Despite an ugly 6-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 7, the New York Rangers are 8-3-1 thanks to excellent goaltending and Artemi Panarin’s hot start to the season. At 33 years old, he is still an elite player and he has also elevated the play of his linemates. His play is a bright spot for the Blueshirts in their first 12 games of 2024-25.
Panarin’s Play in 2024-25
The Rangers started the season 5-0-1 and Panarin had six goals and seven assists in those games. He was excellent at the point on the power play, getting accurate wrist shots through traffic and setting up teammates with cross-ice passes. His line with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere consistently generated offense at even strength.
Panarin had two assists in a 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 9, two goals in a 6-5 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Oct. 12, and three assists in a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 14. In their next game on Oct. 17, another matchup with the Red Wings, he scored on a wrist shot after a cross-ice feed from Trocheck to give them a 1-0 lead.
He scored again with a beautiful wrist shot through traffic on the power play to make it 2-0. He then secured a hat trick with another power-play goal, scoring on a slap shot. He later added an assist in a 5-2 victory.
Additionally, Panarin has come through in games where the team has struggled to create scoring chances. He scored on a quick wrist shot after a steal by Lafreniere in a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 1. In the 6-1 loss to the Sabres and a 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Oct. 24, he assisted on the Rangers’ only goal. He has at least one point in 11 of the Blueshirts’ 12 games this season and already has nine goals and 10 assists.
Last season, Panarin set career highs in goals (49) and points (120) and he is continuing his excellent play this season. This is his sixth season with the Rangers and he has 158 goals and 480 points in 362 games.
Panarin Needs Help
While Panarin is playing great, the Rangers need some of their other star players to step up. Head coach Peter Laviolette broke up the team’s lines after getting outplayed badly in two consecutive games and opted to play struggling center Mika Zibanejad with Panarin. In a 5-2 victory over the…
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