Examining Artemi Panarin's Sentimental Return To New York
· Yahoo Sports
Add sentimental to the list of adjectives used best to describe attributes of Artemi Panarin.
On most nights, we are generally accustomed to seeing Panarin the player, who could be best described as talented, flashy, and exuberant.
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In his return to Madison Square Garden on Monday night, we saw flashes of Panarin the player, but more so, we witnessed the personal side of Panarin - his sentimental side.
The New York Rangers suffered a 4-1 loss to Panarin's Los Angeles Kings on Monday night in what was the first time Panarin played against the Blueshirts since being traded to the Kings on Feb. 5.
From the start of warmups, the spotlight was on Panarin, as he was greeted by fans with cheers.
The 34-year-old forward was the last player off the ice during warm-ups and even acknowledged the fans as they embraced him with cheers, something that is generally uncommon.
"Emotional, especially warmup. … Since I stepped on the ice, I saw the jerseys and all that stuff,” Panarin said. “I just feel good about that. That means for me a lot. I spent almost seven years here. ... I’m proud of it."
In typical Panarin fashion, he did his pregame ritual, flipping two pucks from center ice into the net, but switched things up by firing one puck onto the Rangers’ side of the ice, showing his sentimental side and showman's attitude.
In the first period, Panarin received a tribute video and a standing ovation from the home fans.
Throughout the game, Panarin conveyed a level of nervousness that he later confirmed, specifically on the power play in the second period when he found himself all alone at the flank, but he whiffed on the shot. In a way, this moment showed how eager Panarin was to create a moment for himself.
He ended the night with one assist and two shots on net, while he played a total of 15:42 minutes.
Instead of going to the home locker room, the majority of the media members attending the game went to speak to Panarin, as the small visiting locker room was swarmed with reporters.
An emotional Panarin confessed that his mind was not fully in the game, given the magnitude and high level of emotions that came with his return to the world’s most famous arena.
Artemi Panarin Unsure What To Expect Ahead Of Matchup Against Rangers Artemi Panarin returns to Madison Square Garden with his emotions still raw, just a few weeks after he was traded from the New York Rangers to the Los Angeles Kings."I was nervous (the) whole game,” Panarin said. “I was not much thinking about hockey tonight."
Monday night’s game felt like a fitting ending and conclusion to the Panarin era in New York. Panarin got to have his night basking in the past, and was greeted warmly, which he seemed to almost be relieved about.
Was this the closure Panarin needed to fully move on from his tenure with the Rangers?
“I’ll probably be nervous all the times I come,” Panarin said about if this experience can help him move on. “Obviously (it won’t be) like the first time, I hope.”