The New York Rangers entered their game against the Boston Bruins on Black Friday with a considerable advantage. That's because the Bruins were without top players David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, and Charlie McAvoy. The Rangers did just that, doing what they do best, and that's winning the game on the road.
On Friday, the Rangers picked up a huge 6-2 win over the Bruins to improve to 13-11-2 on the season and, for the time being, climb into the No. 2 Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. But the Rangers flirted with disaster.
Entering the third period, the Rangers had a 4-0 lead and seemed to be cruising towards a victory. But then, the Rangers allowed the Bruins to score two quick goals in succession to cut their lead to 4-2. It looked like the Rangers were about to waste away a dominant win. Luckily, the Rangers saw Alexis Lafrenière and Vladislav Gavrikov score two quick goals, the former being an empty-netter to clinch the victory.
The third period has been a sore spot for the Rangers, as they seem to struggle to either hold onto a lead or keep themselves in the game. This latest third period showing on Friday caught the attention of Artemi Panarin.
Artemi Panarin calls out Rangers' third period effort vs. Bruins
After the game, Panarin was asked about what happened in the third period, and the winger said that it simply wasn't good enough effort due to lack of focus. Panarin's quote comes courtesy of Mollie Walker of the New York Post.
#NYR Artemi Panarin: “We were controlling in the beginning, but after second period, we still lost our focus. Can’t happen.”
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) November 28, 2025
Panarin didn't pull any punches after the game. Considering how tightly contested the Eastern Conference playoff picture currently is, they need to figure out how to close games and secure easy wins. There was no reason why the Bruins, who were incredibly depleted roster-wise and picking up plenty of penalties in the game. Yet, they found a way to make things interesting and leave goalie Igor Shesterkin vulnerable to offensive pressure.
One of the two goals the Rangers gave up arrived seconds after head coach Mike Sullivan called a timeout to try and snap the team out of their funk.
Luckily for the Rangers, they managed to extend their lead after the Bruins pulled goalie Joonas Korpisalo for the extra attacker. Lafreniere scored the empty-netter and then Gavrikov scored a goal less than a minute later.
Panarin had a huge game in the win, picking up four points, one of them being a goal in the first four minutes of regulation.
The Rangers need to clean up their game in the third period, as they face a brutal schedule. On Saturday, the Rangers are taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning, and that's a team you can't be lackadaisical against.