RALEIGH, NC — Artemi Panarin said the Rangers have had to play a more conservative game in the playoffs, which has prevented the star winger from taking the risks he usually takes on the ice.
“I’d love to do some dumb shit on the blue line, but I can’t,” Panarin said without the help of a translator before Game 2 of the Rangers’ second-round series against the Hurricanes Friday night on PNC. Sand.
But that’s the kind of thing that makes him who he is, and the Rangers will need Panarin to tap into that again if they hope to have any chance of beating Carolina in the series.
However, looking back at Rangers’ 2-1 overtime loss in Game 1, it’s understandable why Panarin felt he couldn’t do anything “crazy” as his team protected a 1-0 lead for more of the middle of the game. Still, the 30-year-old Russian didn’t have the kind of impact the Rangers need from him against competition as powerful as the Hurricanes.
He recorded just two shots on goal with one hit, one takeout and two gifts at 18:01 in Game 1.
“I try to play the same way, but sometimes I just can’t do it,” Panarin said. “We played as a team in the last game. For me, it’s probably the best two and a half periods. [for] a team game. Quite conservative, disciplined, everyone does perfect things, but not enough”.
Since the first three games of the first-round series against Pittsburgh, Panarin and his linemates Andrew Copp and Ryan Strome have struggled to generate offense. Copp scored a goal in each of the first three games, two of which his linemates were involved in, before scoring an empty net in Game 6 against the Penguins.
Panarin recorded the series-clinching overtime winner in Game 7 to send to the Rangers after combining for two goals and five assists in the first six games. But clearly he hasn’t been as dynamic as he was towards the end of the regular season, when he had 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in the last 15 games.
Asked if a lack of power play time in the series opener against the Hurricanes kept him from getting to his game, Panarin said he thought it was more about not having the puck as often. He noted that his line needs to generate more offensive zone time to produce scoring opportunities or take penalties.
“I think we have to be closer to each other, support each other more,” he said of his line. “I think a little bit of everything, bring it more to the ice.”
If the top six continue to struggle offensively in this series, Rangers coach Gerard Gallant will have some lineup decisions to make. The Kid Line of Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko has been the most consistent trio for the Rangers in these playoffs.
Would Gallant split his best unit and try to spread the wealth? Or would the coach keep them together?
“I think about it quite a bit, actually,” Gallant said. “But I’m going to leave them alone for now.”
Reference-nypost.com