Opinion: My Top 5 Artemi Panarin moments

It has been a week since the New York Rangers traded Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings, and it still doesn’t feel real to me.

Quite frankly, it probably won’t hit me until the first game after the Olympic break when Kenny Albert and Dave Maloney talk about the trade on the MSG Network, or when the Kings' social media pages post Panarin in his new black-and-silver threads in pregame warmups.

Panarin first arrived on Broadway in July 2019, when he signed a 7-year, $81.5 million contract with the Blueshirts. From there, the Breadman delivered when the Rangers needed him most, serving up a multitude of moments that will forever remain etched in the minds of Rangers fans.

However, there can be some controversy over his playoff performances, with some years (16 points in 20 games during the 2022 playoff run) looking better than others (two points in seven games during the 2023 playoff run).

That being said, there is something so ironic about the Rangers trading their best free-agent signing in franchise history during the same season they celebrate their centennial anniversary.

I’ve taken the time to compile what are my top five favorite Artemi Panarin moments from his time with the Rangers.

No. 5: Assist in Adam Fox OT winner vs. Dallas Stars (Jan. 12, 2023)

This first moment is one that I am very happy to say I witnessed with my own eyes. The Rangers entered the third period trailing the Dallas Stars 1-0 after a second-period goal from Tyler Seguin.

With the goalie pulled and an extra skater on the ice, the Rangers suffocated the Stars in their own defensive zone. K’Andre Miller ripped a shot that was blocked, but he snapped at the puck again and scored with less than a second remaining in regulation.

Only a minute into overtime, Panarin received a feed at the blue line from Mika Zibanejad, maneuvered around Miro Heiskanen, and got a shot off against goaltender Jake Oettinger.

Heiskenen then fumbled the rebound while battling Zibanejad, and after a pile of bodies cleared from in front of the crease, Panarin sent the puck to Adam Fox who put it in the top shelf with his backhand, giving the Rangers an epic come-from-behind victory.

It was the loudest I have ever heard Madison Square Garden

No. 4: OT winner vs. Carolina Hurricanes (May 9, 2024)

Death, taxes and the Rangers winning in the playoffs over the Hurricanes (shhh, you can’t convince me 2020 counts. That was a preliminary round to qualify for the playoffs).

After winning the President’s Trophy with a league-best 114 points, the Rangers handled the wild-card Washington Capitals with ease and completed a four-game sweep, outscoring them 15-7.

The Rangers then advanced to the second round to face the Carolina Hurricanes, a team they faced during their 2022 playoff run.

That year, Carolina took an early 2-0 lead in the series, but in 2024, the Rangers gave them a taste of their own medicine and won both games at Madison Square Garden to not only go up 2-0 in the series but also put them on a six-game win streak.

Game 3 of the 2024 matchup required more than the allotted 60 minutes to decide a winner, and it was the Breadman who called the game.

On a pass from Vincent Trocheck, Panarin somehow managed to get his stick on the puck and, in one motion, deflect it between his legs and past the goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov. Panarin put the cherry on top with his signature leg-kick celebration.

The OT-winner extended the Rangers' win streak to seven games, something they had not done since 1994, when they last won the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, history did not repeat itself as the Rangers were bounced in six games by the eventual champions Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.

No. 3: 120-point campaign in 2023-24

There’s something special about seeing one of the greatest seasons in history, whether that history is just a specific franchise or the entirety of a league. Maybe it was Aaron Judge’s 62-homer season in 2022. Perhaps it was Alexander Ovechkin becoming the all-time goal scorer in the 2024-25 season.

It’s even better when it’s your favorite player, and that’s what I got to experience in 2023 when Artemi Panarin scored 49 goals and assisted on 71 others to finish the year with 120 points.

The Breadman chased Jaromir Jagr’s 2005-06 season, where the NHL legend scored 54 goals and recorded 123 total points, both of which remain season-highs in Rangers history.

During this season, Panarin recorded three hat tricks, had 14 games of recording 3+ points, and finished his regular-season campaign with a 13-game point streak in which he scored 13 goals and recorded 26 points over that span.

He even recorded a five-point game against the Penguins on Mar. 16 with two goals and three assists, another Panarin performance I was privileged to attend.

No. 2: Stadium Series OT winner vs New York Islanders (Feb. 18, 2024)

The seventh of nine Panarin jerseys I purchased was the Stadium Series jersey from 2024, and he gave me my money's worth by putting the exclamation point in a dramatic comeback victory over rival New York Islanders.

The Rangers got on the board first and took a 1-0 lead, but four unanswered goals from the Islanders erased that lead and completely took over the game.

After two second-period goals from Trocheck, the Rangers entered the third period down 4-3 and allowed the Islanders to extend that lead to 5-3 less than two minutes in.

With less than 90 seconds remaining in regulation and the Rangers on a power play with the goalie pulled for the extra skater, Zibanejad sent the game to overtime with a one-timer that stunned Islander fans everywhere.

The Islanders won the overtime-opening faceoff, and Noah Dobson skated back into his own defensive zone with the puck. The only Ranger in the area, Panarin, intercepted Dobson’s pass attempt, stick-handled, and put the puck into the back of the dislodged net.

After review, the goal was confirmed, giving Panarin the game-winner.

No. 1: Game 7 playoff series winner vs Pittsburgh Penguins (May 15, 2022)

In my opinion, it is impossible to think of Panarin’s time with the Rangers and not think about this goal.

There was so much drama in this series. Game 1 went to Pittsburgh in triple overtime. Casey DeSmith was injured during the second OT, forcing third-stringer Louis Domingue to take over for the rest of the series, and the Penguins blew a 3-1 lead to set up a winner-take-all Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

As did Game 1, Game 7 required more than 60 minutes to decide who would advance to the second round of the playoffs. With the game on the line on Broadway, the Breadman entered stage left.

On the power play, Panarin ripped a wrist shot from the left side of Tristan Jarry that, still, to this day, I have no idea how it got through traffic or where it passed Jarry.

The moment was forever engraved into Rangers history with a call from legendary broadcaster Sam Rosen. “He scores! He scores! Rangers, Rangers, Rangers win!”

While I may never do another Breadman kick unless it’s to relive the glory days, I will forever remember my time watching him with the Rangers.

Artemi, thank you for the memories. Best of luck with the Kings.

Dan Studer is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email dbs5866@psu.edu