Artemi Panarin, Rangers mount comeback in thrilling outdoor showdown – Beragampengetahuan

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — If there’s any doubt about if players felt extra juice playing outdoor games, look at the celebrations. Erik Gustafsson dropped to a knee and repeatedly jabbed the air when he opened the scoring. Vincent Trocheck raised his stick like a staff and thrust it forward after tipping in a shot in the second period, and Mika Zibanejad spun in a circle after tying the game late in the third. He grinned, extending his left arm so Alexis Lafrenière could leap into him for a hug.

Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium wasn’t a time for players to act cool, to act like they’d been there before. This was a time to soak in a special atmosphere, to make memories in front of nearly 80,000 fans.

“I had to hold back tears just because it was that much of a spectacle,” forward Artemi Panarin said through a translator after his three-point effort helped the Rangers to a 6-5 overtime win against the Islanders, their in-state rivals.

“The emotion in the game was top-notch,” Trocheck added. “This is what playoff hockey is like.”

The quality of the game matched its environment. It wasn’t always glamorous or well-played, but, boy, did it deliver in terms of excitement. To win, the Rangers had to erase a three-goal deficit and score twice in the final five minutes to send the game to overtime. The event might have been listed as an Islanders home game, but every Rangers goal made it clear that their fan base was well represented. Captain Jacob Trouba found the roars distinct. Fans were farther away than at Madison Square Garden because of the stadium’s dimensions, but the sheer number of spectators — 79,690 to be exact — made for rumbling ovations that echoed across the bowl.

“If this is half as fun for the fans as it is for the players, then I think everyone has a great time here,” Trouba said.

The game started with a historic debut. Rangers 21-year-old Matt Rempe played in his first-ever game, becoming the first player in NHL history to make his debut outdoors, according to NHL Stats. And with the Rangers leading 1-0 following Gustafsson’s goal, he left his fingerprints — or knuckle prints — on the game as quickly as he could. After a faceoff on his first shift, the 6-foot-8 rookie fought Matt Martin, the longtime Islanders forward 13 years his senior.

“We were lined up there and he told me congrats and asked me if I wanted (to fight),” Rempe said. “I was like ‘hell yeah, I want it.’”

An early fight has broken out between Matt Rempe and Matt Martin!#StadiumSeries pic.twitter.com/7IycRfW3rK

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 18, 2024

The two large forwards flailed at each other during the fight, remaining on their feet the whole time. Though there wasn’t a clear winner, Rempe managed to make contact with a couple of punches. Flooded with adrenaline after the bout, the 21-year-old waved his arms up and down to excite the crowd. In the penalty box afterward, Martin told him that he had previously fought 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara but thought Rempe had longer arms.

“Kudos to Martin for giving him his first one up here,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “It was a heckuva fight.”

Before long, the Rangers’ good vibes post-fight would feel a century old. The Islanders rattled off a trio of goals in the game’s opening 10 minutes. Igor Shesterkin looked more like the goalie who struggled in January than the one who shut out Calgary in his most recent start. After the third goal, a Mathew Barzal redirect from the slot, Laviolette called timeout, needing his team to refocus.

The Rangers’ struggles continued as the second period began. Chris Kreider took a hooking penalty, and Anders Lee redirected a Pierre Engvall shot into the Rangers net. Fortunately for Laviolette’s club, Zibanejad drew a slash shortly after. The Rangers’ power play had given away an opportunity earlier in the game by committing a penalty, but this time it came through. The top unit sustained offensive zone time against the Islanders’ league-worst penalty kill, and Panarin flung a shot on net from the high slot. Trocheck tipped the shot, fooling Ilya Sorokin.

Asked why he had faith in his team to come back, Trouba said simply: “We have really good players, really good power play.” The power-play goal gave the Rangers a lifeline in the second period — a sign of what was to come later in the game.

Trocheck, playing in his first career outdoor game, brought the Rangers within a goal later in the second. Sorokin couldn’t quite grab hold of a loose puck in front of the net to freeze play. Trocheck pulled it onto his stick and chipped it into the net.

Shesterkin, meanwhile, had regained his form, at one point stopping 15-consecutive Islanders shots. That stretch ended with a bit of bad luck for the Rangers early in the third period. Two minutes into the final frame, Alexander Romanov’s stick hit Ryan Lindgren’s face on a follow through. Lindgren fell to the ice and remained down, which left Romanov alone next to the net. Islanders’ top defenseman Noah Dobson found his partner with a pass. Romanov jabbed it into the net.

After clawing back within a goal, the Rangers once again had a multi-goal deficit.

“We try to take a look at ourselves and see what we have to do,” Zibanejad said. “In situations where we’re down, we know what we have to do.”

The power play, paired with aggressive coaching by Laviolette, saved the Rangers. With the teams playing four-on-four hockey following matching roughing minors to Trocheck and Romanov, Barzal hooked K’Andre Miller. Though more than five minutes remained in the game, Laviolette pulled Shesterkin to gain a five-on-three advantage. The Islanders haven’t scored an empty-net goal all year, and the coach was desperate for a goal.

The decision paid off. Shortly after Trocheck and Romanov left the penalty box, Kreider tipped in a Panarin shot for a six-on-four goal. Often stoic after scoring, Kreider let out a shout of excitement. Asked postgame if he appreciated Laviolette’s aggression in pulling Shesterkin, he responded simply.

“Worked out, so I liked it,” he smiled.

Already burned twice by the Rangers power play, the Islanders once again committed a penalty late in the third, this time a Scott Mayfield trip. A penalty proved costly once again for Patrick Roy’s club. With less than two minutes remaining, Zibanejad one-timed a puck past Sorokin, sending the game to overtime.

That set up Panarin heroics. The Russian winger had made the most of the outdoor game, bringing his 1-year-old son to family skate Friday and letting the youngster try on his No. 10 helmet. Overtime gave him the chance to make one more memory. He snatched a puck from Noah Dobson after Trocheck lost the opening faceoff, then tried to poke a puck past Sorokin. The Islanders goalie made the initial save, but the rebound went right to Panarin. This time his shot beat the goalie, crossing the goal line moments after Dobson knocked the net off its moorings.

“I don’t remember that goal very well at this point just because I got flooded with a wave of emotions, excitement,” Panarin said, joking that he was 80 percent sure the puck crossed the line.

He leaped into Trocheck’s arms, and the Rangers flooded off the bench like they’d just won a playoff game in overtime. Trouba peeled off and skated to the officials, who were convening. Since the net was off its moorings, the captain wanted to make sure the goal counted. The officials told him it did, but the play was under review.

It didn’t take long for the results to come in. The goal stood, and the referee’s announcement gave the Rangers another chance to celebrate. They skated toward Shesterkin, who jumped up and down with glee.

“This is definitely the top of my list of experiences and games and memories that I’ll take with me forever,” Zibanejad said.

BELIEVE. pic.twitter.com/fbMm4X8Kpz

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 18, 2024

If a non-playoff game can qualify as a classic, this outdoor game might have been one.

“These games that take place are special,” Laviolette said. “Fortunate to be a part of (outdoor games), and there have been some good ones. But this one’s got to be up there. It’s got to be near the top of the list.”

(Photo: Dennis Schneidler / USA Today)