Artemi Panarin, Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere a winning trifecta for Rangers

SEATTLE – The chemistry between linemates Artemi Panarin, Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafrenière is building, which was evident on the first of two goals scored by Panarin in Saturday’s 4-1 Rangers victory over the Seattle Kraken in the opening game of the Blueshirts’ five-game road trip.

The goal, which came at 12:15 of the first period, with the Rangers trailing, 1-0, came about when Lafrenière pressured Seattle defenseman Vince Dunn behind the Kraken net, forcing him to throw the puck around the boards. The puck ended up on Chytil’s stick, and he zipped a cross-ice pass to Panarin, wide open in the right circle. Panarin had all the time he needed to pick a spot above the inside shoulder of goalie Philipp Grubauer and roof the puck for his second goal of the season.

“That was a good forecheck from Laf,’’ Chytil said. “He skated hard there to the battle. They just flipped the puck on the wall, and I saw ‘Bread’ [Panarin] on the other side, on the back post, open. So I just made a pass, and that was a beautiful shot from him… And we started to be even more aggressive after that, our line. I think we had so many chances, we could have scored even more goals in the game.’’

They ended up with three, Panarin’s two and one by Lafrenière. Chytil assisted on all three.

Coach Peter Laviolette said he intended to try the trio together in the preseason, but an upper-body injury suffered by Chytil scuttled that plan. They’ve been together since the regular season started, however, and have been perhaps the Rangers’ best line, having dominated two of the five games the team has played, Saturday’s game, and the season opener in Buffalo.

Panarin pointed out that he played a few games with Chytil last season, and despite not having played together as a threesome before, they all have been on the team together for the past three years.

“I know how [Chytil] plays; he knows how I play, for sure,’’ Panarin said. “Of course, I have to think about where he goes, and then I try and [adapt] my game a little bit. But it’s nothing crazy. It’s like usual when you play with other players – the first time you look to see where your partners are, and then you figure out what to do.’’

Laviolette said he put the three together mostly because he wanted to try and get the old Kid Line players, Chytil, Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko, more ice time this season. (Kakko is playing on the top line, with Miks Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, and he scored his first goal of the season Saturday.)

“They're different pieces,’’ the coach said of Panarin, Chytil and Lafrenière. “Sometimes a line that has all three of the same thing, it might be off a little bit. So I think they bring a little bit something different to the table with how they play the game. So far it's been good.’’

Blue notes:

After a day off Sunday, the Rangers practiced in Seattle Monday before flying to Calgary for Tuesday’s game. Fourth-line center Nick Bonino did not practice because of an illness, the team said, and Laviolette said he didn’t know whether Bonino will be available Tuesday… Seattle forward Andre Burakovsky will miss 6-8 weeks with an upper body injury, the team said. Burakovsky left Saturday’s game after a hit from Jacob Trouba. “That was obviously bad,’’ Trouba said of Burakovsky’s injury. “He's injured and it's no good. But it wasn't really a malicious hit, or anything. I just kind of tried to get in the way of him coming back to the net.’’

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.