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Panarin scores, Trocheck adds 3 assists as Rangers down Blackhawks 4-1

By ALLAN KREDA and Associated Press
Published  January 4, 2024 8:50pm CST
Blackhawks
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Artemi Panarin scored his team-best 24th goal, Vincent Trocheck added three assists and the New York Rangers defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Thursday night.

Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba and Jimmy Vesey also scored for the Rangers, who rebounded from Tuesday's 6-1 home loss to Carolina and improved to 10-1-0 in games after a loss this season. Igor Shesterkin made 22 saves.

Former Ranger Colin Blackwell scored for Chicago, which lost its fourth straight and for the sixth time in seven games.

The Rangers have won six of their last seven meetings with the Blackhawks and New York improved to 12-3-1 against Western Conference opponents.

Shesterkin had a relatively easy night's work against the last-place Blackhawks as he improved to 16-8-0 and won for the sixth time in seven games.

Panarin opened the scoring, with a one-timer past Chicago goaltender Petr Mrazek at the 13-minute mark of the first period with assists to Alexis Lafreniere and Trocheck. Mrazek had 27 saves.

Panarin, who played his first two NHL seasons for the Blackhawks, extended his points streak to six games and has points in 31 of the New York's 37 games this season. He leads the Rangers with 53 points.

Kreider made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 7:23 of the second. The puck deflected off Kreider's skate into the Blackhawks net but was ruled not to be a distinct kicking motion and therefore a goal, Kreider's 20th of the season. Kreider has a career-best points streak of eight games.

Blackwell narrowed the deficit to 2-1 at 17:03 of the second with his first goal of the season.

Trouba made it 3-1 with his third at 1:31 of the third period - with assists to Panarin and Trocheck - before Jimmy Vesey scored his eighth at 2:41.

Trocheck is second on the Rangers with 27 assists. Panarin has 29.

Chicago rookie Connor Bedard, the top overall pick in last June's draft, made his New York-area debut and was held off the scoresheet. The 18-year-old forward leads the Blackhawks with 15 goals and 33 points.

The contest also marked the NHL debut of Rangers forward Brennan Othmann, the 16th overall pick in 2021, who was recalled from AHL Hartford on Wednesday. 

He had nine goals and 23 points in 28 games this season for Hartford.