By PAUL GEREFFI
Associated Press
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The New York Rangers are looking forward to returning home with a three-game win streak.
Kevin Shattenkirk scored twice, including the winner in overtime, and the Rangers beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Saturday night.
Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and Nick Holden also scored for the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 30 shots.
The Rangers, who stumbled to a 2-6-2 start this season, are home for the next three games.
“We’re on our way. We don’t want to sit back and think that we’re in the clear here.” Shattenkirk said. “We just have to keep this effort consistent and we’ll start getting a lot of wins.”
The Panthers have lost four straight at home. They play seven of their next eight on the road, which might be a good thing, according to coach Bob Boughner.
“We’re looking forward to (the road trip),” Boughner said. “Obviously there’s been some frustrations with the last few. Sometimes the road is a good thing.”
Colton Sceviour scored two goals for the Panthers. Vincent Trocheck and Keith Yandle also scored, and Roberto Luongo made 39 saves in his first game since he injured a hand against Pittsburgh on Oct. 20.
The Panthers gave up 15 goals in the previous two games.
“My timing was a little bit off,” Luongo said. “I wasn’t as sharp as I would have liked to have been.”
Shattenkirk fired a shot from the right side that beat Luongo 1:08 into overtime.
“JT (Miller) gets a loose puck there and makes a great breakout pass. When you have that much time on a 2-on-1, it’s nice,” Shattenkirk said.
Nash put the Rangers ahead 4-3 with a power-play goal with 8:35 left in the third. Nash deflected a shot from Ryan McDonagh past Luongo from in front of the crease.
But Trocheck tied it again with a shot from the right circle with 1:56 to go.
“It’s disappointing to lose at home, especially when you score four goals,” Boughner said. “We’re just having trouble keeping (the pucks) out.”
The Rangers and Panthers alternated goals for much of the night.
Sceviour gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead at 3:11 of the second when he tipped in a pass from Michael Haley over Lundqvist’s shoulder. But the Rangers tied it on Holden’s one-timer at 7:54 of the second for his first goal of the season.
Sceviour, who missed the previous five games with an upper-body injury, put Florida back in front when he poked a loose puck between Lundqvist’s pads with 5:46 left in the second.
Shattenkirk responded for New York, sending a wrist shot from the point past Luongo with 1:02 left in the period.
“At the end of the night, we come out of here with a win, a win that I feel we deserved and we got it done,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said.
Grabner gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead at 5:18 of the third when he beat Luongo from in front. The Panthers tied it at 3 on Yandle’s goal at 8:45 when his shot from the point got by Lundqvist.
NOTES: Panthers C Jared McCann returned after missing five games due to injury. ... LW Connor Brickley was in the lineup after missing three games. ... Rangers C Boo Nieves missed the game with the flu.
UP NEXT
Rangers: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday
Panthers: Visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.
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