One-on-one with Artemi Panarin: Why all eyes are on Rangers' star as NHL playoffs begin

TARRYTOWN – Artemi Panarin stood by his locker at the MSG Training Center looking as relaxed as he has all season.

He was shirtless, with one leg propped up inside the stall while he rested his elbows on the raised knee. The only thing he was wearing – besides his hockey pants, thankfully – was a smile that’s rarely left his face since signing a seven-year contract with the Rangers back in 2019.

Despite that cheerful attitude and disarming demeanor, there was an unmistakable air of hesitation. Panarin has put together a dream season, but he’s choosing his words carefully when discussing what comes next.

“I’m trying to be conservative with what I say,” he told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network.

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As good as No. 10 has been for the Rangers – and he’s been excellent, with his career-high 120 points registering as the second-highest single season total in franchise history – he’s keenly aware that the upcoming playoffs will be his ultimate proving ground.

That effort will begin with a first-round series against the Washington Capitals that's expected to open Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

“I feel good about it, but there’s an important time in front of us,” Panarin said following the last practice of the regular season on Friday. “I kind of have to forget about the regular season. I’m just trying to be ready for the playoffs and the emotions (that come with it).”

It's no secret that the postseason been an emotional roller coaster in recent years.

One of the Rangers’ most upbeat personalities was beaten down by last year’s bitter first-round exit, telling reporters at breakup day, “I feel empty right now.” That sting was worsened by Panarin going without a point in each of the final six games against the New Jersey Devils, causing the chorus of doubters to reach a fever pitch.

He fattens up on points in the regular season, they said. He can’t get it done in the playoffs, they cried.  

Panarin prides himself on ignoring that chatter − he openly avoids smart phones and screen time, and on the rare occasions he does watch something, it's only Russian shows − but his own desire to perform burns as fiercely as anyone on New York's roster.

With those high standards comes pressure that can snowball quickly, which is exactly what happened last year around this time. It's become a subject he prefers to steer clear of, but make no mistake: He knows better than anyone that the Blueshirts will have a hard time ending their 30-year championship drought if he can't overcome those frustrations.

"I feel pressure for the team," he said. "I feel it for the Rangers. We have to win the Stanley Cup. That’s not just my personal pressure."

MVP

From the very start of the 2023-24 season, when a highly motivated Panarin showed up to training camp with a new shaved-head look, he's been a man on mission.

He opened with a 15-game point streak and ended with another 13-game tirade, racking up gaudy stats at every step along the way. The consistency was remarkable, with at least 13 points recorded in each month (and that low number came with only eight games played in April) and at least one point tallied in 67 of 82 games played.

He's been, without a doubt, the Rangers' most valuable player.

"I think those three letters (MVP) describe him very precisely and the way he’s taken control over games," said last year's Team MVP, Mika Zibanejad. "He comes up with big-time goals and big-time plays. I think he's always been one of the best, but he's really – it’s weird, in a way, to say – but he's taken another step. It's awesome to see. I’m happy for him – happy for our team that that he's been doing that. He’s going to be a big, key player for us going forward here. It's been impressive to watch."

At 32 years old, Panarin has reinvented his game in certain respects.

He remains one of the NHL's best playmakers, with his combination of vision, creativity and passing skills ranking among the league's elite for years. But that dynamic skill set led him to defer too much at times.

The biggest difference this season has been Panarin's aggressive nose for the net. The result was 49 goals, which ranked fifth in the NHL entering play Tuesday and blew past his previous career high of 32. Those tallies came off a career-high 302 shots on goal (his previous high was 228) and a 16.2% shooting percentage that also registered as the best he's ever posted.

That's been an obvious adjustment, but Panarin says the increased shot volume starts with his feet.

One of the knocks against the 6-foot, 175-pounder in the past was that he became too much of an east-west, perimeter player. But this season, he's created "more space" by staying in motion and working "closer to the net."

"More lanes, more time, more open ice," he said. "I’m getting open more."

Peter Laviolette has seen that translate into a star player who's hunting for opportunities, as evidenced by 94 high-danger scoring chances in all situations, according to Clear Sight Analytics. That's easily a career high, tying him with Alexis Lafrenière for most on the team and ninth most in the league.

"What's impressed me most about him is his compete level on pucks and in battles," the head coach said. "You talk about the offense, but you have to get that offense. You have to find ways to generate it. He uses his body and the leverage on his stick as well as anybody."

The changes in Panarin's game − both obvious and subtle − have led to the best season of his career while keeping the playoff disappointment that haunted him all summer at bay.

"I’ve felt that way since the first game of the year," he said. "The atmosphere and everything has been better for me. All year, I’ve felt like I’m in a better spot."

A different atmosphere

There's a lot to unpack under the surface when Panarin mentions the atmosphere surrounding the team.

He's offered plenty of hints throughout various conversations this season, but holds back from saying exactly what's on his mind.

"I can’t say why," he said. "I have my vision, but if I say it, it wouldn’t sound great. I’ll keep it that way."

The inference points to the change from previous coach Gerard Gallant, who privately and publicly lamented Panarin's penchant for risky passes that lead to turnovers, to Laviolette.

The previous player-coach relationship deteriorated, with Panarin feeling confined by demands that he play a simpler, straight-ahead style. It created indecision and took away the improvisation that makes him special. During the 2022 playoffs, he memorably told reporters, "I would love to do some stupid (stuff) on the blue line, but I can't."

Under Laviolette, Panarin has been allowed to let his natural instincts takeover. He points to his usage as a prime example of the trust between player and coach.

It's not that his average time on ice per game (20:07) is up all that much from last season (19:36). But Laviolette is maximizing those minutes by sending his star over the boards more frequently, with his average shifts per game jumping from 19.2 to 21.7.

"It's not about more ice time; it's different ice time," Panarin said. "My numbers (for average TOI) look the same, but it’s shorter shifts – and more shifts. It’s not about ice time; it’s about shifts."

He noted stretching his shifts longer than he probably should have last season because he didn't have as much faith that he'd be on the ice in critical moments. Now, "I know I’m going to get enough shifts," which has led to shorter, more effective bursts and better energy conservation.

"It makes it easier to get into the flow of the game," said Vincent Trocheck, who chimed in from the locker next door.

'The ice shows everything'

The bond between Panarin, Trocheck and Lafrenière has been another source of comfort and stability.

That trio has been married all season while becoming the highest-scoring line in hockey. The Rangers scored 54 goals with that line on the ice at five-on-five this season, according to moneypuck.com, while no other NHL line has produced more than 46. It's no coincidence that all three achieved new career highs in points.

Their chemistry has carried over away from the ice, as well, with the growing Panarin and Trocheck families spending time together on off days, while both veterans have served as constant sources of encouragement and input for the younger Lafrenière.

The connection is obvious as Trocheck listens in on Friday's chat. As Panarin discussed his ice time, Trocheck quipped, "If he played 60 minutes, that’d be ideal.” And when Panarin playfully pretended not to know how many points he'd accumulated heading into the final two games, Trocheck smiled and said, "He knows."

Their line has been relied on heavily throughout the season, and it will be no different come next week. Opposing teams are going to game plan around stifling them, aiming to reignite last year's playoff frustration.

"Part of the thing right now is changing our mindset for a different kind of hockey," Panarin said. "We have to be quick enough, because there’s not going to be that much free ice for us. We have to be ready for that. If we are, I hope things will go well."

Until Panarin proves he can operate in that type of tight-checking, pressure-packed environment, the questions about his ability to lead the Rangers to a title will linger. In five seasons with New York, the difference between his regular-season points average per game (1.32) and playoffs (0.67) is stark.

From this vantage point, he seems better prepared for the postseason grind than any previous time, but he's understandably reluctant to make proclamations about it. That's because he knows talking about his renewed confidence and improved headspace won't mean a thing once the puck drops for Game 1.

There's only one way for Panarin to exorcise his playoff demons, and it has nothing to do with his words.

"I can’t say anything right now," he said. "Like I said before the season, the ice shows everything."

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.