Florida Panthers vs New York Rangers Picks and Predictions April 14th 2025

Panthers Host Reeling Rangers in Final Week of Regular Season

As the Florida Panthers prepare for a deep playoff run, the New York Rangers come to town with nothing left but regrets. When the two clubs face off Monday night in Sunrise, the contrast in trajectories couldn’t be starker. The Panthers are rolling into the postseason with momentum, while the Rangers are closing out one of the most disappointing follow-ups in recent NHL history.

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Rangers Complete Stunning Fall From Grace

Just a season ago, the Rangers were Presidents’ Trophy winners and a Stanley Cup contender. Fast-forward 12 months, and they’ve made unwanted history as just the fourth team ever to win that trophy and miss the playoffs the following year.

“It’s disappointing for everybody,” said Rangers coach Peter Laviolette. “This certainly wasn’t anybody’s plan, especially coming off of last year. And yet, here we are.”

New York (37-36-7, 81 points) was officially eliminated on Saturday following a 7-3 drubbing at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. The Rangers are 4-8-1 over their last 13 and have struggled in nearly every phase of the game.

Goaltender Igor Shesterkin, the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner, leads the league in total saves (1,557) but will finish with a losing record (26-29-5) and a career-worst 2.91 GAA. While his .903 save percentage suggests he’s held the line at times, it also reflects a team that hasn’t given him much support.

Aging stars haven’t helped. Chris Kreider (21 goals) and Mika Zibanejad (18 goals) have seen sharp declines in production, while Artemi Panarin, despite leading the team with 37 goals and 89 points, has also fallen off from last season’s 120-point performance.

Panthers Rolling, Resting, and Ready for Playoffs

Florida (47-29-4, 98 points) clinched a playoff spot and is using the final week of the regular season to manage minutes and build chemistry. Saturday’s 3-2 shootout win over Buffalo came with several of the team’s top forwards — Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sam Bennett — sitting out due to rest or injury.

“We’re just grinding and trying to build for the playoffs,” said Carter Verhaeghe. “We’re all in that mindset now.”

Despite being shorthanded, the Panthers showed resilience and depth, maintaining their three-game win streak. Head coach Paul Maurice expects his regulars to start filtering back into the lineup, though Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to return in net Monday. The veteran goalie is 33-18-2 with a 2.39 GAA and has allowed just one goal in each of his past two starts.

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With nothing left to play for in terms of seeding, Florida’s main objective is staying sharp — and healthy — before the playoffs begin.

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Two Teams, Two Directions

The Rangers limp into Florida in a daze, while the Panthers continue to fine-tune a playoff-ready machine. Though both teams have elite names on paper, the urgency, focus, and form lie entirely with the Panthers.

Expect Florida to set the tone early in this one, while New York finishes a season many fans will want to forget.