Things obviously did not end the way they were supposed to for the New York Rangers this season.
After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2021-22 season, the Blueshirts were knocked out of the first round in seven games in this year’s postseason by the New Jersey Devils after having a 2-0 series lead. The team went out in an embarrassing fashion and left a sour taste in Rangerland.
With all of that said, things were not all bad on Broadway this season. This was especially the case for defenseman Adam Fox and forward Artemi Panarin.
At the 2023 NHL Awards Show in Nashville, TN, on Monday night, June 26th, Fox, 25, was named as a First-Team All-Star and also finished second in voting for the James Norris Memorial Trophy behind winner Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks.
Fox, who won the Norris back in 2021, had another great year for the Rangers. He finished the season with 72 points on 12 goals and 60 assists, was a +/- + 28, and he averaged 24:23 minutes of ice time per game.
With the exception of Game 7, Fox also had a solid Stanley Cup playoffs for the Blueshirts. He finished the postseason with eight assists.
Panarin, 31, was named a Second-Team All-Star. He once again was the team’s leader in scoring this season, as he finished the season with 92 points on 29 goals and 63 assists.
While the Rangers also have the likes of Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck, and Filip Chytil, that can produce on a consistent level, Panarin has been the most consistent since signing with the team prior to the 2019-20 season. Here are his statistics since joining the club:
– 2019-20: 95 points on 32 goals and 63 assists in 69 games
– 2020-21: 58 points on 17 goals and 41 assists in 42 games
– 2021-22: 96 points on 22 goals and 74 assists in 75 games
– 2022-23: 92 points on 29 goals and 63 assists in 82 games
It is clear that when it comes to the regular season, Panarin is a dominant force. He just needs to learn how to carry that over into the playoffs.
Despite the team’s lack of success in this year’s postseason, there is no doubt that the play of both Fox and Panarin had a lot to do with their team’s success in the regular season.
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