While the New York Rangers record of 3-2 might be a bit disappointing considering the quality of opponents they have played so far, there has been one player on the team that has dominated each and every game so far.
That player is Artemi Panarin. Panarin, 31, currently (As of Monday, October 23rd) leads the team with seven points on three goals and four assists and looks like a player possessed through the club’s first five games of the season.
There has been one noticeable difference in Panarin’s game this season and it is one that will benefit his team greatly if he keeps it up. It appears that he now has a shoot-first mentality.
In his first four seasons with the team, Panarin was someone who always looked to pass the puck. It certainly was not a bad thing as he had 241 assists in those four seasons.
While he already has four helpers this season, it is shot total that is grabbing headlines to start off this year. As of this writing (Monday, October 23rd), Panarin leads the team with 21 shots.
As mentioned above, this is a great thing for the Rangers. For starters, he has a great shot.
Panarin’s shot is quick, accurate, and very deceptive. His shot can beat opposing netminders from anywhere on the ice and is one that goaltenders fear due to its velocity and unpredictability.
Secondly, Panarin knows how to put the puck in the net. This is a player who currently has 219 career goals, so it is not like scoring goals is new to Panarin.
With that said, his goal numbers have been all over the place since becoming a Ranger. Here are his goal totals since joining the Blueshirts:
– 2019-20: 32 goals
– 2020-21: 17 goals
– 2021-22: 22 goals
– 2022-23: 29 goals
Panarin already has three goals to start the season. If he continues to shoot the puck with the same kind of frequency and accuracy that he is doing now, his goal total could make a big jump come the end of the season.
Lastly, because Panarin is firing the puck on all cylinders and managing to find the back of the net, team head coach Peter Laviolette has double-shifted him in a few of the team’s games already. While Panarin will not get that opportunity every game, if he continues to play the way he is right now, Laviolette will not hesitate to continue to use him a lot.
It is still early in the season, but with Panarin shooting the puck a lot and having success doing so, do not be surprised if both he and the Rangers find the back of the net with more consistency this season.
