Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Golden Knights

RANGER RUNDOWN

• The New York Rangers return home to face the defending Stanley Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights in the first game of a back-to-back set before the All Star break (7:00 PM ET - TV: ESPN - Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM).
• New York will wear their third jerseys for the fifth time this season and are 4-0-0 when wearing them.
• At home, the Blueshirts are 15-6-0 and have won three of their last four contests on home ice. Against Vegas at home, the Rangers have points in four of five games (2-1-2). Versus the Western Conference, the Rangers are 14-7-2 and 9-4-1 against Pacific Division teams.
• On Monday, the NHL announced that Vincent Trocheck will head to the All-Star Game in Toronto - the second ASG of his career (2017). He will join Igor Shesterkin and Peter Laviolette in next week’s festivities.
• With New York’s next win, Peter Laviolette will tie Al Arbour for the seventh most wins in NHL history by a head coach with 782.
• In the last 15 games (since Dec. 27), Artemi Panarin (19 pts) and Vincent Trocheck (17 pts) have recorded a combined 36 points (18G-18A).
• New York has the NHL’s second best power play percentage (28.1) and the fourth most (tied) power play goals in the league (41). The club also ranks sixth in penalty kill percentage (83.1) and has had a perfect PK in three-straight games.
• The Rangers’ 54.2 faceoff percentage is tied for the third highest in the NHL. Since 1997-98 when the league started tracking FOW%, the team hasn’t finished a season over 53.3 percent.
• New York has accumulated 114 points from defensemen this season, tied for the fifth most in the NHL.
• The Blueshirts have seven comeback wins after trailing in the third period, tied for the fourth most in the NHL.

RANGERS AND GOLDEN KNIGHTS CONNECTIONS

• Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick finished his 2022-23 season with Vegas, posting a 5-2-2 record in 10 appearances and earning his third Stanley Cup championship.
• Vegas forward Brett Howden played parts of three seasons with the Rangers (2018-19 – 2020-21).
• Vegas President of Hockey Operations George McPhee began his NHL career with the Rangers and played parts of four seasons with the Blueshirts (1983-84 – 1986-87).
• Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev is the brother of Rangers prospect Maxim Barbashev

FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK

Vincent Trocheck was named to the NHL All-Star Game on Monday afternoon, the second of his career (2017).

This season, he ranks first in the NHL (min. 700 FO) in faceoff percentage (62.0) and is one of three players in the NHL to have both 40 or more points and 60 or more hits.

Since Dec. 30, Trocheck’s 16 points (7G-9A) rank tied for eighth in the NHL.

Trocheck has 12 points in his last 11 games (6G-6A) and 40 points in his last 36 games (14G-26A).

PANARIN’S POINTS

Artemi Panarin ranks sixth in the NHL in goals (29) and points (63), and tied for fifth in multi-point games (19). His 29 goals match his output from last season and are three away from his career-high of 32.

Panarin has points in seven of his last nine games (4G-4A), 14 of his last 16 games (12G-8A) and 19 of his last 22 games (13G-13A).

He has notched a point in 39 of his 47 games this year, the second most games with a point in the NHL this season (MacKinnon leads with 41).

NEXT ON FOX

Adam Fox has points in four of his last five games (1G-6A), seven of his last 10 games (5G-6A), and has multi-point games in three of his last five contests.

Since the 2019-20 season, Fox ranks fifth among NHL defensemen in points (270) and third in assists (226).

KREIDING TO MAKE HISTORY

Chris Kreider has points in eight of his last 10 games (3G-5A) and 14 of his last 17 contests (6G-12A). This season, Kreider has changed the Rangers record books:

• Surpassed Adam Graves for the third most goals in Rangers history (281)
• Surpassed Adam Graves for the 10th most points in team history (508)
• Recorded his 500th career point
• Surpassed Camille Henry for the fourth most road goals in franchise history (137) - Tied Bill Cook for the third most game-winning goals in franchise history (42)
• Became the fifth Ranger to tally 100 career power play goals
• Recorded his 166th career goal at MSG (regular season and playoffs) to surpass Rod Gilbert for the most in the building’s history
• Notched his ninth 20-goal campaign in his career. Only two players in franchise history have recorded as many: Rod Gilbert (12x) and Jean Ratelle (9x).

MIKA’S MISSION TO 500 POINTS WITH NYR

Mika Zibanejad has points in four of his last five games (1G-4A) and six of his past 10 games (1G-6A).

Zibanejad (531 GP) sits one point away from 500 with the Blueshirts. He can become the fourth-fastest in Rangers history to notch 500 points with the club behind Mark Messier (406 GP), Brian Leetch (496 GP), and Andy Bathgate (518 GP).

SLAP SHOTS

• Will Cuylle ranks first among rookies and tied for eighth in the NHL in hits with 122.
• Jacob Trouba’s 141 blocked shots are the most in the NHL. Trouba is the only player in the NHL to have 100+ blocked shots and 100+ hits.
• The Rangers have a regular season record of 42-11-6 when Kreider and Zibanejad score a goal in the same game.