ranger Resiliency has been a huge theme throughout the Blueshirts’ season and these playoffs and that certainly came through again Thursday night.
His 3-2 victory over Carolina It was another tough comeback victory, one that required a quick shrug from a gut punch of a late goal that could have left a lesser team down and, had things changed, suddenly locked in a tight series.
But there was Artemi Panarin in overtime, ahead of the Canes’ net. Panarin, the Rangers’ best offensive threat all season, raised his left leg while moving his stick to redirect a shot from Vicente Trocheck between his own legs and towards the Hurricanes goal. Game over.
The bread rises, indeed.
It was another big goal for Panarin, further proof that he could be in the kind of playoffs that will be talked about for years. Panarin, who scored 49 goals and 120 points in his best regular season, has scored four goals in these playoffs.
Each of those goals has been decisive.
Not bad for a guy who, 12 months ago, was processing a painful series against the Devils in which he had just two assists when the Rangers’ high expectations were shattered. He was practically invisible in those seven games, a disappointment. Now, of course, he is an indispensable star for a team that seems like fate could be measuring him for an important June.
But on Thursday night, it looked like the series with the Hurricanes was about to change dramatically when Carolina scored with 1:36 left in regulation to force overtime at PNC Arena.
The Rangers did not falter. Just 1:43 into overtime, Panarin scored. As he celebrated, he kicked his leg. Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere earned goal assists, another in a long series of moments that show the excellent chemistry the three have developed as one of the best lines in the NHL this season.
“It was a great play by all three,” the Rangers coach said. Peter Laviolette he said in his postgame press conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. “That’s Artemi. He has the talent to make that play. “Just a very good play by Troch and a good finish by Artemi.”
“It was a defining moment,” added Lafrenière, who is also making his own playoff run, having scored three times in the last two games. “He’s been fantastic for us all year and continues that way in the playoffs. Obviously he is a great player for us and he has been incredible.”
“It was just about making sure we stayed resilient, not putting our heads down, obviously we don’t want to concede a goal this late, but moving forward, going into (the locker room) knowing the next goal wins the game.” Trocheck spoke about the mood after the late equalizer. “Bread talked in the locker room and then he talked on the ice, too.”
Panarin’s four game-winning goals so far lead the NHL and also tie a team record also held by three other Rangers. Marcos Messier and Brian Leech They both did it in 1994 and franco boucher he did it in 1928. Yes, the Rangers won the Stanley Cup both years, more parallels between this present and other past Blueshirt greats.
A lot of things are going right for the Rangers, as they have won their first seven playoff games, something they haven’t done since, you guessed it, 1994.
Igor Shesterkin He’s been tremendous in goal and his penalty kill is trampling Carolina’s power play, holding the Canes to 0 for 15 so far and getting a shorthanded goal. Chris Kreider Thursday. Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad are on seven-point streaks and Lafrenière is capitalizing on his enormous potential, all while the NHL’s glow grows brighter.
Panarin’s point streak is more modest: four games. In total, he has four goals and five assists in seven playoff games.
But the fact that it has had such a big impact so far cannot be underestimated. Coming into the playoffs, his performance would always be a talking point for the Blueshirts. In a season in which they won the Presidents Trophy, which only reinforced already high hopes, they needed Panarin to fly like he had done all year. He is.
Panarin’s resilience, it seems, is also very important.