Pregame Notes: Rangers at Devils

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The New York Rangers return from a six-day layoff for their first matchup of the season against the New Jersey Devils (7:00 PM ET - TV: MSG 2 - Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). Tonight begins a stretch of four-straight road games for the Blueshirts.
• New York will play three of its next four games against Metropolitan Division teams and six of its next seven contests against Eastern Conference opponents.
• Since 2021-22, the Rangers have played 10 games with four or more days between their previous contest. In those games, New York is 7-3-0.
• It is the second time in team history the Blueshirts have won at least 11 of their first 14 games of a season (2023-24 and 1990-91).
• The Rangers have points in 10-straight games (9-0-1), matching their season-long streak from last year. The last time New York had a point streak of 11 games was a 13-game streak from Oct. 18-Nov. 15, 2015.
• The Rangers have points in seven of eight road games this season (6-1-1) including in six-straight. On the road, the Rangers have the third most wins (6), points (13) and have allowed the third fewest GA/GP (2.13) on the road.
• In the NHL, New York has the fourth most (tied) wins (11) and points (23).
• The Rangers have the best faceoff percentage in the NHL with a 56.0 percent mark. New York has been over 50 percent in the faceoff circle in 12 of 14 games. In their last game, the Blueshirts went 45-for-69 for a 65.2 faceoff percentage. It marked the second most faceoff wins by a team in the NHL this season and the most by the Blueshirts since Dec. 23, 2017 vs. TOR (48 FOW).
• The Rangers have the NHL’s second best (tied) power play percentage (33.3) and have scored power play goals in 11 of their first 14 games. The Rangers’ 15 power play goals are tied for the fifth most in the league. On the flip side, the Blueshirts’ 86.7 penalty kill percentage is tied for seventh in the league. The Blueshirts have a perfect penalty kill in four- straight games and five of their last six contests.
• On the road against New Jersey, the Rangers have points in seven of their last nine contests (6-2-1).
• New York has seven players (Kreider, Fox, Gustafsson, Lafreniere, Panarin, Trocheck, Zibanejad) with 10 or more points, tied for the fourth most in the NHL.
• The Blueshirts have the allowed the second fewest GA/GP (2.13) in the NHL and have allowed the second fewest shots per game in the NHL (27.4).
• New York is 8-1-1 when scoring first, tied for the second most such wins in the NHL.

RANGERS AND DEVILS CONNECTIONS

• Devils head coach Lindy Ruff played for the Rangers from 1988-89 - 1990-91 and was an assistant coach with the Blueshirts from 2017-2020.
• Jimmy Vesey played in 68 games with the Devils in 2021-22, recording eight goals and seven assists for 15 points.
• Brendan Smith played parts of five seasons with the Rangers, tallying 43 points (14G-29A) in 235 games.
• Rangers associate coach Phil Housley played in 22 games for the Devils during the 1995-96 season.

PANARIN ON A PATH

Artemi Panarin is riding a season-opening point streak of 14 games (8G-16A), tied for the longest such streak by a Rangers player in team history (Rod Gilbert - 14-game run in 1972-73). It is also Panarin’s longest point streak of his career and the longest for a Ranger since Theo Fleury (14 GP) during the 2000-01 season.

The last Ranger to have points in 15-straight games was Wayne Gretzky (15 GP) in 1996-97.

Panarin also has multiple points in four-straight contests. Panarin can be the first Rangers skater with at least five straight multi-point games since Jaromir Jagr (6 GP in 2005-06).

Panarin became the eighth player in Rangers history to reach the 20-point mark in a season in 12 or fewer games, joining Pavel Bure (11 GP in 2001-02), Carey Wilson (11 GP in 1988-89), Walt Poddubny (11 GP in 1986-87), Rod Gilbert (11 GP in 1972-73), Jaromir Jagr (12 GP in 2006-07), Frank Boucher (12 GP in 1929-30) and Bill Cook (12 GP in 1929-30).

Panarin ranks among the best in the NHL in multiple categories.

NEW YORK NETMINDERS

As a team, the Blueshirts have the third highest save percentage in the NHL (.922) and second lowest GAA (2.10). The Rangers have had three goaltenders earn a win for them this season, all three allowing one or fewer goals in their first start. On 11 instances in NHL history, a team has had three goaltenders earn a win and allow one or fewer goals in their first starts of the season.

Igor Shesterkin has a 6-2-0 record on the year. Since the 2021-22 season, Igor Shesterkin leads the NHL with 79 wins, ranks second in save percentage (.924) and third in GAA (2.29).

Jonathan Quick has began his Rangers career with a 4-0-1 start and has allowed one or fewer goals in two of those five starts. Among NHL goaltenders who have made five or more starts this season, Quick ranks tied for fifth in save percentage (.928) and second in GAA (1.98).

KREIDING HIGH

Chris Kreider has 10 goals on the season and has tied Vic Hadfield (11 from 1963-64 – 1973-74) for the second-most consecutive 10-goal campaigns by a Rangers skater. Only Rod Gilbert (15 from 1962-63 – 1976-77) has more.

Kreider has goals in five of his last six contests and his 10 goals on the year rank tied for ninth in the NHL.

Kreider has surpassed Andy Bathgate for the fourth most goals in team history (273) and is five goals away from matching Adam Graves for the third most in team history (280).

The last time the Rangers had three goalies record wins through the teams first 13 games of a season was during the 1989-90 season.

Kreider sits two power play goals away from becoming the fifth player in franchise history to reach 100 PPGs.

His eight shorthanded goals since 2021-22 are the most in the NHL while his 40 power play goals in that span are the second most.

SLAP SHOTS

• Jacob Trouba’s 50 blocked shots are tied for the most in the NHL. Nick Bonino ranks first among forwards with 37 blocked shots and since 2021-22, Bonino leads all forwards in blocked shots with 218.
• Among NHL skaters with 100 or more faceoffs, Vincent Trocheck ranks first in faceoff percentage (64.4). Trocheck has three goals and four assists in his last three games.
• Will Cuylle ranks first among rookies in hits with 39 and has points in four of his last five games (2G-2A).
• Erik Gustafsson ranks second among Rangers defensmen with 10 points (3G-7A) and has four multi-point games this season. In addition, Gustafsson has points in four-straight games (1G-4A).
• Alexis Lafreniere has a point streak of four games (3G-4A) and has five points (3G-2A) in his last two games. Lafreniere’s five goals at five-on-five are the second most on the Rangers behind Panarin’s six.