Panarin scores twice for Rangers in win against Kraken

SEATTLE -- Artemi Panarin scored two goals, and Filip Chytil had three assists for the New York Rangers in a 4-1 win against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday.

Jonathan Quick made 18 saves to win his first start for the Rangers (3-2-0) after signing as a free agent on July 1.

New York won the opener of a five-game Western road trip after a 4-1 home loss to the Nashville Predators on Thursday.

“I liked the way we skated and competed right from the drop of the puck,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “Pretty consistent for 60 minutes.

“We improved upon a lot of things [after last game]. I do think that we eliminated some of those turnovers. I think the forecheck was good, I think that we kept them in front of us.”

Justin Schultz scored for the Kraken (1-4-1). Philipp Grubauer made 23 saves.

“We didn’t execute very well,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “We weren't moving, we didn't have a lot of pace to our game. You saw that 5-on-5, you saw that on our power-play opportunities, and just the sharpness and crispness were not there.”

There was an issue with the arena's lighting grid, which caused one end of the ice to be dimmer than the other. After a delay in the first period, it was determined the problem could not be resolved. The teams switched ends during the first stoppage after the 10:00 mark of each period to eliminate any unfair advantage for either side. The malfunction happened at the end where the home team would normally shoot twice.

“I want it darker, so it’s harder for goalies,” Panarin said, jokingly. “That’s why I scored two.”

Hakstol said, “I don’t think that impacted the game. The initial delay isn’t great. It takes a lot of the energy out of the building, but that’s not a crutch that I think we’ll lean back on.”

Panarin’s line with Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere connected for three of New York’s four goals, with Chytil providing the primary assist on all three.

“We try to keep talking to each other,” Chytil said after his first three-point game in the NHL. “All three of us are trying to play our game, but we’ve got to communicate, and it was good. Good game for us today.

“For me, even if it’s a bad game, nothing changes … I know I can play hockey and how good I am and how good I can be. So that's the most important thing for me and what I'm focusing on.”

Schultz gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead at 8:41 of the first period with a one-timer from the left circle. Brian Dumoulin passed from the top of the slot, and Schultz shot against the grain to beat Quick glove side. It was Dumoulin’s first point with Seattle after the defenseman signed as a free agent on July 1.

“Obviously not our best effort, all around,” Schultz said. “Decent first period, but kind of fell apart after that, and I don’t know. [We’ll] kind of turn the page and learn from it; try to get back to the way we were playing last year that made us successful.”

After the teams switched ends for the first time due to the lighting issue, Panarin answered for the Rangers at 12:15 of the first to tie it 1-1. Chytil intercepted a Vince Dunn clearing attempt, then found Panarin open at the bottom of the right circle. Panarin scored with a wrist shot over the left shoulder of Grubauer.

The teams again switched ends at the first stoppage after the 10:00 mark of the second period, an icing against the Kraken at 12:56. Kaapo Kakko scored for New York six seconds after the switch at 13:02 of the second to make it 2-1. A Jacob Trouba slap shot squeezed past Grubauer, and Kakko found the loose puck in the crease, scoring into the open net for his 100th NHL point.

Lafreniere extended the lead to 3-1 at 17:59 of the second by redirecting a Chytil pass over Grubauer.

Panarin scored his second of the game at 5:30 of the third period, finding a loose puck in the slot and chipping it over Grubauer for the 4-1 final.

NOTES: Kraken forward Andre Burakovsky (undisclosed) left after slamming into the end boards at 5:53 of the second period. Trouba was given a two-minute minor penalty for boarding on the play. “I don’t think it’s going to be something that’s real short-term,” Hakstol said. … Panarin has seven points (three goals, four assists) on a five-game point streak. He opened last season with a six-game point streak.