Oct 26, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Alex Killorn (17) plays the puck against New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
It may be a new NHL season, but New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin has picked up where he left off at the end of 2023-24.
He and the Rangers will look to continue their strong start when they visit the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
Last season, Panarin dominated the offense and led New York with a career-high 49 goals and 120 points in 82 regular-season games, while his 71 assists fell just three short of his personal best. His point total ranked fourth in the NHL, while his goals ranked fifth.
Three weeks into the current season, Panarin, who turns 33 on Wednesday, leads the Rangers with 15 points (six goals, nine assists) and has yet to score in eight games. He has almost twice as many points as his closest teammates, Alexis Lafreniere and Adam Fox, who each have eight.
“Last year he played elite for us,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “Just in the last game (against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday), it seemed like the puck was on his stick constantly. I think he works hard to create those opportunities; he works hard to create those battles where possession comes to him. And then, once you get possession, the puck is on your stick and you can hold on to it and you can find the next play, make the next play, create the next scoring opportunity…
“He has an elite skill level. To me, that was demonstrated last year and he’s proven it again this year.”
The Rangers, as a team, have also extended last season’s success to the beginning of this campaign. They have a 6-1-1 record entering the clash against the Capitals and suffered their first loss in regulation on October 24, when they fell 3-1 against the Florida Panthers.
They had scored at least four goals in each game before falling to the Panthers, and then won 2-1 against the Ducks. After finishing seventh in the NHL last season in goals with 278, they entered Monday’s schedule tied for fourth with 34, putting them on track to reach nearly 350.
Although New York was expected to be among the best teams in the league, that was not the case for the Capitals. Washington has a surprising 5-2-0 record since the start and had won five straight before being defeated 3-0 by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
“Over the last few years, they’ve been a good benchmark team for the league, for the East and for our division,” forward Tom Wilson said of New York. “And we know it’s going to be a tough game… So we have to stay alert and we have to be good with our game plan. We want to show that we are on par with some of the best teams in the league.”
Wilson is off to a good start when it comes to putting the puck in the net, leading the Capitals with five in seven games. It’s a pace that, if maintained, would obliterate his current career high of 24, set in 2021-22.
Dylan Strome leads the team in overall scoring with nine points (three goals, six assists), one ahead of Connor McMichael (three goals, five assists).
–Field level media
