Artemi Panarin scored four goals to lead the New York Rangers to a 6-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday night.
Panarin, who entered the game with 199 career NHL goals, scored three straight as the Rangers rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win their fifth straight game. It was Panarin’s first four-goal game, and he added an assist.
Jaroslav Halak made 27 saves and won his seventh straight start.
Teuvo Teravainen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored for the Hurricanes, who had won seven straight, but were playing their first game since the All-Star break. Frederik Andersen made 13 saves.
Carolina’s Sebastian Aho saw his six-game goal streak end.
Mika Zibanejad gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 13:37 of the first period. After his initial shot was blocked by Jordan Martinook, Zibanejad got the puck back and lifted it high past Andersen.
The Hurricanes tied it 1-1 at 6:50 of the second period when Teravainen’s shot from the right face-off circle deflected in off Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller.
Kotkaniemi gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead at 9:43 of the second. Halak made the initial save on Kotkaniemi’s point blank shot, but the Carolina forward got to the rebound and backhanded it home.
Panarin made it 2-2 at 17:49. After a Carolina turnover, the Rangers entered the zone 2-on-1, and Vincent Trocheck passed across to Panarin, who scored on a wrist shot from the right circle.
Panarin gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead at 4:33 of the third period. After the Hurricanes lost the puck in their zone, Andersen made the save on Braden Schneider’s slap shot from the point, but Panarin knocked in the rebound.
Moments later Halak made a great save against Aho on a partial breakaway to maintain the lead.
Panarin completed the hat trick on a breakaway to make it 4-2 at 15:59.
Kaapo Kakko scored into an empty net with 2:14 remaining and, with Andersen back on the ice, Panarin scored his 16th of the season with 1:04 to play.
–Field Level Media
