The Florida Panthers push towards playoff contention moved forward last night with their sixth straight win, a 3-2 decision over the streaking Rangers (who had earned at least one point in 13 consecutive games) at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise. Olli Jokinen’s third period tally put the Panthers up for good in this tight, back and forth contest and the current winning streak for Florida is their third longest in team history.

The Rangers, who had several defensive lapses and continued to struggle on the power-play, remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference; they have a three point cushion on the Boston Bruins with 11 games left. Five points separate them from the leading Devils and if they are going to make a run at winning the conference, they can’t afford to drop games to supposedly weaker opponents.

Rostislav Olesz got the home team on the board first in the opening period when he beat Henrik Lundqvist off a nice feed from Brent McLean at 12:49; it was his 13th tally of the season. Daniel Girardi answered back at 15:15 with his ninth goal (assisted by Brandon Dubinsky and Sean Avery) to tie the score. Shots favored the visitors 11-6.

Early in the second, the Rangers capitalized on a two-man advantage with a goal by Scott Gomez (his 16th) just 28 seconds in for their only lead of the game. He knocked in the rebound of Brendan Shanahan’s one-timer from the point; Tomas Vokoun had no chance on the play. It was the only time their anemic power-play was effective.

The Blueshirts couldn’t protect their tenuous advantage for very long, though. Jassen Cullimore fired a slap shot through a maze of legs that got past a screened Lundqvist at 11:42 (his third) to even the score at two. The Panthers had the slight edge in shots on goal 13-11.

Jokinen’s goal in the final frame (his first tally in nine games and 31st of the season) stood up as the game-winner and Florida moved to within three points of eighth place Philadelphia. Vokoun made 32 saves in the winning effort and Lundqvist was good for 27 stops; both netminders had strong performances.

The quick Floridian trip ends tonight in Tampa Bay versus the last place Lightning, a team with no playoff aspirations whatsoever.