Panarin’s Season Start: A Different Path

This season isn’t exactly mirroring last year’s impressive start for Artemi Panarin, who, if you recall, kicked things off with points in eight consecutive games and 15 in his first 16. And then there was that standout 2023-24 season when he had a true scoring explosion in the opening games, netting a total of 26 points in just 15 matchups, ultimately leading him to a career-high 120 points.

However, this year has seen Panarin take a little while to find his groove. An upper-body injury suffered late in the preseason certainly limited his contributions in that initial game.

Despite that, he scored again in the recent 3-1 defeat to the Wild on Monday, bringing his tally to five points across the last two games. The Rangers certainly need this productive side of Panarin moving forward as their offense seems to be stalling during the season’s opening phase.

“We started off poorly at home, with just one goal in those games,” Panarin said after the Rangers fell to 0-4-0 at Madison Square Garden this season. “We need to create more chances, and then focus on the shots. Getting bodies to the net can help with that.”

Even when he returned from his injury, the original line he was part of, along with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière, had to be changed up. Trocheck also encountered an injury in the second game and is now on long-term injured reserve.

In the recent game, Panarin spent a significant amount of time skating alongside Will Quill and Mika Zibanejad, but he also had a brief stint with center Miller and Zibanejad.

Panarin deftly redirected a pass from Zibanejad and sent a shot past the Wild’s goalie just 57 seconds into the game, which broke the Rangers’ scoreless streak at home—a record-setting 180:57—following three consecutive shutouts. This was a crucial takeaway during what has been an otherwise solid start to the season.

Earlier in the week, during a win against the Canadiens, Panarin received another set-up pass from Zibanejad. He fired off a shot that clanged off the post and found its way into the net.

Additionally, he notched assists on three other goals, marking his first four-point game since back in October 2024, and yet again, he was a key player in the Rangers’ offensive efforts following a brief lull.

Matthew Robertson has been making waves since making the jump to the Rangers’ roster as a seventh defenseman. In Monday’s game, he saw at least 20 minutes of ice time for the first time in his NHL career.

Robertson made an impactful contribution, blocking two shots, recording two hits, and attempting five shots.

On the other hand, Zibanejad, who assisted on Panarin’s goal, surpassed Steve Vickers to rank 10th on the Rangers’ all-time list with 341 assists.

In goal, Igor Shesterkin made his first NHL appearance on Tuesday, achieving a goals against average of 1.17 and a .957 save percentage despite holding a 2-3-1 record.