It happened late in the third period in one of those MSNBC "Wednesday Night Rivalry" games.
The Chicago Blackhawks led the St. Louis Blues, 1-0, at Scottrade Center on Nov. 9, 2016 in a Central Division rivalry known for hard hits, scrums, trash-talk and fights. Chicago had just come off a power play, in which left wing Artemi Panarin hit the post with a wrist shot, when something stunning happened.
Play was halted as Panarin, an undersized forward who now leads the Blue Jackets with 41 points in his first season with Columbus, got tangled up with Blues forward Scottie Upshall in front of the St. Louis bench.
Upshall had the edge in experience (six previous NHL fights) and the size advantage at 6-foot, 184 pounds. Panarin (5-11, 170) had a jolt of anger cursing through his veins, and got left arm free. They each threw several haymakers, both landing blows, but Panarin more held his own.
In fact, despite finishing up a 2:33 shift with his first NHL fight, 88 percent of fans who've viewed the scrap on hockeyfights.com voted Panarin the winner. His mouth was reddened as he skated to the penalty box, but there was also a smirk on it.
Legendary play-by-play announcer, Mike Emrick, summed it up perfectly.
"Sometimes," he said, "the singers are dancers too."
Cue the music. Cue the commercial. End scene.
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It was a great segue in a game that Panarin later won for the Blackhawks in overtime, with a wicked wrist shot 25 seconds into it that not only beat Jake Allen, but gave him the coveted "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" of a goal, assist and fighting major.
It was also a prelude, of sorts, for Panarin's career. It was his only official fight, thus far, but his willingness to enter the fray wasn't just a fluke occurrence.
Panarin has since proven with Columbus that he's no wallflower. He hasn't gotten into another full-on scrap, but he's thrown some gloved swats here and there, and he's shown a willingness to stand up for himself and others.
The golden voice of the Blue Jackets' offense can also cut a mean rug, as Upshall found out that night in St. Louis. Panarin's nickname might be the "Breadman," but he's more hard rye than soft white.
"It's hilarious," Columbus captain Nick Foligno said. "I didn't realize, like, he's got a big UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship] background, and it's kind of weird to hear that, but we always joke [around]. I'm like, 'Who'd win a fight between you and I?' and he says, 'On the ice, you'd win, but off the ice …'"
Foligno, who's had 25 fights in his NHL career, thinks his Russian teammate is largely full of a certain substance found in a barnyard.
"But I don't know," he said, smiling. "I've seen him with his UFC stuff, and it kind of scares me."
That little uncertainty, the unknown, is what gives Panarin an edge over most high-skill players. It's something they just don't possess, and it adds a little spice to the recipe that's helped him become an elite forward in just two-plus NHL seasons.
He's super skilled. He's got a howitzer of a one-timer. He's virtually unstoppable on shootout moves, and he's an artful, dodgy skater, who can avoid hits like a magician. Panarin also has a little snarl in his game, which Foligno and Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella would like to rub off on the rest of the team.
"That's the kind of guy he is," Foligno said. "He understands that with the responsibility of being as elite as he is, there's going to be guys that target him, and he's more than willing to handle himself or, you know … he came to the aid of [Josh Anderson] the other night, a couple games ago."
Indeed, Panarin took exception to a hit on Anderson, a 6-foot-3, 221-pound forward, in the Blue Jackets' loss to the Vancouver Canucks. He went after Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler, who delivered the shot to Anderson, even though it was a clean hit.
Foligno watched from the Blue Jackets' bench with split feelings.
"We're like, 'Please, 'Bread,' no!'" Foligno said, fearing Panarin might injure himself in a needless scap. "But, actually, [it was like], 'I kind of want to see this.' But that's just the type of person he is."
He's a singer and a dancer, along with somebody you don't want to go into a corner with for a loose puck. As opponents have learned in games, and his teammates see in practice, it's no picnic trying to win a puck battle against Panarin.
He's one of the strongest players on the Blue Jackets, pound for pound, and combines that with a determination that's usually unmatched.
"Listen, he's a hell of a player," Tortorella said, after a grueling practice Wednesday, a day after Panarin's late game-tying goal helped Columbus earn a point against the Minnesota Wild. "He's a hell of a talent, but you know what? We've got a guy that's probably one of the best talents in the league, and he is our hardest working guy on the team."
Panarin is also a great role model, for young fans and teammates alike.
His tenacity is on display every time he skates onto the ice, whether he's stickhandling through a group of defenders, shattering a pane of glass in practice or crashing the net in overtime to pot the game-winning goal.
"Does he make mistakes defensively and lose his coverages here and there? Yeah," Tortorella said. "We're going to live with that because of the will he has. There's not many players in this league that have the will that he has. As teammates, as coaches, as people that watch him play with this uniform on, it's really fortunate we have that here."
After all, not all singers can dance too.
