Artemi Panarin adds to St. Patrick's Day spirit with sneaky move between the benches

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Mar 17, 2024 22:33 GMT

New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin added a touch of humor and spontaneity to the St. Patrick's Day celebrations with a sneaky move between the benches during the game against the New York Islanders on Sunday.

As NHL on TNT analyst Darren Pang focused on analyzing a replay, Panarin seized the opportunity to grab a sip from Pang's cup, which appeared to contain a sports drink.

The contents of Pang's cup were revealed by his NHL on TNT colleague, shedding light on the blue and yellow mixture that turned green, fitting for St. Patrick's Day. The playful interaction between Panarin and Pang was captured on social media, showcasing the camaraderie and fun spirit of the game.

Artemi Panarin's Rangers won 5-2 Islanders

On Sunday, the New York Rangers secured a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders. Jonny Brodzinski scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, which turned the game in Rangers' favor.

Mika Zibanejad, Will Cuylle, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere also contributed to the Rangers' win, although that is what we expect from the Rangers' depth. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves to bolster their defensive effort.

Despite Bo Horvat's two goals for the Islanders, including one to tie the game at 2-2, the Rangers surged with three goals in the second period.

"I saw a team that played better than us today," Islanders HC Patrick Roy said (via NHL.com). "The Rangers managed the puck much better than we did. They were very fast on transition, and I thought they had more energy than us for some reason."

Ryan Lindgren's injury added a somber note to the game as the Rangers lost their top-pairing defenseman late in the second period. However, their offensive firepower, including Zibanejad's goal and contributions from newcomers like Jack Roslovic, pulled off a crucial win.

The Rangers will play the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.