In this latest edition of New York Rangers News & Rumors, superstar forward Artemi Panarin is continuing to stay hot. In other news, after a strong performance against the San Jose Sharks, rookie forward Will Cuylle received praise from head coach Peter Laviolette. Meanwhile, Jonny Brodzinski is making the most of his recent NHL call-up and has been a real force for the Rangers. Lastly, after a cold start to the season, Mika Zibanejad appears to be turning things around.
Let’s discuss all of this and more in today’s (Dec. 4) Rangers News & Rumors column.
Panarin Gets Hat Trick vs. Sharks
A big reason for the Rangers’ 6-5 over the Sharks on Dec. 3 was Panarin. The 32-year-old put up a dominant performance against San Jose, posting three goals and an assist on the night.
Panarin has been playing the best hockey of his career this season, and it is a significant reason behind the Rangers’ early-season success. After this four-point night, he sits at 15 goals and 35 points in just 20 games this season. With that, he has nine points over his last five games.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Rangers’ 6-5 Win Over Sharks
After posting just two assists in seven postseason games this past spring, Panarin is on a mission this season. From here, it will be fun to see how he performs for the Blueshirts.
Cuylle Receives Praise From Laviolette
Cuylle scored his first goal since Nov. 7 against the Sharks, marking the end of a 10-game goalless streak. Following the game, Laviolette had this to say about the young forward:
“Young player, and he gives everything he’s got every night. He’s physical, and I think he’s off to a good start. He’s learning, but he’s off to a good start, and tonight he had a big moment. I think his effort has been consistent. I think this is a young kid who carries himself and plays hard, he’s fast, he’s physical, he hits, he goes to the front of the net and is a really coachable kid. So it was nice to see him score a big goal like that.”
Rangers Head Coach Peter Laviolette
Clearly, Laviolette is quite happy with what he has seen from Cuylle so far this season, even when the goals weren’t coming. It will be fun to see how the 21-year-old responds to his big game and Laviolette’s praise through his play.
Brodzinki Finding Success In Rangers’ Top Six
When the Rangers called up Brodzinski at the end of November, the expectation was that he would be there for added depth due to their current injuries. However, the 30-year-old has been given the opportunity to play top-six minutes over the Rangers last two games, and he has been excellent in the role.
After posting a two-assist night against the Nashville Predators, Brodzinski had two helpers again against the Sharks. It is hard to expect more from a veteran AHL forward call-up, and now he is showing the Rangers management that he can make a real impact. If he keeps this production up, perhaps he could stay with the Rangers once they get healthier.
Zibanejad Extends Point Streak to Seven Games
While Zibanejad had a slow start to the season, it is fair to say he is breaking the ice. With his goal and assist against the Sharks, the star center has improved his point streak to seven games. Over that span, he has four goals and five assists. Needless to say, he has been on fire, and that is immensely encouraging for the Rangers.
The hope is now that Zibanejad can keep this production up for the rest of the season. When noting that he had 39 goals and 91 points just last season, this should not be too much of a problem for him.