Artemi Panarin scores four goals as Rangers win fifth in a row
Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin celebrates after his third goal of an NHL game against the Hurricanes during the third period on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C. Credit: AP/Chris Seward
RALEIGH, N.C. — Artemi Panarin said he had never scored four goals in a game at any level — except one.
“When I was a kid,” Panarin said. “Against my grandpa.”
Panarin got the hat trick plus one on Saturday night as the Rangers beat the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes, 6-2, at PNC Arena.
The Rangers have won five in a row and are 20-4-3 since Dec. 5.
Panarin, who tied the score late in the second period with his 200th career goal, gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead at 4:33 of the third when he scored off a rebound. He completed the hat trick and made it 4-2 with 4:01 left in the third.
Kaapo Kakko scored into an empty net with 2:14 left and Panarin scored again with 1:04 remaining as chants of “Let’s go, Rangers” broke out from the many Blueshirts rooters in attendance.
Panarin, who scored on four of his five shots, also had an assist.
“Everything go in,” the Russian explained. But that wasn’t the case early, and Panarin said his confidence was “minus 20” when he missed the net in the first period.
Before the barrage, coach Gerard Gallant moved Panarin onto a line with Vincent Trocheck and Jimmy Vesey and used Chris Kreider with Mika Zibanejad and newly acquired Vladimir Tarasenko.
“I just thought we got a little stale there and things weren’t going real well,” Gallant said. “That’s the thing with those guys: You can mix them and match them a little bit and it’s not going to hurt anything. They’re all skilled and talented players . . . It worked for [Panarin].”
Jaroslav Halak made 27 saves for the Rangers in winning his seventh consecutive start.
The Rangers were the more tired team. The very well-rested Hurricanes were the team with something to avenge.
It was in this very arena that the Rangers ousted the Hurricanes from the playoffs last season with a 6-2 win (there’s that final score again) in Game 7.
On Saturday, the Rangers played their third game in four nights. The Hurricanes were playing for the first time since Feb. 1. Carolina had won seven in a row before the All-Star break.
The Hurricanes came out flying, peppering Halak with 10 of the game’s first 14 shots before a goal was scored. Halak, who got the start after Igor Shesterkin beat Seattle on Friday, was up to the task, and the Rangers got on the board first.
Carolina’s Jalen Chatfield was off for interference when a relentlessly jabbing Zibanejad poked in his own rebound at 13:37. It was Zibanejad’s 27th goal of the season and 16th on the power play (tied with Connor McDavid for second in the league).
About 30 seconds earlier, during even-strength play, Adam Fox hit the crossbar and then the post on the same shot.
The Rangers were flying, too, and getting good looks at Frederik Andersen (13 saves), who stopped Julien Gauthier’s blast with his mask later in the period.
Trocheck, a former Hurricane, was saluted by the home crowd during the first stoppage. Trocheck, who had two assists, spent three seasons with Carolina before signing with the Rangers, and this was his first time back in Raleigh.
“My time in Carolina was great,” he said. “My family and I have a special place in our hearts for the city of Raleigh. Our daughter was born there and we made a lot of lifelong friends with the team.”
The Hurricanes took a 2-1 lead in the second with goals by Teuvo Teravainen (6:50, off the skate of K’Andre Miller) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (9:43, putting in his own rebound after a save by Halak).
Panarin tied it at 17:49 with his 200th by beating Andersen glove side after a turnover and a feed by Trocheck. The Rangers had been outshot 25-13 but were even at 2 after two.
Then came a four-goal third period as the Rangers opened a four-game road trip in style. It’s the third time this season the Rangers have scored at least four goals in the third.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
