Artemi Panarin milestone point helps Rangers defeat Senators 4-2: takeaways
Buoyed by Artemi Panarin’s 900th NHL point and a stellar performance by Igor Shesterkin, the New York Rangers chalked up another road win Thursday, defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-2 at Canadian Tire Centre.
The Rangers (15-12-2) now lead the NHL with 12 road wins and 25 road points this season. But they’re beginning to fire on all cylinders, no matter the locale. This win was their fifth in their past six games overall, and second in as many tries without the injured Adam Fox in the lineup, following a 3-2 overtime victory at home against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Shesterkin made 25 saves in his season-high sixth straight start. He surrendered only a pair of power-play goals, one of which deflected off a skate, and held the Senators at bay until Panarin finished them off with an empty-net goal for his milestone point.
“Happy to get that, but glad we win tonight. Especially in a winning game, I have that number. So nice. But, to be honest, I [didn’t] know,” Panarin shared postgame.
Panarin also assisted on Mika Zibanejad’s game-opening goal. Defensemen Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Borgen scored New York’s other goals, and J.T. Miller had a season-high three assists.
Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson scored for the Senators, who’ve lost four of their past six games. Leevi Merilainen finished with 23 saves.
The Rangers scored on two of their first three shots to grab a quick 2-0 lead in the first period. Zibanejad got the visitors started on the right foot when he finished a pretty 2-on-1 feed from Miller just 3:19 into the game. It was his team-leading 10th goal of the season, and also his 10th in 20 games all-time against the team that selected him in the first round of the 2011 NHL Draft.
The Rangers doubled their lead at 9:45, when Gavrikov zipped a left-wing shot through a Brett Berard screen and over Merilainen’s glove for his third goal in the past four games. Noah Laba didn’t land on the score sheet, but he made this goal happen.
The rookie center first knocked Senators defenseman Dennis Gilbert off the puck at center ice, then gained entry into the offensive zone, before fending off Brady Tkachuk along the boards. From there quick passes from Miller and Braden Schneider set up Gavrikov’s sixth goal of the season, tying the 30-year-old defenseman’s single-season career high.
In between those goals, the Senators had two prime chances to, at least, tie the score. But Shesterkin stoned Tkachuk on a breakaway, and then caught a break a few minutes later when Batherson wired a shot off the post.
There was more good luck for the Rangers goalie on the shift after Gavrikov made it 2-0. This time Ottawa forward David Perron was left frustrated when his shot clanked off iron at 10:10.
The Senators did find the back of the net before the first period ended, though. Cozens beat Shesterkin glove side for a power-play goal at 18:30, with Will Cuylle sitting in the penalty box.
The Rangers responded by dominating the second period, and increasing their lead to 3-1. They out-shot the Senators 12-7 and held a decisive 63.61 percent expected goal share, per Natural Stat Trick.
They also got a rare goal from Borgen, just his second of the season, at 7:24. It came after the Senators were pinned in their own end for nearly two minutes and couldn’t get a full change of players. The Rangers did get fresh players on the ice, and capitalized when Borgen sent a shot through Taylor Raddysh’s screen in front to make it 3-1, following a pretty swing pass from his defense partner Carson Soucy.
Aided by a pair of power plays, Ottawa picked up the pace in the third period, and did pull within one at 13:08. Tkachuk flung the puck toward the net, where it hit Batherson’s skate and deflected over the goal line to make it 3-2.
Shesterkin, though, shut the door and Panarin iced New York’s latest impressive road effort and victory. That sets the Rangers up for fascinating weekend back-to-back at home against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday and Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
Key takeaways after Rangers skate to 4-2 road win over Senators
Milestone night for the Breadman
Panarin reached 900 NHL points in 781 games, the sixth fastest to do so among undrafted players since 1963-64. The five players ahead of him, led by Wayne Gretzky, are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. That’s pretty legit company for the Breadman to keep.
The 34-year-old winger has 311 goals and 589 assists in that span. More importantly for the here and now, Panarin is rolling after a slow start this season. He leads the Rangers with 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 29 games, with 10 of those points (three goals, seven assists) notched in his past five contests. He has eight multi-point games this season, including three four-point outings.
Remember, he had just two assists in the first six games this season. That seems like forever ago.
Also remember that Panarin is scheduled to be the biggest name on the UFA market next summer. Despite his age, he’s going to get paid. By the Rangers or someone else.
Igor is dialed in
With Jonathan Quick sidelined by a lower-body injury the past two weeks, the Rangers are riding Shesterkin between the pipes. And that decision by coach Mike Sullivan is paying off handsomely. Shesterkin is 5-1-0 and allowed 13 goals starting all six games since Quick got hurt. No matter the situation, Shesterkin is the unquestioned No. 1 goalie for the Rangers. But he’s really living up to that billing now with the heavier workload.
Shesterkin was dialed in again Thursday, making a slew of clutch saves, including that breakaway stop against Tkachuk early in the game and another against Tim Stutzle in the third period, when Tkachuk sprung his teammate in alone with a perfect pass.
With the Rangers’ lead cut to 3-2, Shesterkin calmly made big-time saves against Perron and Stutzle down the stretch before Panarin restored the two-goal lead.
Perhaps his best save, though, was late in the second period, when Cuylle’s blind backhand pass into the slot landed on Tkachuk’s stick. The Ottawa captain wasted little time firing a hard shot on net; but Shesterkin was in perfect position to stone Tkachuk, yet again.
The new Kid Line
You know which line really was good and effective Thursday, even if none of its members recorded a point? The Kid Line. No, not that one. Two-thirds of that Kid Line, except for Alexis Lafreniere, are long gone.
No, this is the new Kid Line, centered by Laba, with Cuylle and Berard on the wings. They played a super-energized, simple, north-south style again Thursday, and were major contributors to this victory. Laba made that Gavrikov goal happen. It didn’t hurt that Berard set the screen, either.
Laba was a force all over the ice against the Senators, making the most of his 13:48 TOI. He applied consistent puck pressure and won numerous puck battles. He was credited with four hits and won seven of nine face-offs. Sullivan took notice.
“I thought ‘Labs’ was physical all night,” the coach said. “He brings a speed element with his size and his strength. When he brings some physicality to his game, I think he’s a lot more effective … I thought this was one of his more physical games that he’s had in a while.”
Speaking of physical play, Cuylle led the Rangers with seven hits and three blocked shots. And Berard brought his typical firebrand of energy to the proceedings. This version of the Kid Line is quickly turning into a trusted and impactful third option for the Rangers.
