Artemi Panarin is back, at least for now.
Before the New York Rangers’ Friday night game against the Detroit Red Wings, Panarin was really struggling, as he had recorded zero points in his previous six games.
In an attempt to shake things up, Panarin shaved his head.
“I had to change something,” Panarin said about shaving his head. “Next stop, left stick for me.”
It’s safe to say that Panarin’s new hairstyle or lack of hair changed his misfortunes on Friday night.
The 34-year-old forward recorded one goal, two assists, and three points en route to a 4-1 Rangers win.
Throughout the entire night, Panarin was all over the ice, making plays and generating offense like a true magician.
The Panarin of old was on full display.
“He drives offense every game,” Mike Sullivan said of Panarin. “He makes a handful of plays every game that could end up in the net, they just haven’t to this point. Tonight, they did. He scores a nice goal, that’s a goalscorer's goal. He’s had a number of those looks. Tonight, they went in for him.”
Panarin was noticeably quicker on the ice and looked almost rejuvenated against the Red Wings.
It’s been clear that Panarin has had this slump on his mind, but his strong performance could be used as a turning point.
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“To be honest, I sharpened my blades differently,” Panarin said about looking quicker. “Was thinking, probably, less.''
We’ll now see if Panarin can carry on this performance and flip the switch on his slow start to the season.