Is Rick Nash ready to start a scoring binge?

Many people have been waiting for Rick Nash to break out, especially Rangers fans.

Most knew it was simply a matter of time.

And after the seventh hat trick of his career and second as a Blueshirt in Saturday night's 5-4 overtime win over the Panthers, everyone except NHL opponents hopes the goals will ignite one of his customary scoring streaks.

The Rangers exited Florida 1-1, thanks to Nash and Henrik Lundqvist, whose patience and positioning on Reilly Smith's failed penalty shot with the score tied at 4 with 1:42 left in regulation prevented the Rangers from going pointless in the two-game swing.

"We found a way to lose a game [Thursday night] and almost did it again [Saturday night]," Lundqvist said. "We need to learn from this and smarten up."

With five games in the next eight days, starting with home games against Nashville (11-5-3) on Monday night and Montreal on Wednesday night, the Rangers will need to be more careful with the puck -- and receive more contributions from Nash -- to stay on track.

History indicates that a Nash breakout could be on the horizon.

At this point last season, he had 14 goals en route to a 42-goal season during which he posted three four-game goal streaks, another of four goals in five games and a hat trick against the Capitals on Dec. 23, 2014.

The previous season, Nash, who has scored at least 30 goals eight times, started with only six goals in his first 20 games, then strung together runs of four goals in four games, seven in five games and three in three. He finished with 26 in 65 games.

In the lockout-shortened 2013 season, Nash scored 21 goals in 44 games, with six in five games, four in three and three in four. And he has scored in each of the last three games against the Predators.

Nash, who had scored only twice through 17 games, brought his "A'' game for his entire 20:17 on ice, producing a season-high 10 shots on goal and blocking two shots. He kicked Ryan McDonagh's pass to his stick before wiring his first goal past Roberto Luongo, bulled past Nick Bjugstad to the net for his short-side score in the second period and beat Luongo from the right side through Mats Zuccarello's screen for the game-winner.

"Time will tell," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said Saturday night. "He had a good game; hopefully he can follow it up. And as a group . . . we know we're going to have to be much better than we were [Saturday]."

Nash's line, including center Derick Brassard and Zuccarello, which compiled seven points (four goals, three assists) on Saturday night and 33 points in their last eight games together, has to carry the team, at least in the short term.

The other lines have not been consistent, and it would not be surprising to see Vigneault overhaul the trios before Monday night's game. Kevin Hayes, J.T. Miller, Oscar Lindberg and Viktor Stalberg, who were moved about by Vigneault on Saturday night, are candidates to be shuffled.