Rangers coach David Quinn: Artemi Panarin is better than I thought he was going to be

VANCOUVER, B.C. — With the kind of season Artemi Panarin has been having for the Rangers, coach David Quinn was asked if it seemed strange a few nights ago to look at the Flames-Rangers boxscore and not see any goals or assists next to his name.

“Yes,’’ Quinn said with a smile. “He’s been outstanding for us.’’

Panarin recorded a goal or assist in 31 of the 40 games the Rangers had played entering Saturday night’s game against the Canucks but went pointless in the Blueshirts' 2-1 loss. 

His 22 goals, 33 assists and 55 points are all team highs and have him on pace to set career highs in all categories. His highest point total is 87, set last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his highest goal total is 31, set in his second season in the league, 2016-17, while he was with Chicago. His 59 assists last year are his career high in that category.

At his current pace, Panarin would finish the season with 44 goals, 66 assists and 110 points.

“I actually asked him, ‘Is this the best hockey you’ve ever played?’ ’’ Quinn said. “He didn’t want to say that it has been the best hockey he’s ever played, but statistically, it certainly seems that way. But he’s always been a great player in this league, right from the minute he got here.

“But he’s better than I thought he was going to be.’’

Panarin, who already had been selected to play in the All-Star Game, on Thursday was named one of the NHL’s three stars for the month of December.

Panarin, who signed a seven-year, $81.5 million free-agent contract with the Rangers last July, can’t explain why he’s having such a spectacular season. He said he doesn’t feel as if there’s anything different about him since leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets to come to New York.

“I feel really the same,’’ he said. “Maybe some seasons I play better. It’s hockey. You’re not playing by yourself; you play with other guys. So sometimes you like it when somebody is feeling it that game — if Stromer [Ryan Strome] is feeling it, I just give him the puck, and he give me the puck. That works sometimes.’’

Panarin’s production early in the season was the biggest reason the Rangers were able to survive the injury to top-line center Mika Zibanejad that kept him out a month, from late October to late November.

The Rangers went 8-4-1 in the 13 games Zibanejad missed. Panarin had seven goals and 14 assists in the span and found instant chemistry with Strome, who helped him carry the team while Zibanejad was out.

The two have continued to produce since Zibanejad’s return, and Strome’s 37 points already are the second-highest total he has had in his own career. He, too, is well on track to surpass his own career highs goals (19, set last season), assists (33) and points (50) set in 2014-15 with the Islanders. He is on pace to reach 22 goals and 52 assists.

It was Panarin, though, who did the most to get the Rangers back in the game Tuesday in Edmonton after they fell behind 6-0. They got within 6-5 before ultimately losing, 7-5.

Panarin set up Chris Kreider’s goal at the end of the second period that got the Rangers on the board, then assisted on goals by Strome and Marc Staal before scoring one himself to get the Rangers within 6-4. Zibanejad’s goal made it 6-5.

Panarin’s four points tied his season high, set Dec. 12, when he had a hat trick and an assist in a road win over the Sharks.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.