Artemi Panarin's 'special' season continues with dazzling performance vs. Penguins

CHICAGO — At 24 years old, Chicago Blackhawks winger Artemi Panarin is having one heck of a coming out party in the NHL.

The rookie, who was signed by the Blackhawks in April after playing parts of seven seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League, not only paces all first-year NHLers in points (38), goals (15) and assists (23), he’s coming off a home-and-home series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in which he scored two goals — in each game. He also notched both winners. On Wednesday, the Blackhawks won 3-1 at United Center.

Panarin has helped form the Blackhawks' most dominant line, along with Patrick Kane and Artem Anisimov.

“(Panarin) and Kane, it just seems like they’ve got the puck on a string every time,” said forward Andrew Desjardins. “The two goals (Panarin scored Wednesday) were top corner. What little time he has, he picks the perfect spot and there’s no chance for the goaltender. It’s pretty amazing stuff.”

Panarin, whose 38 points rank ninth in the NHL, hardly had any trouble adjusting to the NHL game. The trio’s chemistry had much to do with Kane pulling off his historic 26-game point streak from Oct. 17 to Dec. 13.

Before the four-goal outburst, Panarin had scored two goals in 13 contests.

“I stopped thinking about goals and I started to score goals,” Panarin said through his Russian translator. “And my center (Anisimov) helps too. If you start to think too much about scoring goals, you don’t score goals. If you don’t score goals in many games you start to think too much and it doesn’t help.”

Panarin says he’s not satisfied with where his game is at.

“(I want to improve) everything,” he said though the translator. “I was trying not to think about (the season overall), but last season was successful and I was expecting something good from this season too.”

Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville has been working with the player affectionately known as “Breadman” on the defensive side, but realizes Panarin can be magical with the puck.

“What we talked about is when we’re back in our own end with (the puck) and how to defend rushes and he’s progressing in that area,” Quenneville said. "There’s a time and place when you have to make one more play and I like the way he’s developing the shot-first mentality. It has been very positive, there’s not too many things we’re (critical) of.

“There’s definitely upside from here, but he’s definitely been special.”