Red-hot Artemi Panarin, Rangers visit surprising Capitals

It might be a new NHL season, but New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin has picked up right where he left off at the end of 2023-24.

He and the Rangers strive to continue a solid start when they visit the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.

Last season, Panarin dominated offensively, leading New York with a career-high 49 goals and 120 points in 82 regular-season games, while his 71 assists were just three shy of his personal best. His point total ranked fourth in the NHL while his goals placed him fifth.

Three weeks into the current campaign, Panarin, who turns 33 on Wednesday, leads the Rangers with 15 points (six goals, nine assists) and has yet to be held off the scoresheet through eight games. He has nearly twice as many points as his nearest pursuant teammates, Alexis Lafreniere and Adam Fox, each of whom have eight.

"He was elite for us last year," coach Peter Laviolette said. "Just going to the last game (against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday), it seemed like the puck was on his stick constantly. I think he works hard to create those opportunities; he works hard to create those battles where possession comes his way. And then once he does get possession, the puck's on his stick and he can hang on to it and he can find the next play, make the next play, create the next scoring chance. ...

"He's got an elite skill level. To me, it showed last year and it's showing again this year."

The Rangers as a team have also extended last season's success into the early goings of this campaign. They're 6-1-1 heading into the tilt against the Capitals and were handed their first regulation loss on Oct. 24 in a 3-1 setback against the Florida Panthers.

They had scored at least four goals in each game before falling to the Panthers, and they followed that with a 2-1 win against the Ducks. After finishing seventh in the NHL last season in goals with 278, they entered Monday's schedule tied for fourth with 34, putting them on pace for nearly 350.

Though placing among the top teams in the league was expected for New York, it was less so for the Capitals. Washington is a surprising 5-2-0 out of the gate and had won five straight before being blanked 3-0 by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

"The past few years, they've been a good benchmark team for the league, for the East and for our division," forward Tom Wilson said of New York. "And we know that it's going to be a tough game. ... So we've got to be sharp, and we've got to be good with our game plan. We want to show that we match up well with some of the best teams around the league."

Wilson is off to a hot start when it comes to putting the puck in the net, leading the Capitals with five through seven games. It's a pace that, if he were to keep it up, would obliterate the 30-year-old's current career-high of 24, set in 2021-22.

Dylan Strome leads the team in overall scoring with nine points (three goals, six assists), one ahead of Connor McMichael (three goals, five assists).

--Field Level Media