WASHINGTON — This was the start to the playoffs that Artemi Panarin had to have.
After failing to score a single goal in last season’s first-round exit against the Devils, the star Russian wing posted two goals in the Rangers’ Round 1 sweep of the Capitals, including the series-clinching game-winner in the team’s 4-2 victory in Game 4 on Sunday night.
“It’s really important for us,” goalie Igor Shesterkin said of his compatriot. “He always plays great, all series he played great. Today, he scored the winning goal. It’s huge for us.”
Panarin’s 123 points through the regular season and playoffs so far surpassed Vic Hadfield for the second-most by a Ranger in a single season — behind only Jaromir Jagr’s 124 points in 2005-06.
The power-play goal Panarin scored at the 3:21 mark of the third period Sunday was his second series-clinching goal, making him one of just eight players in franchise history to record multiple series-clinching scores.
Now sitting one point away from 50 career playoff points, Panarin can join Martin St. Louis (47 GP), Adam Oates (48 GP), Steve Duchesne (57 GP), Joe Mullen (57 GP) and Tim Kerr (58 GP) as the sixth undrafted player in the past 35 years to register 50 career playoff points in 60 games or fewer.
“That confidence I think builds,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “Guys feeling the puck, they’re moving the puck, they’re producing and it gives them confidence. That’s what they thrive in. He had an amazing year, as well. I think the work through the course of the year has set himself and pushed himself to a point where now he can enter the playoffs and continue to play that way.”
Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren and Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren are the 36th set of brothers to play against each other in the playoffs. They are also only the fourth pair in which one is a goalie and the other a skater.
The Capitals made some significant lineup changes for Game 4, reinserting a couple previously injured defensemen in Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin, as well as swapping Alex Ovechkin and Max Pacioretty.
