New York Rangers superstar Artemi Panarin proved once again on Saturday that he is one of the most dynamic and skilled players in the world when the puck is on his stick.
Back home in his native Russia, the Rangers forward participated in an NHL vs. KHL all-star game with the likes of Sergei Bobrovsky, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and many other Russian greats.
Panarin organized the event along with Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, pitting some of the NHL’s best against stars from the KHL, with proceeds going to charity. The event raised roughly $144,000.
Midway through the contest, Panarin tried to give the spectators their money’s worth. On a breakaway opportunity, Panarin nearly scored a simply amazing goal. Check it out here:
Perhaps the Breadman is working on some new tricks for this upcoming season with the Rangers. The Michigan-type move shows just how fun and creative Panarin can be when he has time and space, something he didn’t have nearly enough of when the Blueshirts lost in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final this past spring.
In what ended as an 8-8 tie, Panarin could have had an all-time goal to give the NHL all-stars the edge. It was one of many memorable moments on the ice, all in the good name of charity.
Things get real for Artemi Panarin, Rangers when pursuit of Stanley Cup resumes in fall
Things will get much more serious in September when the Rangers open training camp and start their quest for the Stanley Cup from square one. But for now, it is good to see Panarin playing hockey and having fun with it. After setting an NHL career high in points last season with 120, an uneven postseason performance sent Panarin into the offseason on a down note.
For Panarin, the regular season has never been an issue. The problem, shared with the rest of New York’s core, has come in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Time and time again, this Rangers core has failed to get over the hump and achieve the ultimate goal.
In what seemed like a season that was destined to go in favor of the Rangers, they fell short once again in 2023-24, the second time in three years they lost in the conference final. That Panarin didn’t score a goal until the final moments of the final game, only adds to that reputation, even though he had four game-winners including one in overtime last postseason.
We saw Panarin come into last season with a new mindset after the Rangers eliminated in the first round by the New Jersey Devils in 2023. Now, let’s see what he’s got in store for the coming season.
