Rangers veteran forward Artemi Panarin has led the Blueshirts in points all season long, but he's picked up the pace in recent games for New York as they try to claw their way into a wild card spot at the eleventh hour.
Panarin has registered seven points in his last three games for the Blueshirts, tallying three goals and four assists in that time. This increase in scoring has helped propel the Rangers to a 3-1-1 record in their last five- earning the club crucial points as they battle it out with four other teams for a postseason berth.
Wednesday night saw a high-scoring showdown at the Garden between the Rangers and the Minnesota Wild and Panarin did not disappoint. "The Bread Man" scored on a breakaway at the tail end of the second period and would go on to assist on the overtime game winning goal.
Panarin makes it 4-3 #NYR pic.twitter.com/910XoDi3DL
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) April 3, 2025
Although he's led the team in the points all season, Panarin is still on pace to have his lowest scoring season in four years. This won't come as a surprise to many Rangers fans, as the team is on track to have their worst finish in that same timespan. It's been clear since he arrived in New York that the success of Panarin and the Rangers would be inexorably linked. It's no coincidence that Panarin's highest scoring season of 120 points was the same year the Rangers won the President's Trophy and got within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final.
🍞 Lost among huge offensive seasons, #NYR's ARTEMI PANARIN (120 PTS) had the 2nd-most productive season in #NHL history for a 32-year-old.
— Paul Pidutti (@AdjustedHockey) April 18, 2024
Adjust for era and it's #1...🤯
1. Panarin (117), 2. Francis (115), 3. Esposito (110)
Francis played w/Mario & Jagr, Phil played w/Orr. pic.twitter.com/cr8iCzBZg9
Wednesday night would have been a sure Rangers loss if it hadn't been for the efforts of Panarin, and that narrative may ring true for the remainder of the season.
Across the Rangers last four games, the Rangers have only earned points in contests where Panarin got on the scoresheet- and have only won games in which Panarin has scored one goal or more. While it's extremely unlikely, Panarin could remain on his recent pace for the remainder of the season, which would bring his season total to somewhere in the neighborhood of 98 points on the year.
Getting this kind of production in the last few weeks of the regular season could give the Rangers a massive boost that they desperately need if they still hold playoff aspirations.