Rangers Artemi Panarin Nearly Scores Goal Of The Year In The Middle Of July

It's been about a month since the Florida Panthers hoisted the Stanley Cup, and we're about two and a half months away from the start of the 2024-25 NHL season. These are the dark times for hockey fans, but I was shocked to see that we nearly — nearly — had a Goal of the Year candidate in the middle of July thanks to New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin.

There's not a lot of meaningful hockey being played this time of year. Sure, you've got Da Beauty League happening in Minnesota, but not much else.

That could be why some Russian-born NHLers and KHLers got together to stage a little All-Star competition in Russia.

There were some big names in this thing like Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Dmitry Orlov, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Artemi Panarin all on one team.

The night, for the most part, was about The Great Eight, who is within striking distance of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. He even scored in this game which — rather fittingly given it was pretty Ovie-centric — ended in an 8-8 tie and he was named player of the game.

But Ovechkin isn't the guy that we want to talk about; we want to talk about the Breadman and it was because of this buttery move he tried to pull.

Panarin found himself with the puck, nothing but open ice ahead of him, and the nearest back checker a few strides behind. So, with plenty of time to come up with a move, what did he do?

Oh, just this beautiful bastard child of a Spin-O-Rama and the Michigan move.

Now, normally, if the puck doesn't find twine, I don't think it's usually worth talking about. We want to see finishes, 'round these parts.

Had it gone in, that would've been on just about every highlight reel until the end of time.

But the execution — up until the lack of finish — was so silky smooth, I think it's worth more than a few watches. 

I think I'm over a dozen already. That was so gross.