Rangers' Artemi Panarin has new linemates for Game 6: Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko
Artemi Panarin #10 of the Rangers plays the puck against Michael McLeod #20 of the New Jersey Devils in Game Three of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
With the Rangers trailing 3-2 in their first-round series against the Devils and facing elimination in Game 6 Saturday night at the Garden, coach Gerard Gallant shuffled his forward lines.
He dropped Patrick Kane to the third line and gave slumping Artemi Panarin, the team’s leading scorer in the regular season, two new linemates in center Filip Chytil and right wing Kaapo Kakko.
“They’ve played a little bit together, maybe a few shifts here and there, the odd time,’’ Gallant said before the Rangers forced Game 7 with a 5-2 win. “But I just wanted to mix some things up. And I like what we’re doing, and we think it matches up well with their lineup.’’
Panarin, who had 92 points in the regular season, assisted on the Rangers’ first two goals in the 5-1 win in Game 1 but had no points since then. He entered Saturday with two points and 10 shots on goal. According to Natural Stat Trick, he has one rebound created and five giveaways.
Panarin took some heat after the Rangers’ season ended in the Eastern Conference finals last year for not producing as much as had been expected. He had six goals and 10 assists in 20 playoff games.
Vincent Trocheck, who had been Panarin’s centerman, dropped to the third line with left wing Alexis Lafreniere and Kane. Kane’s place on the top line, with center Mika Zibanejad and left wing Chris Kreider, was taken by Vladimir Tarasenko.
Kreider ties Messier
Kreider scored on the power play late in the first period of Game 6. That gave him 16 career goals in potential elimination games. According to the NHL public relations Twitter account, Kreider tied the all-time mark held by former Rangers captain Mark Messier, who had three of his 16 against the Devils in Game 6 of the 1994 Eastern Conference final.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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