Breakaway on SI

Rangers Winger Named Second Star of Week

The New York Rangers' superstar is on fire right now.

Jon Alfano

May 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) lines up a shot against the Florida Panthers during the first period in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
May 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) lines up a shot against the Florida Panthers during the first period in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images / Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
In this story:

The New York Rangers had themselves quite the week, winning all three of their games and outscoring their opponents 13-4.

Perhaps unsurpsingly, star left winger Artemi Panarin was the one leading the charge. Now in his 10th NHL season and sixth in Manhattan, Panarin was a monster all week with four goals and four assists for eight points in three games. His best performance of the week came in a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, when he had his eighth career hat trick and an assist to lead the Rangers to an impressive road victory.

After such a strong showing, the NHL named Panarin its second star of the week on Monday.

Panarin joined the Rangers on a seven-year $81.5 million contract ($11.64 million AAV) in 2019, which made him one of the highest-paid players in the league. At least from a production standpoint, he's lived up to that contract and then some.

In 677 games with the Blueshirts, the Russian superstar has scored 271 goals and 522 assists for 793 points, and he's finished well over a point per game each season. Last season, he shattered his career-highs with 49 goals and 71 assists for 120 points to help New York win the President's Trophy. Now this season, he's already become the first player in Rangers history to record four-straight multi-point games to start out, so he's off to a fantastic start once more.

Of course, the main knock against Panarin and the Rangers as a whole is their lack of postseason success. He's scored at a noticeably worse rate than in the regular season, with just 12 goals and 23 assists for 35 points in 46 playoff games. While the Rangers have made the Eastern Conference Final twice with Panarin, they're still chasing their first Stanley Cup in over 30 years.

This season could be the Rangers' last chance to win it all with their current core, and if they want to get there, then they'll need Panarin to keep playing like this.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! 

Published
Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Home/News Feed Page