N.Y. Rangers: Artemi Panarin Lifts Lagging Mates

From the desk: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

SHOWDOWN AT HIGH NOON

SATURDAY

Rangers

vs.

Capitals

The Rangers were lucky to come away with two points in their first meeting against the Flyers.  Philadelphia's line-up is still being compromised by COVID.  So, there are questions as to what outfit the Rangers really defeated.  But with regards to what transpired on the ice, the Rangers committed one of the cardinal rules of hockey, not once, but twice, and got away with it.

Never yield a goal in the first two minutes or last two minutes of a period.  

They did just that, allowing a goal in the first 0:59 seconds of the game to Nicolas Aube-Kubel.  Colin Blackwell tied the game on a power-play goal at 3:24 of the second period.  Ryan Strome then put the Rangers ahead with an even-strength goal at the 8:21 mark of the third period.  But with just 1:14 left in regulation, Joel Farabee scored his seventh goal of the season, tying the game at two.  After a scoreless overtime, Artemi Panarin, returning from injury, saved the Rangers' ass with a decisive goal in the shootout.

Playing minus Jacob Trouba and K'Andre Miller, the blueliners still limit Philadelphia to 22 shots on goal and 0/5 on the power play.  The Rangers blocked 27 shots in front of Alexandar Georgiev, who stopped all but two shots.  For reasons I won't get into, Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox walked away with a respective minus-two for the game.

There came the point when Coach Quinn was reprimanding Brendan Lemieux on the bench, if I remember correctly, after a neutral zone blunder.  How about Quinn coaches better and gives Lemiex more ice time!  

Yeah, I went there ...

And thank goodness for Colin Blackwell, who miraculously has seven points in only five games.  Artemi Panarin had eight shots on goal, which equals all five Rangers' centermen shots on goal combined.