The Rangers can absolutely hang with the Florida Panthers.
They just haven't proven they can beat them yet, now 0-2-0 against the Panthers for the season.
A controversial third-period goal from Ryan Lomberg proved to be the difference in a 4-2 win for the Panthers.
Peter Laviolette described the third Panthers goal as coming off a "missed call", and up until then "everything had been even." Here he is speaking on the go-ahead goal that made the game 3-2:
"[The play] materialized because there's a call that was missed. Took a shot from the outside that grazed off of Trouba's foot and ended up in the back of the net. That's the way I saw it."
Here is the play in question:
It looked like a hooking penalty.
The Rangers are off the next two days. They will practice on Thursday.
They don't play again until the St. Louis Blues roll into MSG on Saturday.
They certainly could have some new players by then and a new lineup to roll out against the Blues.
