Adam Sykora Rangers goal

Adam Sykora Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers pulled out a tightly contested 3-1 victory against the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, getting a massive performance from a new face in the lineup that pushed them over the top.

Adam Sykora, the 21-year-old rookie playing in his third NHL game, tipped home a pass from Adam Fox for the opening goal 5:10 into the third period. It was Sykora’s second career goal, and the 2022 second-round pick was fired up, jumping into the boards for his celebration. 

The first 40 minutes of the game passed without much action, as both teams struggled to create many scoring chances. The two sides combined for just seven total high-danger chances in the first 40 minutes per hockey analytics site Natural Stat Trick. 

Panthers star winger Matthew Tkachuk then appeared to break the deadlock with a slick move on a breakaway just under four minutes into the final period. However, the Rangers were quick to challenge the play, claiming Tkachuk was offside, and a video review confirmed it, nullifying the goal and keeping the game tied at zero. 

The challenge turned out to be a massive turning point as Sykora, shortly after, gave the Rangers a lead they’d never surrender. The big goal wasn’t the only notable moment of the game for the young Slovakian winger as he also got in a fight, the first of his NHL career, with Panthers’ forward Luke Kunin in the first period. He finished an assist short of a Gordie Howe hat trick. 

The Rangers were outshot and outplayed for the majority of this game, especially in the first period when the Panthers led the shot chart 15-4. Goalie Igor Shesterkin helped them steal the win anyway, making 27 saves and allowing just one fluky goal late in the game, which robbed the Russian goalie of his second shutout of the season. 

The Panthers had a glorious chance to tie the game when they got a power play with just over 10 minutes left. They set up in the offensive zone and even rang a shot off the post, but it was the Rangers who ended up scoring when J.T. Miller fed Connor Sheary, who doubled the lead short-handed.

The home team’s penalty kill was one of the bright spots of the night, going a perfect three-for-three and scoring the short-handed goal in the third period. 

Fox added an empty-net goal to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead with 3:45 to play. That goal effectively put the game away, but Mackie Samoskevich scored with under a minute left for the Panthers on a weird play where his stick broke. 

There are just eight games left in this disaster season for the Rangers. While they’re officially eliminated from the playoff race, games like today show there are still storylines for fans to cheer on, especially the emergence of young players like Sykora, who are fighting to prove they belong at the highest level.

For more on the Rangers, visit AMNY.com