Rangers' Artemi Panarin Hits 800-Game Milestone in Style

Artemi Panarin reached a significant career milestone Saturday, playing in his 800th NHL game. The Rangers winger made the occasion memorable by recording two goals and an assist as New York dominated Philadelphia 6-2 through two periods at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The performance came in the Rangers' first game since president and general manager Chris Drury released a letter to fans announcing a retool and informing Panarin he won't receive a contract extension. Rather than appearing distracted by the uncertainty surrounding his future, Panarin answered emphatically with one of his best performances of the season.

Panarin's three-point effort gives him 54 points on the season with 18 goals and 36 assists through 48 games. He extended his assist streak to eight games entering Saturday, the longest active streak in the NHL, and now has points in nine consecutive contests.

Historic Career Achievement

The milestone game represents another chapter in a remarkable career for an undrafted player who has defied expectations. Panarin became the sixth undrafted player since 1963-64 to reach 900 career points in 800 games or fewer when he hit that mark on December 4.

His 601 career points with the Rangers rank ninth in franchise history since signing as a free agent before the 2019-20 season. He reached 600 points as a Ranger on January 12, accomplishing the feat in just 475 games, the fewest in franchise history.

Panarin has led the Rangers in scoring for six consecutive seasons and continues to be their most consistent offensive threat. Among all NHL skaters since his debut in 2015-16, he ranks fourth in assists with 603 and fifth in points with 921.

Dominant Team Performance

The Rangers desperately needed a strong performance after losing eight of their last nine games, including a humiliating 8-4 home loss to Ottawa in their previous outing. Mika Zibanejad also found the net with three goals, while Alexis Lafreniere contributed two assists.