Panarin pair dooms Isles
Rangers coach David Quinn isn't surprised by anything Artemi Panarin does.
Panarin scored two goals to go along with three assists to match a career high with five points, and the Rangers beat the Islanders, 6-2, in their first meeting of the season Monday night at the Garden.
“Every now and then he one-ups himself, and he did that again tonight,” Quinn said. “When you think you've seen it all, he just does so many great things out there for us.”
Panarin has 26 goals and 41 assists in his first season with the Rangers after signing a seven-year, $81.5 million contract as a free agent last summer. He is the second player in franchise history to notch at least 67 points in the team's first 45 games — Jaromir Jagr in 2005-06 was the first — and the first to record at least 40 assists in the first 45 games since Jagr did it in 2006-07.
Panarin totaled a career-high 87 points in 79 games for Columbus last season, and is well ahead of that pace.
“Nothing new, playing the same as I was before,” Panarin said through a translator. “Just trying to play each game 100% and see how it goes.”
Jesper Fast scored a goal with two assists, Adam Fox added a goal and an assist, and Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba also scored to help the Rangers get their third win in four games overall and fifth straight at home. Brady Skjei assisted on two goals.
Alexandar Georgiev stopped 32 shots while starting for the first time in four games. Rookie goalie Igor Shesterkin got the nod in two straight and veteran Henrik Lundqvist started the previous game.
“Their top guys were better than our top guys,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “I thought our level of battle wasn't where I expected it to be tonight . ... We got what we deserved.”
Panarin, facing the Islanders for the first time in the regular season since spurning them to sign with the Rangers last summer, increased the lead to 4-1 when he backhanded the puck past Varlamov on a breakaway 49 seconds into the third period.
Panarin got his second of the night and 26th of the season on another breakaway, as he beat Varlamov from the right side at 8:54.