Rangers With a Night Full of Milestones in Win

Last night was one to remember for the Rangers. It was their 46th win of the season, as they beat the Boston Bruins 5-2 at TD Garden. It was a slow start for the Blueshirts, but as the game went on, they got better and better. More importantly, it was a special night to remember for Head Coach Peter Laviolette, Artemi Panarin, and Jonathan Quick, as they each would accomplish something in the midst of the win.

Lets start off with Head Coach Peter Laviolette. He has done an outstanding job so far in his first season with the Rangers, and he should definitely be in the running for the Jack Adams Trophy as the league’s best coach. Last night he coached in his 1,500th game, becoming only the 9th coach in NHL history to accomplish the feat. It was also his 798th career win, meaning he is only 2 away from 800 in his career. Once he gets to win number 800, he would be only the seventh to achieve that.

Artemi Panarin is arguably having the best season of his career. And this also includes when he had 95 points in 69 games in 2020 before the league shutdown. But last night he recorded a hat trick, and at 19:25 of the second period he recorded his 40th goal of the season to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead. This is the 32 year old’s first career 40 goal season. In addition he would pot the empty netter in the third for the trifecta. This season, he is up to 41 goals, 56 assists, and 97 points. The next milestone for him would be point number 100, which would be something he’s never done before.

Last but not least, Jonathan Quick recorded win number 391 of his career. The win put him tied with Ryan Miller for the most wins by an American goalie in NHL history. Should he win his next game, he will be in sole possession of the number one spot, putting him in the record books as arguably the greatest American born goalie to lace up the skates, if he isn’t already. Quick recorded 24 saves in the Rangers win and came up huge, especially in the first period after the Blueshirts sluggish start. So far this season, he is 16-5-2, with a .916 save percentage. a 2.44 goals against average, and 2 shutouts.

Last night was a prime example of what the Rangers can be capable of when they’re playing at their best, especially since they proved it against the top team in the Eastern Conference. It was a night to never be forgotten by these three players. The Rangers will be home Saturday night when they welcome the Panthers to town in a clash between two of the leagues best.