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New York Rangers: Panarin’s brilliance, other takeaways from Caps win

By Andrew Steele-Davis

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 20: Artemi Panarin #10 and Ryan Strome #16 of the New York Rangers celebrate after a goal in the third period against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on November 20, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 20: Artemi Panarin #10 and Ryan Strome #16 of the New York Rangers celebrate after a goal in the third period against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on November 20, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 20: Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers fires a shot for a goal in the second period of their game against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on November 20, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 20: Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers fires a shot for a goal in the second period of their game against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on November 20, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

3. Panarin worth the money

For anyone who questioned the $81.5 million the New York Rangers shelled out in order to lure Artemi Panarin to The Big Apple during the off-season, well you can stop questioning it now.

Because, and although we are only a couple of months into the regular season, the elite Russian wing is more than justifying that hefty price tag.

He has, along with Mika Zibanejad before his injury, been the best player on this Rangers team by some distance and his excellence shone through yet again against the Washington Capitals.

He scored the first two goals of the game, both on the power play, to put the Blueshirts in the driving seat.

His first goal was a trademark wrister after receiving a cross-ice pass from Kaapo Kakko before skating into space and unleashing a bomb past Braden Holtby.

And rookie and star combined again for the second goal as Kakko spinned and put a dish through the legs of a Capitals defenseman, and Panarin was on hand to hammer home his second goal.

The pair of goals stretched Panarin’s points streak to 12 straight games, the first Ranger to have achieved that feat since Scott Gomez posted a 13-game point streak from Dec. 6, 2007 to Jan. 2, 2008.

Panarin also has a multi-point game in six of his last seven outings, and he leads the Rangers in points with 25 (11 goals, 14 assists) through 19 games.

The Rangers’ huge investment in Artemi Panarin has been a shrewd one so far and the Russian stud is playing his part to ensure it pays off.

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