Two quick strikes early in the third-period had given the Rangers a one-goal lead late in Tuesday's game against the Washington Capitals at the Garden. Then, defenseman Brendan Smith retrieved a Capitals dump-in out of the right corner at his own goal line. A quick flick of the wrists, and suddenly, the puck was on the stick blade of Artemi Panarin, 110 feet away.
A couple seconds later, after Panarin scored on the breakaway, the Rangers had an important insurance goal in a game they would go on to win, 5-2. It was the finish of a brilliant third period by Panarin, who’d set up goals by Kaapo Kakko and Adam Fox to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.