But Samuelsson, who’s been defying expectations all season, saw a footrace worth winning. He gained possession at the bottom of the left circle and ripped a sharp-angle, short-side dagger past Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick to seal another road victory.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champs defeated the Rangers twice in three meetings last season; the Rangers won the third, a 5-3 victory at Amerant Bank Arena on April 14. Sam Reinhart scored two of Florida’s three goals in that game, giving him 16 in 33 games against the Rangers.

The NHL's Winter Classic is being played in Florida, as the two-time defending champion Panthers take on the New York Rangers at loanDepot Park.

Mattias Samuelsson’s shorthanded goal helped stave off a late push by the New York Rangers and propelled the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-2 win at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

Completely and utterly dismantled in a 10-2 thrashing by the Bruins on Saturday, the Rangers hit a new low on the 2025-26 campaign. The 10 goals they gave up didn’t just set a season high and mark their largest margin of defeat, but it signaled just how close this Rangers season is to crashing and burning.

The New York Rangers figure to be pretty happy when the calendar flips from 2025 to 2026.

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"That’s as bad as it gets," captain J.T. Miller said after New York's 10-2 loss to the Bruins. "This should make you want to puke."

Rittich's recent shutout against the Rangers highlights a remarkable career-long dominance against New York's other hockey team. He's consistently stifled their offense.