Rangers' Anisimov is on a steep learning curve

TORONTO - Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper Friday termed Artem Anisimov, who scored his second goal of the season in the Rangers' 2-1 win over the Leafs on Thursday, as an "unknown".

Not quite. In his second season with the Rangers, Anisimov, 22, who is centering the team's first line, is gaining confidence and playing time, and taking things in stride with a developing sense of humor.

When told about being labeled an "unknown", Anisimov broke into a wide grin. "Who cares? You know why? I'm from Russia," he said. "The only Russians they know here are Ovechkin, Malkin."

On his first-period goal, the play developed along the right side. Ryan Callahan circled, dropped a pass to Michal Rozsival and Anisimov drove to the left side of the crease in front of goaltender Jonas Gustavsson and held that position.

"It's like when I see Cally go to the net," he said. "I stop, Rozy sees me and makes the pass."

Last year, he might have delayed or swung around. "Probably," he conceded.

As the Rangers prepared to face the Bruins in Boston on Saturday night, Anisimov compared his understanding of the NHL game in his second season to his two years in the AHL. In 2009-10, Anisimov was 12-16-28 in 82 games for the Rangers, similar to his 16-27-43 rookie season in Hartford before he scored 37 goals and 81 points in 80 games for the Wolf Pack his second year.

"It's like stairs," he said, using his hands to mimic the climb. "One game, it gets better, the next game, better and better. In the first year, I was learning everything here. Now, I use this . . . education. You see who plays against you, the defensemen, I know what moves to try . . . The same thing in Hartford, the first year I was learning the league, the penalty kill, the power play, and the next year, I play both and score. I feel confidence, a lot more. I worked hard all summer and it carries over."

Against the Leafs, Anisimov played 16 minutes, took three shots, recorded three hits and was Gustavsson's pokecheck away from a multi-goal game.

"He continues to progress," said coach John Tortorella. "With his aptitude, he learns very quickly. Artie was around it offensively and defensively; we put him on the ice at the end of the game [with the Rangers trying to maintain the one goal lead] and he did a good job on the faceoff going ahead."