Artemi Panarin stayed red hot on Tuesday night, reaching 100 points on the season in what was a thrilling overtime win for the Rangers over the Flyers at MSG.
Boomer praised Panarin’s season, but Gio said it’s time for the Blueshirts star to follow it up with some playoff success, which hasn’t been there in recent years.
“Panarin is in that Aaron Judge postseason territory though,” Gio said. “He put together these unbelievable regular seasons, you love the guy, you'd say nothing negative about him. But then when you get into the postseason, they absolutely disappear. And the guy who is supposed to carry you is a zero.
“Aaron Judge carried the Yankees that year with the 62 home runs and then in the postseason hit under .200.”
Panarin was a no-show in the Rangers’ first-round series loss to the rival Devils last season, and the spotlight will be even brighter this postseason, which Boomer says Panarin knows, and will embrace.
“Believe me, he understands the pressure that he's under,” Boomer said. “He's spoken about it.”