Panarin enjoying challenge of reaching new heights, setting standards with Rangers

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Listen to and talk with Artemi Panarin long enough, and it becomes clear that the New York Rangers forward is rarely satisfied and never thinks he was or is at his best.

Even now, with 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in eight games, one point in every game and at least two in half heading into a Tuesday night showdown against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN), Panarin has this to say about his play:

"I think not bad."

"He sets such a high goal for himself and tries each day to achieve that," said Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome, who played with Panarin in New York from 2018-22. "I think that's his way of being motivated."

But even Panarin couldn't and still can't deny that last season he was pretty darn close to being at his best with 49 goals, 17 more than he had in any of his previous eight seasons, and 120 points, 24 more than his previous NHL high.

Only, that level of personal success, it created a concern for Panarin going into this season.

"I feel it's easier to be more motivated when you don't have that," he said. "I don't have that this year, and I was so nervous about it before the season. The season before I had not the best finish, you know, and it makes you very hungry and angry. When I have the kind of year I had last year it doesn't make you that hungry. I'm not saying I'm not hungry right now, it's just human nature. So, for me, it's easier to be motivated after a bad year."

To Panarin's point, he had only two points, both assists, in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Rangers were knocked out of the Eastern Conference First Round in seven games by the New Jersey Devils. Panarin was taking on criticism about his performance. He did something about it.

Last season, Panarin followed his 120 points in the regular season with 15 (five goals, 10 assists) in 16 playoff games, helping the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final before losing in six games to the Florida Panthers, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Turns out, this season, there wasn't any reason for Panarin to be nervous about doing it again. He had 11 points (five goals, six assists) after four games, including a hat trick in a 5-2 win at the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 17. He has a point in each of his past four games, including an assist and six shots on goal in a 2-1 win against the Ducks on Saturday.

"Just go to the last game, it seemed like the puck was on his stick constantly," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "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 is on his stick and he can hang onto it and he can find the next play, make the next play, create the next scoring chance.

"He was able to do that last year, and this is just extending from last year moving onto this year. Even watch him in practice, the puck is on his stick and it's hard to get it off of him, and he's able to get it off of other people by how he competes on pucks."

Panarin, who turns 33 on Wednesday, said he is taking it as a challenge to find the motivation to match or exceed what he did last season.

"But I like the pressure," he said. "I like people to be worried about my job. I've started to respect that in my life. When I was younger, I thought it was just a normal job, no pressure, just playing hockey. Now I enjoy it from the pressure side of it too."

For the second straight offseason, Panarin worked intensively on his shot.

He did it last summer and noticed the difference when the season started, a big reason why he shot the puck more than he ever had before in the NHL, finishing with 303 shots on goal, 75 more than his previous NHL high of 228 in 81 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2017-18.

Panarin had 204 shots on goal in 82 games in 2022-23.

This summer, he also modified his offseason training to challenge himself, spending more time working on what he called "skill skating," incorporating small area movement and cutbacks with the puck to mimic one-on-one battles along the wall and freeing himself to make a play.

"Never did that before," Panarin said. "I don't know if I can say right now that's helped me yet. With the shot you can feel it right away. You can pick the corners. You can have more power. I don't know if you can feel it on skating."

Call it a work in progress if you want, but if you go back to the game Saturday against the Ducks and what Laviolette said about Panarin's ability to have the puck on his stick, it's a sign that, yes, it's working.

Of course, it's not new that Panarin has the puck a lot, but the way he gets it matters as much to the Rangers as his production, and that's happening a lot so far this season.

"Stick battles, he's winning most of them," center Vincent Trocheck said. "For his size you wouldn't expect him to win it. That's not something that people really notice but he wins the majority of those battles."

To Trocheck's point, it's easy to steer your focus away from Panarin's ability to skate in small areas, win 1-on-1 puck battles and retrieve pucks that may come off his stick in the offensive zone because his playmaking, vision and, for the past season-plus, shot, are what directly lead to the result of another Rangers goal.

That ability Panarin has to keep plays alive along the wall, and win the puck back if he loses it, is as important to his game and the Rangers' success with him in the ice as his vision, playmaking and shot.

"It sounds weird and, in my head, I'm trying to figure out how to say it, but he loses the puck in smart ways for him to be able to get it again," center Mika Zibanejad said. "He puts it in positions that it's going to be hard to reach him but if you do, he still has that step and the ability to get it back. If you look at how he retrieves the puck, a lot of pucks are around him."

Panarin understands full well that skill is working for him too. He even smiled when Zibanejad's analysis was relayed to him. But admitting it? No chance.

"If I say it, I'll probably lose a puck tomorrow for a breakaway against us," Panarin said.

If he says it, it would be an admission of success, which to Panarin becomes a concern about motivation, an internal battle he's so clearly winning.

"He's a very interesting guy the way he's motivated," Strome said. "He feels he needs to challenge himself because he's so much better than a lot of guys. It's not a cocky thing to say, it's a confident thing. He puts these challenges on himself to keep pushing himself every day."