Assistant hat-trick and record for rookie goalkeepers: how Panarin and Sorokin became the stars of the day in the NHL

Another game day in the NHL has ended.

Teams from New York scored more regular season victories and continued to fight for the playoffs.

The Rangers beat Buffalo on their ice and the Islanders beat Philadelphia in overtime.

At the same time, domestic hockey players became one of the main characters of the meetings - Artemy Panarin helped his partners excel three times, and Ilya Sorokin made 36 saves and set a record for Russian goalkeepers-novices.

After a tense trip to one of the leaders of the Eastern Division - “Washington” - “Rangers” probably perceived the meeting with “Buffalo” as an ideal opportunity to replenish the points supply.

By this time, Don Granato's wards have lost 13 times in a row and hardly had serious reasons to count on the end of this series in matches against a team from New York.

Largely due to the return to the hosts of Panarin, who immediately began to justify the status of one of the main stars of the league.

In the last five games, he scored seven (3 + 4) points and only once left the ice without a single point.

It happened two days ago, and the Russian was clearly determined to rehabilitate himself for that failure.

True, Artemy came to the fore in the second period, and until that moment all the fans' attention was focused on the goalkeepers.

The hosts' place in the “frame” was taken by the nominally third goalkeeper Keith Kinkade and managed to please the fans with a number of spectacular saves.

At first, he did not allow his opponents to realize a couple of impromptu shootouts, and then, lying on the ice, he reflected Jeff Skinner's throw.

The guests had to trust Dustin Tokarski, for whom this match became his debut of the season.

Already in the third minute, Carter Hatton was injured in a collision with Julien Gaultier and was forced to leave the site.

Looking ahead, the Canadian did not flinch and performed at a high level, reflecting 33 shots.

As for Panarin, he again found himself in a link with Ryan Strom and Colin Blackwell, but over time the latter was replaced by Kaapo Kakko.

As it turned out later, this decision of the coaching staff became one of the key ones.

The 20-year-old Finn scored the third double in the overseas league and the first in the current championship, and both times he was assisted by Panarin.

In the first episode, Artemy snatched the puck from the opponent, drove around the gate and cut out a pass to a penny, and at the end of the confrontation he allowed his partner to hit an empty target.

At this point, the Rangers were leading 4: 3, and this goal removed all questions about the winner.

Buffalo lost for the 14th time in a row and repeated the NHL's anti-record.

It is noteworthy that Panarin's first effective action also had a major impact on the development of the match.

By the middle of the second period, the Rangers were inferior in the score, and the Russian's accurate pass helped Kakko restore equality in the score.

At the same time, after 3 minutes 26 seconds, he again organized a goal and allowed the hosts to come out ahead.

This time Artemiy appeared on the ice during the majority draw and left out of work the remaining three representatives of the “Sabers”.

Chris Krider, who turned out to be opposite the alignment, had only to substitute the club for the filigree transmission.

Thus, Panarin scored an assistant hat-trick for the fourth time this season and scored ten (3 + 7) points in ten days.

During this period of time, only Mika Zibanejad managed to demonstrate more impressive performance (4 + 7).

True, five out of 11 points came from the recent defeat of Philadelphia, during which the Swede succeeded in almost everything.

Suffice it to say that he scored the same amount in that match as in the entire championship.

It is noteworthy that Pavel Buchnevich was not far behind his teammates.

The right forward scored nine times (4 + 5), and one of the passes fell on the game against Buffalo.

At the end of the second period, he brought Adam Fox to goal, making him the Rangers' top scorer.

At the moment, his track record includes 29 (11 + 18) points - one more than Panarin (8 + 20).

True, Artemy spent ten matches less.

However, all of the above was not enough for Panarin to be recognized as the first star of the meeting between Rangers and Buffalo.

He became only the third, passing ahead of the aforementioned Fox and Kryder.

But what the Rangers forward did not succeed was done by the Islanders goalkeeper.

Ilya Sorokin played an outstanding game and helped his team win over Philadelphia.

The hosts dominated during the entire regular time.

In each of the periods, they significantly surpassed their opponents in throws, regularly loading Sorokin.

Only in the third period the difference in the number of shots on target was not twofold (11: 6), but for the whole match it turned out to be colossal - 37:20 in favor of the Flyers.

The Islanders went into deep defensiveness and relied entirely on the goalkeeper, who spent his first season in the NHL.

“In my opinion, today we had to score more than one goal.

We had a few things that we weren't doing very well when they were implemented.

We had excellent scoring situations, but their goalkeeper became a decisive factor in the end, ”admitted Flyers coach Alain Vigneau.

Sorokin wavered only once.

In the middle of the second period, "Philadelphia" carried out a massive attack, during which Oscar Lindblum was on a nickle.

Next to the Swede, there were two defenders at once, but none could prevent him from substituting a club for Claude Giroud's pass.

Nevertheless, the ex-goalkeeper of CSKA did not give up and subsequently made a number of spectacular rescues.

The goalkeeper did everything possible so that his partners had a chance of success, and they did not disappoint.

Oliver Wallström put the game into overtime and Anthony Beauvillier set the final result.

“Perhaps it can be called theft.

For this they usually give from five to ten (years) ", - the head coach of the guests Barry Trotz joked at the press conference.

Sorokin's performance was highly appreciated by his teammates.

Canadian forward Jean-Gabriel Pazho noted the Russian's contribution to the team's success and especially noted his work in training.

“Today Ilya was our best player.

In my opinion, his actions gave impetus to all of us.

He conceded only one goal, which we were able to play in the third period ... Every day, whether it's training day or match day, he always tries his best.

He is incredibly uncompromising, even in training.

When he misses the puck, he is unhappy with it.

He tries to make a save at every moment.

I think that's why he's so good.

He fights for us.

He plays for the emblem on our kit, and we are happy to have him with us, ”said Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pajot.

Sorokin won his eighth consecutive NHL match and set the longest streak record among rookie Russian goalkeepers.

In this measure, he bypassed Ilya Samsonov from Washington and Igor Shesterkin from Rangers, who helped their teams to prevail in seven games in a row last season.

Sorokin also took 23rd place in the number of victories in a row in NHL history, and four successful meetings separate him from the record of Boston legend Ross Brooks.

However, in the next game, he can repeat the best achievement of first-year goalkeepers in the 21st century.

It is owned by Jordan Binnington and Kaapo Kähkenen.