Rookie phenom Artemi Panarin is the Performer of the Week

This season's rookie class is one of the best in recent years. Six players have more than 30 points - not including Connor McDavid, who will join the group in the coming days.

But one stands head and shoulders above the rest: Chicago Blackhawks forward Artemi Panarin. "The Bread Man" has opened up an 18-point lead in the freshman scoring race over Dylan Larkin, thanks to a five-point week and his first career hat trick.

Chicago pumped 12 goals past Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers goalies in two games, and Panarin was in on five of them. The Blackhawks have points in six straight games with him in the lineup. He has five goals and six assists over that span.

An honorable mention goes out to Patrick Kane, who had six points in three games over the past seven days, but Panarin gets the nod. He was doing the sniping.

Stat Line

Notable Night

Feb. 17 vs. Rangers: Panarin put on a show at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. He took three shots on goal, and scored on all of them, leading Chicago to a 5-3 win over New York. Panarin has fired the puck at Henrik Lundqvist five times in his life. The King's stopped him only once.

Panarin's first career hat trick also made him the first rookie to score 20 goals this season.

The Quote

"He's been great for us," head coach Joel Quenneville said of Panarin. "The consistency, the contribution to that line, the power play, the puck possession game, the offense from Day 1. He's been fun to watch. He's enjoying himself here."

The Tweet