Rangers Hold Off Panthers

     Rick Nash scored a hat trick for the New York Rangers as they outlasted the Florida Panthers 5-4 in overtime on Saturday night at BB&T Center. The Panthers are winless in their last seven games against the Blueshirts and have won twice in the last 13 games versus the Rangers.
     Chris Kreider was able to get a penalty shot for New York(15-3-2) following a breakaway at 7:15 of the first period. He let go a wrist shot in which Roberto Luongo made a stick save.
     The Rangers took a 1-0 lead at 9:08. The Panthers committed a turnover at the top of their zone, Ryan McDonagh passed it down to Rick Nash at the right side of the crease and he roofed a wrist shot. Mats Zuccarello was credited with an assist on the play.
     In the second period, Florida(8-9-3) evened up the contest at 6:46. Jussi Jokinen pushed the puck down the left-wing boards to Brandon Pirri. He sent a cross-ice pass into the high crease where Nick Bjugstad snapped in a shot for his seventh goal of the season.
     Nash picked up his second goal of the game at 15:22 of the second for the Rangers to regain the lead. Zuccarello poked the puck from his own end to Nash in the neutral zone. He skated into the Panthers zone, through the left circle and beat Luongo on the short side.
     The Panthers bounced back with 2:03 left as they scored a goal on their fourth power-play attempt. Reilly Smith was in the right corner and up to Pirri at the top right circle. He blasted a slapshot which was redirected by Jokinen in the slot area over the right shoulder of Henrik Lundqvist for his fifth tally this season.
     Zuccarello compiled his third point of the game when he scored on a one-on-one breakaway with a forehand shot at 10:16 of the third period. Derek Stepan forwarded a lead pass from his zone to Zuccarello at the Panthers blue line.
     The Rangers extended their lead to 4-2 less than two minutes later at 12:14. Oscar Lindberg moved the puck with a backhand pass from the end wall to Viktor Stalberg and he blasted a one-time shot from the slot.
     Florida pulled out an incredible comeback in the final three minutes of regulation to tie the game. They scored on the power play with 2:28 to go when Aleksander Barkov followed in from the left of the crease on a Aaron Ekblad shot from the left point for his fifth goal. Jaromir Jagr put in a wrist shot from the low right circle when the Panthers had an extra attacker with 1:49 left for his 730th career goal, one behind Marcel Dionne for fourth all-time in NHL history.
     Reilly Smith had a chance to win the game for Florida when he was rewarded a penalty shot with 1:42 remaining. He came in slowly and let go a forehand shot which was stopped by Lundqvist.
     In overtime, the Blueshirts were given the man advantage when the Panthers got caught with too many men on the ice at 1:12. Nash powered in a slapshot from the top right circle for his third goal of the game at 2:01.