Jan 23, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) fights for the puck against New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) and center Mika Zibanejad (93) during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
- The New York Rangers face the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final
- Opening Rangers vs Panthers odds favor the Cats to advance to the Cup Final
- Read below for Rangers vs Panthers series odds, schedule, and H2H history
For just the second time in NHL history, the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers will meet in the NHL Playoffs. This 2024 NHL Eastern Conference Final matchup was finalized on Friday night in the NHL Playoff Bracket.
Oddsmakers are siding with the Cats in this Conference Final showdown, pricing Paul Maurice’s club as -118 favorites over the New York Rangers. New York finished with more points than Florida in the regular season and will hold home-ice advantage.
Here are the opening Rangers vs Panthers odds, along with the series schedule and early analysis.
New York Rangers vs Florida Panthers Odds
| Team | Moneyline |
|---|---|
| New York Rangers | -102 |
| Florida Panthers | -118 |
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Odds as of May 17, 2024, at FanDuel Sportsbook. Claim the FanDuel promo code to bet on Rangers vs Panthers.
Rangers vs Panthers Odds
The New York Rangers, who captured the Presidents’ Trophy during the regular season, are underdogs against the Florida Panthers to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. New York is a -102 moneyline underdog, which means they have 50.2% implied probability to advance.
New York eliminated the Carolina Hurricanes in six games in Round 2 to punch their ticket to the ECF. The Panthers on the other hand, meanwhile, took down the Boston Bruins in the same amount of games to advance to Round 3.
WE’RE GOING BACK TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL pic.twitter.com/lw8x4Wf7jl
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 18, 2024
While Florida reached the Conference Finals last season, the Rangers are arguably the more talented team. New York features five different players in double-digit digit scoring this postseason, while netminder Igor Shesterkin boasts a league-leading save percentage.
Bookmakers are bullish on the Cats, however, as Florida has 54.1% implied probability to advance based on their favorite price. The Panthers have been in this spot before and feature a talented goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky capable of going toe-to-toe with Shesterkin.
Furthermore, the Cats have the edge in recent head-to-head history (more on that below). However, if you’re looking to make an early wager, the Rangers are the best value. We expect money will pour in on the Blueshirts and this NHL series line will tighten before Game 1.
Rangers vs Panthers Schedule
The 2024 Eastern Conference Final will begin on Wednesday, May 22nd, at Madison Square Garden. All the games will start at 8:00 p.m. ET, and ESPN and CBC will broadcast the action.
| Date | Time (ET) | NY Rangers [M1] vs Florida [A2] | Networks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, May 22 | 8 p.m. | Florida at NY Rangers | ESPN, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| Friday, May 24 | 8 p.m. | Florida at NY Rangers | ESPN, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| Sunday, May 26 | 3 p.m. | NY Rangers at Florida | ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| Tuesday, May 28 | 8 p.m. | NY Rangers at Florida | ESPN, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| *Thursday, May 30 | 8 p.m. | Florida at NY Rangers | ESPN, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| *Saturday, June 1 | 8 p.m. | NY Rangers at Florida | ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| *Monday, June 3 | 8 p.m. | Florida at NY Rangers | ESPN, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS |
*If necessary
Rangers vs Panthers H2H History
The Panthers and Rangers faced each other three times during the 2023-24 regular season, with Florida holding a 2-0-1 record in those matchups. The most recent showdown, however, was a 4-3 shootout victory for the Blueshirts at MSG.
2023-24 H2H Results
| Date | Result | Location |
|---|---|---|
| March 23, 2024 | Rangers 4, Panthers 3 (SO) | New York |
| March 4, 2024 | Panthers 4, Rangers 2 | New York |
| December 29, 2023 | Panthers 4, Rangers 3 | Florida |
In these games, the Panthers were led by Sam Reinhart (four goals, five points), and Carter Verhaeghe (two goals, three assists), while Aleksander Barkov dished out five assists. Sergei Bobrovsky started all three games for Florida, posting a 2.59 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.
For the Rangers, Artemi Panarin performed well against the Panthers with seven points (three goals, four assists), while Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider each contributed two goals and two assists.
New York netminder Igor Shesterkin wasn’t at his best in two starts against the Cats this season, posting a 2.91 GAA and .898 save percentage. Backup Jonathan Quick was lit up for four goals on shots in his lone start.
Over their franchise histories, the Panthers have an overall record of 43-58-6-7 (40.4%) against the Rangers, including a 42-54-6-7 (41.3%) mark in the regular season.
However, the Panthers have had more success against the Rangers in recent years. Since the 2019-20 season, Florida is 7-3-2 in its last 12 regular-season meetings with New York.
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Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.