Artemi Panarin very demanding | The Journal of Montreal

Forward Artemi Panarin collected 96 points last season, but it will take more to satisfy him and he intends to raise his game a notch this year.

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The New York Rangers left-winger finished 12th in scoring in 2021-22 and was a key part of his team’s offense. However, he considers that his performances, especially in the playoffs, could have been better. The Russian intends to take the necessary steps to remedy the situation, he who helped his club reach the final of the Eastern Association last spring.

“I was way too long on the boards with the puck. There have been good times in the campaign, about 15-20 games, except it needs increased disk circulation, he said, as reported by the New York Post daily. I was not as fulfilled as expected. I wanted to do better. I made a few unfortunate plays and those mistakes shouldn’t have happened. »

“When we were losing games, I had to take risks. When it didn’t work, it looks like I didn’t do anything. At that point, I lost confidence and that led to various mistakes,” he added.

Different bell sound

For his part, head coach Gerard Gallant does not hope, on the contrary, to see any change in the performance of the attacker.

“I had no problem with him last year, not at all. I like the way he plays, he said. We had a discussion two or three weeks ago and he said he wants to be near the net more often. That’s what we hope too. »

“Except that I won’t take anything away from his game. He’s a talented hockey player who makes excellent plays and great passes. I won’t tell him to play vertically. I want him to show off his style, which is why we got him,” Gallant continued. When he has the puck, I hope he will bet on his creativity. Nobody in our system plays the same way and I see it.