STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS; RANGERS IN NEXT ROUND THANKS TO ARTEMI PANARIN’S GAME-WINNER IN OVERTIME.
The Rangers will now play the Carolina Hurricanes in the next round.
The New York Rangers signed Artemi Panarin before the start of the 2019-20 season for big moments like Game 7 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. On Sunday, he came through.
Panarin scored a power-play goal in overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins to wrap up their series and complete an incredible comeback in the series after going down 3-1. Panarin put a shot past Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry glove side for the Rangers to pick up the win.
It was Panarin’s third goal of the series.
New York had to play catch up during the game after going down a goal twice in the game.
Chris Kreider got things off on the right foot for the Rangers with a goal at the 7:36 mark. It was his fifth of the series. Pittsburgh would score two consecutive goals to go up 2-1 in the second thanks to Danton Heinen at the end of the first and Jake Guentzel about midway through the season.
K’Andre Miller tied the game with a goal about one minute after Guentzel put Pittsburgh up. However, the second period would come to an end with Evan Rodrigues on a breakaway goal.
The third period would give the Rangers some moment.
Mika Zibanejad scored his third goal of the series, the equalizer with about six minutes remaining in the game. Panarin would then come through for the Rangers in overtime.
Igor Shesterkin had 42 saves in the game on 45 shots. Jarry, who returned after not playing a single game since mid-March, had 26 saves in a gusty performance.
Panarin joined the Rangers from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019. He signed a seven-year, $81 million deal and his star power is exactly what the team needed in a pivotal moment.
He only had one goal for the Rangers in the playoffs before the Penguins series. He ended the first-round series with three goals and four assists.
New York will now play the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the playoffs.
