At the start of the current regular championship of the National Hockey League, Artemy Panarin seems to have receded into the shadows among the Russian stars. Stamping goals and points in his venerable age for hockey, Alexander Ovechikn, successfully struggling with the syndrome of the second year Kirill Kaprizov, trying to gain a foothold in the top scorers of the league, Andrei Svechnikov. But the most expensive Russian striker is not doing so well this season.

However, from time to time Panarin confirms his extra class. Until Sunday, he did this exclusively in games against Columbus: Artemy managed to annoy his former club twice – with an assistant hat-trick and a double. But at the finish of the next week, Buffalo, one of the main losers of hockey America in recent years, was unlucky. Khlebushek again gave a hat-trick and it was again three assists.

In the opening period, Panarin helped the Rangers the biggest. He dragged the puck in the zone, fiddled with it at the side and rolled it under the throw to Chris Krider, as soon as the American was able to open normally.

In period two, Artemy tried to execute either a throw or a hard pass to the far post. As a result, the puck briefly disappeared from sight, defender Jake Truba spotting it first.

And after another 4 minutes, the Russian from his zone gave a pass under the blue line of a stranger to Kaapo Kakko – the Finn coming to life in front of his eyes, together with Ryan Stroom, created another abandoned puck.

Another match with three points scored helped Panarin repeat the record of his friend and former Chicago teammate Patrick Kane. Since the debut of Artemy in the NHL (season 2015-2016), both have 50 matches with “3+” scoring points. Connor McDavid tops the list.

For another Russian participant in the Rangers – Buffalo match, things were not going so well. New York goalkeeper Alexander Georgiev conceded 4 goals in 40 minutes and was replaced. Not to say that the goalkeeper failed – at first all the blame for the Sabers ‘goals lay with the hosts’ outfield players.

But the fourth goal of “Buffalo” turned out to be too easy and the coach of “blue shirts” Gerard Galland decided to throw Igor Shesterkin into the fight before the third period. The coach was not mistaken – Shesterkin remained dry.

The end of the hockey shootout turned out to be fiery – 0.7 seconds before the end of this victory, the Rangers were brought by American defender Ryan Lindgren. This is what real hockey happiness looks like.

Returning to Panarin, he rose to third place in the ranking of the best Russian scorers of the season. Artemy shares this line with Andrey Svechnikov, above only Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alexander Ovechkin. And the Rangers are fifth in the Eastern Conference. It seems that Khlebushka is doing quite well.