Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Islanders 01.16.21

TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their second game of the 2020-21 season tonight, Jan. 16, against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM).
RANGERS VS. ISLANDERS
- All-Time: 130-117-19-9 (73-48-11-6 at home; 57-69-8-3 on the road) - 2020-21: The Rangers are playing the Islanders in the second of eight games between the two teams. The Blueshirts have posted a 0-1-0 record, following the Islanders' 4-0 win on Jan. 14 at MSG. The Rangers are also scheduled to play against the Islanders on the following dates: Feb. 8 (at MSG), Apr. 9 (at Long Island), Apr. 11 (at Long Island), Apr. 20 (at Long Island), Apr. 29 (at MSG), May 1 (at Long Island). - The Rangers and Islanders are in the same division for the 48th consecutive season (1972-73 - 2020-21) - East (1972-73 - 1973-74), Patrick (1974-75 - 1992-93), Atlantic (1993-94 - 2012-13), Metropolitan (2013-14 - 2019-20), MassMutual NHL East (2020-21). The Blueshirts have been in the same division with the Islanders for more seasons than with any other NHL opponent in franchise history. - The Rangers have earned a win in five of their last eight games against the Islanders (5-3-0 record). - Since Feb. 16, 2015, 17 of the last 23 meetings between the Rangers and Islanders have been decided by two or fewer goals, and 10 of the 23 contests have been decided by one goal. In addition, seven of the last 14 games between the Rangers and Islanders have been decided by one goal.

2 GOOD 2 BE TRUE
The Rangers open the 2020-21 season with two home games against the Islanders (Jan. 14 and Jan. 16). The Blueshirts are beginning a season with two games against the same opponent for the first time since the 2008-09 season (two games against Tampa Bay in Prague, Czech Republic) and are opening a season with two games against the same opponent at MSG for the first time in franchise history.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Rangers open the 2020-21 season with three consecutive home games (Jan. 14 vs. NY Islanders, Jan. 16 vs. NY Islanders, Jan. 19 vs. New Jersey). The Rangers open a season with at least three consecutive home games for the first time since 1994-95 (four consecutive home games). The Rangers earned at least one point in 20 of 36 home games in 2019-20 (18-16-2). The Blueshirts have posted a .500 points percentage or better at home in every season since 2005-06.
RESILIENT RANGERS
During the 2019-20 season, the Rangers posted a 20-8-0 record in their final 28 regular season games which followed a loss (beginning with their loss on Oct. 22, 2019 vs. Arizona through the end of the regular season).
TEENAGE DREAM
The Rangers entered the 2020-21 season with two teenagers on their roster (Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière). The 2020-21 season marked the third time in franchise history that at least two teenagers played with the Blueshirts in a season-opening game (also in 1942-43 and 1943-44).
YOUTH SERVED
The average age of a player on the Rangers' active roster entering the 2020-21 season is 25.5 years old, which is the youngest in the NHL. The Rangers have seven players 22 years old or younger on their active roster (Chytil, Fox, Howden, Kakko, Lafrenière, Lindgren, and Miller). According to NHL Stats and Information, the Rangers' season opener on Jan. 14 vs. NY Islanders marked the first time in franchise history that the Blueshirts had seven players 22 years old or younger appear in a season-opening game.
'A' LEADER ON AND OFF THE ICE
The Rangers have four alternate captains this season - Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba, and Mika Zibanejad.
Kreider - was first named an alternate captain with the Rangers prior to the start of the 2018-19 season (also wore an 'A' for several games during the final months of the 2017-18 season)
Panarin - entering his first season as an alternate captain with the Rangers, as well as his first season as an alternate captain in the NHL (wore an 'A' for a few games with Columbus in 2017-18 when their captain/alternate captains were out of the lineup)
Trouba - entering his first season as an alternate captain with the Rangers, as well as his first season as an alternate captain in the NHL (wore an 'A' for several games with the Rangers last season when some of the team's alternate captains were out of the lineup)
Zibanejad - was first named an alternate captain with the Rangers prior to the start of the 2018-19 season (also wore an 'A' for several games during the final months of the 2017-18 season)
ALEXANDAR THE GREAT
Alexandar Georgiev is expected to start tonight's game. He established career-highs in several categories in 2019-20, including wins (17), appearances (34), and games started (32), and he led Rangers goaltenders in all three categories last season.
FROM RUSSIA WITH GLOVE
Igor Shesterkin was the Rangers' starting goaltender in the team's 2020-21 regular season opener against the Islanders on Jan. 14. He became the 10th rookie goaltender to start a season-opening game for the Rangers in franchise history, and the first to do so since Steve Weeks in 1981-82. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Shesterkin has earned a win in 106 of his 133 regular season appearances in the NHL, AHL, and KHL.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Alexis Lafrenière made his NHL/Rangers debut on Jan. 14 vs. NY Islanders. Lafrenière was selected by the Rangers with the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He became the first player to be selected by the Rangers with the first overall pick in the NHL Amateur/Entry Draft since the universal Draft was adopted in 1969 (in which all junior players of qualifying age were eligible for selection). The Blueshirts had selected first overall in any NHL Amateur/Entry Draft only once since the Draft was implemented in 1963 (Andre Veilleux in 1965).
Lafrenière received several awards last season; he was named the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Player of the Year, received the Michel Briere Trophy as the QMJHL's Most Valuable Player, received the Mike Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL's Best Professional Prospect, received the Paul Dumont Trophy as the QMJHL's Personality of the Year (which recognizes an individual who had a positive media impact and helped improve the league's image during a season), and won the Jean Beliveau Trophy as the QMJHL's leading point scorer. Lafrenière was named the CHL Player of the Year, the QMJHL's Most Valuable Player, and the QMJHL's Personality of the Year in each of the last two seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20); the only other player who has won each of those awards twice is Sidney Crosby. Lafrenière's 42 goals in 2017-18 were the most by a QMJHL player in his U17 season or younger since Crosby (54 in 2003-04). Since 2003-04, Lafrenière is one of only five players in the three Canadian Major Junior Hockey Leagues (Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Western Hockey League) who have recorded 40 or more goals in a season while playing in his U17 season or younger (along with Crosby, John Tavares, Taylor Hall, and Steven Stamkos).
HART-EMI
Artemi Panarin recorded 95 points (32 goals, 63 assists) and a plus-36 rating in 69 games in his first season with the Rangers in 2019-20. He was a finalist for the Hart Trophy, which is awarded annually "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team," and the Ted Lindsay Award, which is presented annually to the "most outstanding player in the NHL" as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA.
MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad established career-highs in several categories last season, including goals (41), points (75), and average ice time (21:38). He led the NHL (min. 10 games played) in goals per game in 2019-20 (0.72). From the end of the All-Star Break and bye week (Jan. 31, 2020) through the conclusion of the 2019-20 regular season, Zibanejad's 23 goals and 36 points were each the most in the NHL.
KREID-ING HIGH
Chris Kreider has played at least one regular season or playoff game in 10 different seasons with the Rangers. He is the first Rangers forward who has played at least one regular season or playoff game in 10 or more seasons with the team since Mark Messier (1991-92 - 1996-97; 2000-01 - 2003-04) and he is the first Rangers forward who has played at least one regular season or playoff game in 10 or more consecutive seasons with the team since Adam Graves (1991-92 - 2000-01).
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rangers either outscored their opponent on special teams or tied their opponent in special teams scoring in 46 of 70 games last season and earned at least one point in 33 of those 46 games (30-13-3 record).
Power Play:
The Rangers were 0-for-3 (6:00) on Jan. 14 vs. NY Islanders.
The Rangers ranked seventh in the NHL in power play efficiency (22.9%) and ranked fourth in the NHL in power play goals (52) last season.
In 2019-20, the Blueshirts had a power play efficiency of 22.9% or better in a season for the first time since 1993-94 (23.0%).
From the NHL's Holiday Break (Dec. 27, 2019) until the end of the 2019-20 season, the Rangers had the best power play efficiency in the NHL (29.3%) and tallied the most power play goals in the NHL (29).
Penalty Kill:
The Rangers were 6-for-8 (12:52) on Jan. 14 vs. NY Islanders.
The Blueshirts tied for sixth in the NHL in shorthanded goals last season (eight).
The Rangers posted a 25-9-1 record when not allowing a power play goal against in a game in 2019-20.