Artemi Panarin, Rangers continue hot start to season with win over Red Wings
There was plenty to like about the Rangers’ play Tuesday night in their 5-3 victory over the visiting Red Wings, from a red-hot penalty kill to a promising power play and even firepower at 5-on-5, which has been a recent Blueshirt bugaboo.
And, of course, there was another big performance by Artemi Panarin, who is off to a sizzling start. Panarin, the Rangers’ leading scorer with 20 points, had a goal and an assist to extend his season-opening point streak to 12 games, the second-longest in team history. Only Rod Gilbert (14 in 1972-73) had a longer one.
Panarin has seven goals and 13 assists over that span and has so far shown a willingness to “attack the game,” Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette said.
“I think that’s when he’s at his absolute best,” added Laviolette. “He grabbed the puck tonight. When he’s moving and he’s attacking, he’s really dangerous. He has a skill set that’s elite. That downhill approach, speed through the neutral zone, toward the net, that’s dangerous.”
It was part of a big night for Panarin’s line – Vincent Trocheck scored twice and Alexis Lafreniere set up Panarin’s goal by doing some grunt work behind the Detroit net, corralling a contested puck and feeding Panarin in front.
“That line was excellent,” Laviolette said.
Panarin praised Lafreniere’s effort, noting, “Honestly, he’s a guy doing most of the forechecks for us. Nice to see that, when a young guy works for old guys. He’s doing well.”
He also praised Jonathan Quick, the backup goalie who subbed for Igor Shesterkin and was pitching a shutout until a three-goal Detroit flurry in the third period.
As for his own work, Panarin was less expressive. With a wide grin, he said, “How am I feeling? Tonight, team win. Two points. I have my team. I’m happy to be here right now and I’m feeling good. Good teammates.”
Panarin was clearly in good spirits and why not? When someone wondered if he’d head back to the barbershop because his hair, shorn before the season, was growing back, Panarin quipped, “Winter is coming, so I have to be ready for it.”
With the way they played Tuesday, even with no Shesterkin, no Adam Fox and no Filip Chytil, the Rangers, as a whole, seem ready for the rigors of an NHL winter themselves. If they can bottle up the first two periods, when they bolted to a 5-0 lead, they look ready for spring, too.
Their penalty kill, ranked 10th entering the game, was 6-for-6 against the fifth-ranked power play of the Red Wings, including squashing 51 seconds worth of 5-on-3 time in the third period. The Ranger power play, rated fourth-best, was 2-for-3 and they have scored 14 times with a man advantage this season, which is tied for third in the NHL. They scored three times at even strength.
Trocheck said the penalty kill was more aggressive Tuesday and better forechecking on 5-on-5 led to increased opportunities in the offensive zone.
“We came out really hot,” Trocheck said.
It wasn’t all hot, though. There were some lapses in the third period that made things unnecessarily sticky late. Laviolette noted those “asterisks” would be discussed and then ironed out at practice Wednesday.
Still, it was the kind of game the Rangers might be able to dream on.
“I thought it was a really good win,” Laviolette said. “Overall, I thought we came out with the right attitude and pace and played the game we wanted to play.”
