NHL Three Stars: Rangers' Panarin, Golden Knights' Thompson and Penguins' Crosby Dial it Up

This is THN’s Three Stars of the Week, a regular THN.com feature in which we pay homage to a trio of NHLers who made the biggest impact on their team in the past seven days. Here we go:

The 32-year-old Panarin has been one of the most dangerous offensive-minded players in the NHL this season, and this week, he posted seven assists and eight points in only three games for the Rangers. That gives him 44 goals and 107 points in 74 games this year – both career-best numbers in those two categories.

Panarin’s Stanley Cup playoff stats – including 46 points in 57 games – aren’t as impressive as his regular-season numbers are, but that’s not entirely on him. The Rangers need to be better around Panarin if they’re going to win a playoff series, but the good news for Blueshirts fans is that, once again, Panarin is capable of being an elite playmaker as well as a goal-producer. The best certainly could still be to come for him.

In three games this week, Thompson posted a 3-0-0 record, 0.98 goals-against average, and a .971 save percentage. The 27-year-old now has a 2.63 G.A.A. and .911 SP in 41 appearances this season, and at a salary cap hit of $766,666, he’s one of the NHL’s best bargains.

Thompson’s career numbers include a .913 SP and 2.65 G.A.A., so he’s clearly ratcheting up his game to new heights. The Golden Knights will need him to be sharp once the playoffs arrive, but for the moment, at least, Thompson is delivering tremendous results. He’s got a hell of a defense in front of him, but when called upon to be ready to perform, he’s come through with Grade-A performances. Vegas fans can rest assured goaltending won’t be a problem for them.

With eight assists and 10 points – including seven assists at even-strength – in four games this week, Crosby did whatever he could to keep his Penguins team in the playoff race. The Pens aren’t likely to make the post-season, and if they do miss out on the playoffs, it will be the second straight season that fate befell them. But you can’t say Crosby isn’t doing his part.

The 36-year-old center now has 35 goals and 79 points in 73 games; he last got that many goals in 2018-19, when he had 35 goals in 79 games. That’s a tremendous feat on his part, but should we be surprised? No. We’re talking about a top-10 all-time NHLer, and it makes perfect sense that his consistency and longevity as a mover-and-shaker in hockey’s top league is what puts him above the grand majority of his NHL colleagues. Crosby is a point-per-game force who has done everything asked of him – and while his Penguins team has underachieved in recent years, you can’t say the same thing of him.