The New York Rangers clashed with the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals last postseason. Although the Rangers fell short against the eventual Stanley Cup champions, it marked another deep playoff run for the Blue Shirts. Having reached the conference finals twice in the past three seasons, the 2024-2025 season might be their opportunity to advance further.
Bryan Hayes, an analyst and host of TSN’s OverDrive, recently discussed the state of the Eastern Conference on TSN. He highlighted the Rangers as the primary threat to the reigning champions, the Panthers, heading into 2024.
“The Rangers have a ton of talent and a ton of depth,” Hayes remarked. “They have a good fusion up front of veterans like Zibanejad and Panarin and younger players. Filip Chytil is a really good player who was hurt a lot last year. They have a great top-four defense and on any given night Igor Shesterkin can be the best goaltender in the world.”
In their last encounter, the Rangers initially took a 2-1 lead in the series, but the Panthers dominated thereafter, winning three consecutive games to clinch the series in six and secure the Eastern Conference title for the second straight season.
The Panthers are the favorites to win the conference again in 2024, but the Rangers are poised to challenge their supremacy. With a lineup brimming with offensive talent, a competitive defensive group, and an elite goaltender in Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers are well-equipped to contend. As Bryan Hayes noted, while the Panthers remain the team to beat, the Rangers are close behind as they head into the 2024 season.