BOSTON — Artemi Panarin is such a goal-scorer now, he even scores when he’s trying to pass. He had a pivotal goal inside the final minute of the second period here on Thursday, the second of his three on the night, when he sent the puck across the low slot for Alex Wennberg and it deflected off two Bruins and in to put the Rangers in front.
They continued on to a 5-2 win over Boston, the NHL’s points leader. But now the team with the best points percentage is the Rangers, who played a strong final 40 minutes against an elite opponent and came away on top. Panarin’s hat trick led the way — he now has 41 goals on the season, cracking the 40-goal mark for the first time in his exceptional career. He’s also now three points from his first 100-point season and the Rangers’ first since Jaromir Jagr did it in 2005-06.
BOSTON (AP) — Artemi Panarin only needed to beat the goalie once to tally his third hat trick of the season.
The Rangers forward gave New York a 1-0 lead on a wrist shot he threaded through the legs of a Boston defender and goalie Jeremy Swayman. After the Bruins tied it, Panarin got credit for his second goal when Boston’s Jake DeBrusk knocked the puck into his own net.
“It’s a nice feeling, obviously, when you get that goal. But I was pretty honest, for my part: I tried try to pass,” said Panarin, who completed his seventh career hat trick with an empty-net goal.
“I got it on my side tonight,” he said with a sheepish smile, “and thank you.”
Jonathan Quick stopped 24 shots to help the Rangers beat NHL-best Boston for the third time in as many tries this season. It was his 391st career victory, tying Ryan Miller for the most by an American goalie.
“Unreal guy. So glad he’s on our team,” defenseman Braden Schneider said. “Legend. I can’t say enough good things about him. He’s an amazing player and an amazing person.”
The Rangers now have 96 points to lead the Metropolitan Division and close within one point of Boston, the defending Presidents’ Trophy winners, for the best record in the NHL.
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