Artemi Panarin recorded an assist in his first game back at Madison Square Garden since being traded to the Los Angeles Kings, helping Los Angeles defeat the New York Rangers 4-1 on Monday.
Panarin, who spent seven seasons with New York, received a standing ovation and video tribute during the first television timeout. “To be honest, I was nervous the whole game,” Panarin said after the game, according to NHL.com, as he recently reminisced about Rangers fans while preparing for his return with the Kings.
He also added, “I’m glad guys scored the goals tonight, and then got a good win so it was nice. I was not much thinking about hockey tonight.” The Rangers’ four-game winning streak came to an end, while Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves and Quinton Byfield recorded two assists.
Panarin revisits his New York years
Panarin finished with 607 points (205 goals, 402 assists) in 482 regular-season games for New York, ranking ninth in franchise history. “Emotional, especially warmup,” he said. “Since I stepped on ice, and I saw all those jerseys, I felt good about that. It means a lot for me, I spent almost seven years here.”
Artemi Panarin #10 of the Kings waves to the crowd as he returns to MSG to play against the Rangers. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The victory improves Los Angeles to 28-24-15, tying the Seattle Kraken for the second wild card in the Western Conference. New York falls to 28-31-8 with the season winding down.
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