Lineup changes
Gerard Gallant Rangers mixing lines, sending Artemi Panarin to the third line. Panarin has been unseen in all series, and aside from last year’s OT winner, he’s been unseen in the last two qualifying rounds. He’s been pretty underwhelming when it comes to his 16-game season, so his removal from the top six is well deserved.
New lines nowadays #NYR Practice:
Crider – Zip – Tarasenko
Ugh – Trochic – Ken
Panarin – Sheetel – Second
Vessey – Goudreau – My dead– Vince Z Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) April 28, 2023
However, this could be a kick in the pants for Panarin, who will likely never see his name among the top six in his career. He’s not the only one to blame, but as a star with an estimated net worth of $11.6 million, he’s the one who will receive the brunt of the blame. It’s not the only reason the Rangers struggle, but it certainly is, especially since the issues are about offense, not defense.
I will not take much stock in these lines. Gallant could simply send a message to his players before returning to what worked in Games 1 and 2.
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Rated: Line-up changes