Ice-cold PP, goalie diff, and more: 3 reasons why New York Rangers lost 3-1 against Florida Panthers

The New York Rangers lost for the first time in regulation 3-1 against the Florida Panthers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

Alexis Lafreniere had the lone goal for the Rangers. Meanwhile, Anton Lundell, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett got the goals for the Cats. Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky got his 400th win, making him the fastest NHL goalie to achieve that mark.

Here's a closer look at three reasons why New York lost 3-1 against Florida on Thursday.

3 reasons why New York Rangers lost 3-1 against Florida Panthers

#3. The Rangers' power play went ice-cold

The Rangers went 0-for-4 with the man advantage against the Panthers. With the talent in the Rangers’ lineup, it’s tough to see the team struggle on the power play.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the Rangers’ night as the Panthers tightened up their penalty kill, allowing Bobrovsky to make key saves against the Rangers.

It’s worth pointing out that the Rangers were 2-for-2 on the penalty kill, but that wasn’t enough to offset the ineffective power play.

#2. Bobrovsky stole the game for Panthers

The Panthers’ netminder was the story of the game. He earned the game’s first star due to his brilliant performance. Bobrovsky made several key saves, such as Chris Kreider's shot in the first period.

With the Panthers up 2-1 in the first period, the Rangers had a power play with just under five minutes to go in the period. Kreider, parked in front of the net, took a centering pass that he redirected. However, Bobrovsky got his left pad on the puck, robbing Kreider.

Then, Kreider pounced on his own rebound, but Bobrosky managed to squeeze the puck to get a whistle. The two stops on Kreider kept the game at 2-1, allowing the Panthers to eventually extend their lead and win the game.

#1. The Rangers lost on a tough-luck goal

The Rangers ultimately lost the game on a tough-luck goal that made the game 3-1. The goal was credited to Sam Bennett as a point shot from Niko Mikkola hit Bennett’s stick, deflecting it just enough to get under Igor Shesterkin’s glove.

The goal came with a little over 13 minutes to play in the second period, but that was all the scoring the Panthers needed to take the game home. The Panthers locked the game down as per their usual routine and handed the Rangers their first regulation loss of the season.

The New York Rangers will next square off against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, looking to rebound after their first regulation loss of the season.