Kings Lead Rangers 5-2 in Third Period as Artemi Panarin Scores Against Former Team

What happened in Kings vs. Rangers?

The Los Angeles Kings led the New York Rangers 5-2 in the third period Monday at Madison Square Garden, with Artemi Panarin scoring against his former team and setting up another goal. LA Kings Insider's live account showed 14:11 remaining in the third when it was reviewed; a separate live scores listing also showed a 5-2 Kings lead. ^{[1] [2]}

This is a developing report. The score is a snapshot, not a final result, and the full game statistics were not yet confirmed when it was filed. The game began at 7 p.m. Eastern in New York. ^{[1] [3]}

Taylor Ward opened the scoring 1:15 into the first period, and Brandt Clarke doubled the lead at 4:52. J.T. Miller answered for New York before Drew Doughty restored Los Angeles' two-goal advantage late in the period, with Panarin earning an assist, according to the live account. ^[1]

Panarin adds to the lead

Panarin scored on the power play 1:30 into the second period, assisted by Erik Gustafsson and Alex Laferriere. Mikey Anderson made it 5-1 at 6:54, and Adam Fox scored a Rangers power-play goal later in the period. The live account listed Los Angeles ahead 24-20 in shots at the third-period checkpoint. ^[1]

The visit carried significance for Panarin, who was traded from New York to Los Angeles in February. It was his second game back at the Garden since the deal. He spent parts of seven seasons with the Rangers, collecting 607 points in 482 games, according to New York's pregame notes. ^{[3] [4]}

Panarin had already shown his scoring touch on the trip: He scored twice in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Islanders on Thursday. Brandt Clarke supplied the winner in that game, before the Kings lost 3-1 to New Jersey on Saturday. ^{[5] [6]}

A contrast in early-season form

New York entered Monday 6-0-0 at home, outscoring visitors 29-10 in those games, according to a Field Level Media preview. The Rangers had been less secure on the road, losing 7-4 at Ottawa on Saturday after a 5-4 defeat at Toronto. ^[7]

Los Angeles came into the matchup 2-5-2 and looking for more consistent offense. New Jersey held the Kings to 13 shots in Saturday's loss; Scott Laughton scored their only goal. Before Monday, Los Angeles had been held to one goal in five of its first nine games. ^{[6] [7]}

The game also brought Kings coach Peter Laviolette back to the Garden, where he coached the Rangers in 2023-24 and 2024-25. New York won the Presidents' Trophy in the first of those seasons but missed the playoffs in the second. ^{[4] [8]}

What comes next?

The Kings were scheduled to continue their trip in Chicago on Tuesday. The immediate question in New York was whether their early scoring would hold up through the closing minutes; the final score and complete player statistics should be checked against a current game report. ^{[1] [9]}