Artemi Panarin easily earns MVP against the Toronto Maple Leafs

Well, the Rangers have found a way to lose each of their past five games at Madison Square Gargen, all labeled a “must-win” for playoff contention.

In addition, "Fire Lavi" chants have started to be belted out across MSG by the Blueshirt fan base. However despite all this negativity, New York Rangers' left wing Artemi Panarin still found a way to serve as the highlight. Here's what he did on the ice against Toronto during Thursday's 4-3 loss and why it was important to the matchup and the Rangers' franchise as a whole.

Artemi Panarin

No matter what this Rangers team does, it seems like Panarin is trying to grab the franchise to the Stanley Cup playoffs kicking and screaming if he has to. He’s been playing his best hockey throughout the course of his current point streak, which he extended to 11 games with another goal and an assist on Thursday. He’s got seven goals and seven assists for 14 points over the past 11 games.

In the midst of burying that rebound in the lower left circle against Toronto, he is now on his fifth point streak of 10+ (11) games with the Rangers. The only Ranger to have more is the great Rod Gilbert; however Panarin is quickly approaching his record of eight.

“[I] try not to be [frustrated] because we have a game at 1 (p.m. on Saturday), so we don’t have much time for crying,” said the forward. “We just have to stay together, keep trying to win games.”

Not one to be content with just a goal, "the Breadman" also had an assit by the time play concluded against the Maple Leafs.

Panarin found his home with the Rangers on July 1, 2019, when he signed a seven-year, $81.5 million contract. Before putting on a Rangers jersey he actually scored in his NHL debut Oct. 7, 2015, against the New York Rangers and had 21 points in his first 19 games. His first NHL hat trick also came against the Rangers, on Feb. 17, 2016.

Just last year the Russia native began his season with a 15-game point streak (10 goals, 16 assists) to set a Rangers record for the longest run to open a season. This record was also previously set by Gilbert (14 games in 1972-73).

Recently Panarin became the fastest skater to reach 500 points (165 goals, 335 assists in 384 games) with the Rangers as a result of an assist in a 5-3 loss at the Florida Panthers on Dec. 30.