeghe also had a goal for Florida, which got two assists from Aleksander Barkov.

The loss means Florida is locked into third place in the Atlantic Division and will open the Stanley Cup playoffs on the road.

Takeaways

Rangers: Florida fans gave retiring Rangers broadcaster Sam Rosen a warm ovation during a first-period stoppage in play when he was shown on the video screens. Panthers coach Paul Maurice and general manager/hockey operations president Bill Zito also paid tribute to Rosen before his final road game.

Panthers: Florida needs a win at Tampa Bay on Tuesday to reach 100 points for the third time in the last four seasons. The Panthers got to the 100-point mark once in the franchise’s first 27 seasons.

Key moment

Trocheck's blast from the left circle came in a stretch where Florida kept losing the puck with the man advantage, and the Rangers made them pay.

Key stat

For the second consecutive year, the Panthers have five 20-goal scorers. Verhaeghe got there Monday, joining Reinhart, Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett — the same fivesome as last year.

Up next

Rangers end the season at home Thursday against Tampa Bay. Florida visits the Lightning on Tuesday to end its regular season.

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