Panarin scores first NHL hat trick

NEW YORK — Chicago Blackhawks winger Artemi Panarin had a commanding lead in the rookie scoring race already, but that cushion got a fair amount bigger Wednesday against the New York Rangers. The Russian forward netted three goals for his first career hat trick as the Blackhawks earned a 5-3 win on the road. Each of Panarin’s tallies against the Rangers offered a little bit of a different sample of what he has brought to the team this season. The 24-year-old’s first goal of the game made him the first rookie to reach the 20-goal mark this season. He showed the sniper’s touch that has allowed him to seamlessly transition from the KHL to the NHL when his wrister found the top corner with Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist leaning the wrong way in the second period period. Surprisingly enough, that was only Panarin’s fourth power-play marker of the season. His second goal showed why it pays to play with Patrick Kane, the NHL’s leading scorer. The Blackhawks’ star winger took a Brent Seabrook stretch pass before darting into the Rangers zone, he drew defenders towards him while center Artem Anisimov drove the net. Panarin was the high forward waiting for a feed. Kane picked his head up for a quick look and dropped a perfect backhand pass through a few bodies and right on Panarin’s tape as Chicago took a 4-3 lead late in the third. Lastly, the Russian rookie who Pavel Bure once compared to himself, turned on the jets to score an empty-net goal to ice the 5-3 win and complete the hat trick. He paid the price for that one though as Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle inexplicably chopped Panarin at the skates, sending the youngster to the boards hard. Panarin was no worse for the wear, though, as he got up with a big smile on is face, but Yandle somehow went unpenalized for that dangerous play. Avalanche 3, Canadiens 2 Jarome Iginla scored twice, including a tiebreaking goal with 2:03 remaining, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Defenseman Erik Johnson also scored, center Matt Duchene had two assists and goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 32 saves for Colorado, which snapped a four-game losing streak at home. Wild 5, Flames 3 Right-winger Jason Pominville and left-winger Erik Haula had a goal and an assist each to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Center Nino Niederreiter chipped in with two assists to give the line six points as the Wild (25-22-10) won their second straight game under interim head coach John Torchetti.