Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Oilers

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The New York Rangers return home to face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in their penultimate game before the holiday break (7:30 PM ET - TV: ESPN Plus/Hulu - Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). Tonight begins the Rangers’ fifth back- to-back of the season.
• The Blueshirts have won three in a row, four of their last five games and seven of their last 10 games. - The Rangers’ plus-19 goal differential ranks first in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the NHL.
• The Blueshirts’ 22 wins are tied for the most in the NHL and their 45 points rank third in the league. Their .750 point percentage is the highest in the league.
• New York’s 22 wins are its most through 30 games in a season in franchise history, eclipsing the previous best of 21 victories set in 1993-94.
• On home ice, the Blueshirts are 10-3-0, ranking second in the league in home points percentage (.769). At home, the Rangers’ 32.6 power play percentage is second in the league. New York’s 13 home games thus far are tied for the fewest in the NHL.
• New York has allowed one or fewer goals a league-leading 12 times this season.
• The Rangers have the best faceoff percentage in the NHL with a 55.3 percent mark and have been over 50 percent in the faceoff circle in 24 of 30 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 best (tied) power play percentage (31.3) and have scored power play goals in five-straight games, 10 of their last 12 games and in 23 of 30 games this season. The team’s 30 power play goals this year are tied for the second most in the NHL.
• New York has the league’s fifth best penalty kill percentage (85.3) and have had a perfect PK in five of its last seven games.
• The Rangers have a league-high 11 comeback wins on the season and six wins when trailing at any point in the third period - tied for the most in the NHL.
• New York’s 10 one-goal wins are tied for the most in the NHL.

RANGERS AND OILERS CONNECTIONS

• Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch was the head coach of the Rangers AHL’s affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack from 2019-2023. He also manned the Rangers bench on two different occasions over the past few years due to Covid-19 issues with the big club.
• Rangers Senior Advisor to the Owner and Alternate Governor Glen Sather served as the Oilers President and General Manager from 1980-81 – 1999-00. In addition, Sather was Edmonton’s Head Coach for parts of 11 seasons in the NHL (1979-80; 1980-81 – 1988- 89; 1993-94), as well as parts of three seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1976- 77 – 1978-79. Sather also played one season with the Oilers in the WHA (1976-77). The Oilers honored Sather by raising a banner to go alongside their retired jerseys on Dec. 11, 2015.
• Rangers assistant coach Michael Peca played one season for the Oilers (2005-06), recording 23 points (9G-14A) in 71 games.
• Rangers forward Tyler Pitlick was drafted by the Oilers with the 31st overall pick in 2010 and played three seasons for the team.

PANARIN’S POINTS

With 43 points (17G-26A), Artemi Panarin has the most points by a Rangers player through 30 games in a campaign since Jaromir Jagr (44) in 2006-07. In total, only eight other skaters in franchise history have accomplished the feat: Frank Boucher (53 in 1929-30), Jean Ratelle (51 in 1971-72), Bill Cook (48 in 1929-30), Vic Hadfield (46 in 1971-72), Rod Gilbert (46 in 1971-72 & 44 in 1976-77), Mark Messier (46 in 1992-93), Jaromir Jagr (44 in 2006-07 & 43 in 2005-06) and Theo Fleury (43 in 2000-01).

Panarin has points in five-straight games (1G-5A) and points in 10 of his last 12 games (7G-10A). He has notched a point in 25 of his 30 games this year.

Panarin has a season-opening home point streak of 13 games (7G-15A), the second longest in team history (Mike Rogers - 15 GP in 1983-84). At any point of the season, the last New York skater to record points in 13 or more home games was Mark Messier during the 1996-97 season.

FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK

Vincent Trocheck has six points in his last five games (2G-4A) and 26 points (7G-19A) in his past 24 games. Trocheck’s 28 points on the year (8G-20A) and seven multi-point games rank tied for second on the Blueshirts. The team is 7-0-0 when he collects multiple points.

Trocheck is one of four players in the NHL to have both 28 or more points and 40 or more hits. Others: J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Filip Forsberg.

Among NHL skaters with 450 or more faceoffs, Trocheck ranks first in faceoff percentage (63.6).

KREIDING TO MAKE HISTORY

Last Friday night against Anaheim, Chris Kreider scored two goals to surpass Adam Graves for the third most goals in Rangers history (281), recorded his 500th career point and became the fifth Ranger to tally 100 career power play goals.

Kreider became the 12th player to record 500 points with the franchise.
Kreider has 16 goals on the season, tied for the most on New York, and has 19 points in his last 23 games (11G-8A).

Only seven other active players have 100 power-play goals with their current franchise: Alex Ovechkin (300 w/ WSH), Steven Stamkos (200 w/ TBL), Evgeni Malkin (175 w/ PIT), Sidney Crosby (165 w/ PIT), Leon Draisaitl (133 w/ EDM), Anze Kopitar (115 w/ LAK) and David Pastrnak (105 w/ BOS).

At MSG in the regular season and playoffs combined, Kreider has scored 164 goals, the second most in history behind Rod Gilbert’s 165.

ADAM’S APPLES

Adam Fox has assists/points in seven of his last nine games (10A) and overall has points in 15 of 20 games this season (3G-18A). In the NHL among defensemen, Fox has the fourth most points per game (1.05).

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

MIKA’S MISSION

Mika Zibanejad has points in five-straight games (5G-3A) and in 13 of his last 14 contests (9G-9A). Since November 22, his nine goals and 18 points rank tied fourth in the NHL.
His 40 power play goals since 2021-22 are the third most in the NHL in that span.

SLAP SHOTS

• Jonathan Quick is 9-0-1 on the season. Quick is the 11th goaltender in NHL history and first since Laurent Brossoit (WPG - 2018-19) to begin his tenure with a franchise with at least a point in each of his first 10 starts in a single season. In addition, he is the ninth different goaltender with a 10-game point streak at age 37 or older in NHL history. Among NHL goaltenders with 10-plus starts, Quick ranks tied for third in save percentage (.926) and fourth in GAA (2.09).
• Jacob Trouba’s 97 blocked shots are the second most in the NHL.
• Nick Bonino ranks first among forwards with 53 blocked shots and since 2021-22, Bonino leads all forwards in blocked shots with 234.
• Will Cuylle ranks first among rookies in hits with 77.
• Jonny Brodzinski has seven points (1G-6A) in 11 games this season.
• The Rangers have a regular season record of 41-11-6 when Kreider and Zibanejad score a goal in the same game.