Pregame Notes: Rangers at Predators

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The New York Rangers play their first game of a back-to-back and begin the final month of 2023, in Nashville on Saturday afternoon (4:30 PM ET - TV: MSG Network - Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM).
• The Blueshirts’ 16 wins are the most wins in the NHL and their 33 points are tied for the second most. New York’s .786 points percentage leads the league.
• New York has wins in four of five, eight of its last 10 games and points in 15 of its last 17 games (14-2-1). - On the road this season, the Rangers are 9-2-1 for a league-high 19 points.
• The Rangers finished the month of November with a 9-2-1 record for 19 points and a league-high .792 points percentage. In December, the Blueshirts will play 14 games with seven at MSG.
• The Rangers have the best faceoff percentage in the NHL with a 56.1 percent mark and have been over 50 percent in the faceoff circle in 17 of 21 games. Since 1997-98 when the league started tracking FOW%, the team hasn’t finished a season over 53.3 percent.
• The Rangers have the NHL’s third best power play percentage (29.2) and have scored power play goals in 15 of their first 21 games. New York’s 85.7 PK percentage ranks seventh in the league.
• The Blueshirts have allowed the third fewest GA/GP (2.43) in the NHL and the second fewest total goals (51) in the league.
• New York has seven comeback victories, tied for the fifth most in the league, and five after trailing in the third period - tied for the second most in the NHL.
• The Blueshirts are 13-2-1 when scoring the first goal of the game, the most such wins in the league, and have opened the scoring in 13 of their past 15 games. New York is 8-1-1 when leading after two periods.
• In Nashville, Tyler Pitlick is set to play in his 400th career NHL game.
• The Rangers have the second fewest giveaways (124) in the NHL behind Seattle (117).

RANGERS AND PREDATORS CONNECTIONS

• Predators defenseman Ryan McDonagh played the first eight seasons (2010-11 – 2017-18) of his career with the Rangers, serving as captain from 2014-15 – 2017-18. With the Blueshirts, McDonagh tallied 238 points (51G-187A) in 516 games.
• Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette coached the Predators from 2014-15 to 2019-20, earning a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.
• Rangers assistant coach Dan Muse was an assistant coach for the Predators from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

NEW THIRDS

On Friday, the Rangers released their third jerseys that they will wear 10 games this season and for the first time on Dec. 10 against the LA Kings.

ROAD WARRIORS

The Rangers have earned at least one point in 10 of 12 road games this season, lead the league in road points (19) and are tied for the league-lead in road wins (9).

RANGERS SINCE OCTOBER 21

Heading into a five-game west coast trip beginning on October 21, the Rangers were 2-2-0 and coming off a 4-1 loss on October 19 to the Predators on home ice.

Since then, the Blueshirts have responded with a 14-2-1 record for 29 points and in that span have put up some of the best numbers in the NHL

BACK IN THE FOX HOLE

Adam Fox returned to action on Wednesday after missing 10 games due to injury. At the time of his last game on November 2, among NHL defensemen he ranked tied for fifth in assists (8) and tied for second in points (11). In addition, his nine power play points led league defensemen on Nov. 2.

Since his rookie season in 2019-20, Fox has been one of the best defensemen in the NHL.

KREIDING HIGH

Chris Kreider has a team-high 13 goals on the season, ranking tied for the eighth most in the league and has points in 10 of his last 14 games (8G-7A).

Kreider is now two goals from matching Adam Graves for the third most in team history (280).

Kreider sits one power play goal away from becoming the fifth player in franchise history to reach 100 PPGs. Only 14 active players have 100 or more career power play goals.

His nine shorthanded goals since 2021-22 are the most in the NHL while his 41 power play goals in that span are the second most. In addition, his nine career SHGs rank tied for ninth with Mika Zibanejad for the most in team history.

PANARIN ON A PATH

Artemi Panarin has 31 points (12G-19A) on the season and has notched a point in 18 of his 21 games this year. He is the first Rangers skater to record 30+ points in 20 or fewer games from the start of a season since Walt Poddubny during the 1987-88 season.

Panarin ranks sixth in the NHL in points and first in multi-point games (11). On the road, his 17 points (8G-9A) rank tied for second in the league.

NEW YORK NETMINDERS

As a team, the Blueshirts have the third highest save percentage in the NHL (.918) and third lowest GAA (2.39).

Igor Shesterkin has a 9-4-0 record on the year and has allowed one or fewer goals in a game five times this season. Shesterkin has allowed one or fewer goals on 42 occasions since the 2021-22 season, the most in the NHL. Since the 2021- 22 season, Igor Shesterkin leads the NHL with 83 wins and among goalies with 100 or more games, ranks first in save percentage (.924) and GAA (2.31).

Jonathan Quick is 6-0-1 to start 2023-24 and is the second Rangers netminder to begin his tenure by earning a point
in his first seven decisions, joining Eddie Mio in 1981-82 (5-0-2 in 7 GP). He has allowed one or fewer goals in three of those seven starts. Among NHL goaltenders who have made seven or more starts this season, Quick ranks third in save percentage (.930) and second in GAA (1.99). In addition, he is one of nine goaltenders with multiple shutouts this season.

SLAP SHOTS

• Mika Zibanejad has points in five-straight games (3G-3A) and two power play goals on the year. Since 2021-22, his 37 power play goals are tied for the third most in the NHL.
• Vincent Trocheck has points in eight of his past 11 games (4G-10A). Trocheck’s 17 points on the year (5G-12A) are the third most on the Blueshirts. Among NHL skaters with 300 or more faceoffs, Trocheck ranks first in faceoff percentage (63.5).
• Erik Gustafsson has points in nine of his past 11 contests (1G-10A). His 15 points (3G-12A) rank fifth on the Rangers and his 12 assists rank tied for second.
• Alexis Lafreniere recorded his 50th career assist on Wednesday night. Among players to debut with the Rangers in the past 20 years, he became the sixth to hit the milestone at age 22 or younger. He joined Kaapo Kakko (Feb. 17, 2023), Filip Chytil (April 13, 2022), Derek Stepan (Feb. 11, 2012), Michael Del Zotto (Dec. 17, 2011) and Brandon Dubinsky (March 5, 2009).
• Jacob Trouba’s 75 blocked shots are the second most in the NHL.
• Nick Bonino ranks first among forwards with 50 blocked shots and since 2021-22, Bonino leads all forwards in blocked shots with 231.
• Will Cuylle ranks first among rookies in hits with 55.
• The Rangers have a regular season record of 40-11-6 when Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad score a goal in the same game.