The Rangers have gotten off to an incredible start to the 2023-24 season.

Just over a month into the campaign, New York still remains atop the Metropolitan Division with a 12-2-1 record. Even without top defenseman Adam Fox and young center Filip Chytil, they’ve continued rolling right along, recording points in each of their last 11 games.

And leading the charge for the red-hot Rangers has been star winger Artemi Panarin.

“He’s been a real difference maker,” winger Jimmy Vesey said following Saturday night’s win over the New Jersey Devils. “I was impressed with him last year, my first time playing with him, but this year he’s found a different gear, he’s pretty ridiculous.”

Panarin certainly has been a difference maker for New York.

With two more goals on Saturday, the 32-year-old has now recorded a point in 15 consecutive games to start the season, topping the franchise record previously held by the legendary Rod Gilbert.

Panarin has 10 goals (13th in NHL), 16 assists (eighth in NHL), and 26 points (third in NHL) through just 15 games. He already has one game-winning goal and eleven of his points have come with the man-advantage.

Simply put, whenever Panarin and his linemates have been on the ice they’ve dominated play, and head coach Peter Laviolette has certainly taken notice.

“That line was really good for us all night, they made good decisions and generated chances in the offensive zone," Laviolette said. "He was the guy on the end of the puck that put it in the net, he’s been playing really good."

Panarin, who was an All-Star last year, has certainly thrown his name into the early conversation as a potential candidate for the Hart Trophy. He’s finished as a finalist once but is yet to take home the award in his prestigious career.

While it’s certainly been a terrific start to the campaign, the winger told Larry Brooks of the NY Post that he’s just focused on keeping things rolling.

“For the beginning of the season, yes, I think I’ve had a pretty good month,” he told Brooks. “But it is a long season. What I will say is if I play like this the whole year, it’s probably going to be a pretty good one.”

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