Your New York Rangers have moved to 3-0-1 on the young season as the Blueshirts march into Motown and beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-2. Artemi Panarin's sparkling performance against the Wings headlines the result tonight, but there was so much to love from this game. A first NHL goal, a Breadman hat trick, and a great first game of the season for Jonathan Quick in net.
On the powerplay, the Rangers would double their lead. A faceoff win from Trocheck would let the Rangers eventually work the puck back to the point to Panarin. Panarin plays catch with Adam Fox before slipping around Ben Chiarot and sniping on Cam Talbot to double the lead, becoming the first Ranger ever to open the season with four straight multi-point games. Breadman doing his thing early for the Blueshirts.
Detroit would get one back in the second period to disturb the net behind Jonathan Quick. As the Red Wings started to rotate and get the puck snapping around, they eventually worked a shooting opportunity for Moritz Seider between the circles. With bodies in front, Quick never saw the release, and even if he did, it was in the corner at speed from the German defenseman. New York's lead was slashed in half.
New York's powerplay would strike again in the second to restore the Rangers lead. Artemi Panarin got the puck at the point and fired it on from the point, allowing Vincent Trocheck to redirect it past Cam Talbot. Talbot had no time to react to the deflection, and the Rangers were back in complete control of this game midway through it.
New York's man advantage would grab its third of the game halfway through the game. Adam Fox gets the attention of all four penalty killers, and with some distractions in front via Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, Detroit completely forgets about Panarin. Fox finds the pass to the Breadman, and he completes the hat trick on the man advantage. It's a 4-1 lead for the New York Rangers.
Moments later, the hometown rookie scored his first career NHL goal. New York gets the puck in deep, and Will Cuylle can work the puck to Kaapo Kakko. Kakko returns it to the point where Victor Mancini lashes home with a shot from the point. It ends Cam Talbot's night for the Red Wings, and the Rangers looked comfortable through this one. What a moment for the promising youngster, scoring his first goal against his hometown team.
In garbage time, the Red Wings would cut into the lead. A poor penalty kill allows Ben Chiarot to find J.T Compher at the back post, and the center lifts it over the pads of Jonathan Quick to make it a 5-2 game. It's not a difference-making goal, but it does take some of the gloss off the scoreline. New York would not give anything else up before the end of the game, so the 5-2 scoreline holds.