Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Sabres 03.27.22
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. SABRES
Artemi Panarin - 21 GP, 8G-19A-27 PTS -Panarin has points in 16 of 21 matchups against Buffalo, including points in seven of his last eight games against Buffalo (3G-11A).
Mika Zibanejad - 34 GP, 9G-17A-26 PTS - Zibanejad has five goals in his last four games against Buffalo and at least one point in seven of his last eight games against them.
Adam Fox - 12GP, 1G-16A-17 PTS - Fox enters the contest with a eight-game assist/point streak against the Sabres (1G-15A); he has posted a multi- assist/point game in six of the eight contests.
Chris Kreider - 28 GP, 11G-6A-17 PTS - Kreider has points in four of his last seven games against Buffalo (3G-2A) and seven of his last 11 games against them (6G-2A).
Goalies vs. BUF
Alexandar Georgiev (6 GP, 3-2-0, 14 GA, .924 SV%, 2.51 GAA)
Igor Shesterkin (7 GP, 6-0-1, 12 GA, .932 SV%, 1.84 GAA)
RANGERS AND SABRES CONNECTIONS
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
The Rangers trade acquisitions from the past weeks have already made an impact in the lineup. Andrew Copp has recorded three points in his two games with New York (1G-2A), Frank Vatrano has scored in two of his last three games and Tyler Motte played a pivotal role in the Rangers penalty kill on Friday night, recording one shorthanded shot in 1:55 of shorthanded TOI.
HUMBLE ABODE
The Rangers have won four of their last five games at home and have tallied a point in nine of their last 11 games (8-2-1) at MSG. Overall, New York's .750-point percentage at home ranks tied for fourth in the NHL.
The Rangers have earned at least one point in 24 of 30 games at home this season and will play 11 of their remaining 17 games at Madison Square Garden. New York's 30 home games are tied for the second fewest in the NHL.
WINNING WAYS
The Rangers have wins in three of their last four games and five of their last seven games. The Rangers have won eight of their last 12 games, earning a point in 14 of their last 20 contests (13-6-1).
In the NHL, the Rangers rank tied for third in regulation wins (35), tied for fourth in wins (41) and tied for sixth in points (87).
SAVING THE DAY
The Rangers have the third fewest goals against average in the NHL (2.55) and have allowed two or fewer goals in 37 of their 65 games this season.
New York leads the NHL with a .920 team save percentage.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
With Chris Kreider reaching the 60-point plateau on Friday night, the Rangers now have four players with 60-plus points (Kreider, Fox, Zibanejad, Panarin). New York and Colorado are the only teams in the NHL with four or more 60-point getters.
The last time New York had four-plus players with 60 or more points was 2006-07 (Jagr, Nylander, Shanahan, Straka). The single-season high for a Rangers team is six in 2000-01 and 1973-74.
POWER SURGE
The Rangers have the second-best power play percentage (47-for-177---- 26.6%) in the NHL and have scored a power play goal in six of their last eight games (7G) and eight of their last 12 games (9G).
Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider have combined for 35 power play goals (Zibanejad - 13, Kreider - 22), tied for the fourth most combined power-play goals between two Rangers players in a single season.
The Rangers are 26-7-4 in games which they have scored a power play goal.
COMEBACK KINGS
The Rangers' 21 comeback wins are tied with Columbus for the most in the NHL and are the second most in a single campaign in franchise history behind 2010-11 and 1991-92 (both w/ 22).
New York has erased 17 one-goal deficits to win, won 10 games when trailing after the first period and 14 wins when tied after two periods, the league- high in all three categories.
KREIDING HIGH
Chris Kreider has 44 goals on the season, third most in the NHL, and leads the NHL with 22 power play goals. Kreider has six goals in his last six games and has goals in eight of his last 12 games (10G).
MOST SINGLE-SEASON GOALS IN RANGERS HISTORY
6th - Mark Messier (1995-96) - 47
7th - Jean Ratelle (1971-72) - 46
8th - Mike Gartner (1992-93) - 45
9th - Chris Kreider (2021-22) - 44 MOST
SINGLE-SEASON PPG'S IN RANGERS HISTORY
1st - Jaromir Jagr (2005-06) - 24
2nd - Vic Hadfield (1971-72) - 23
T-3rd - Chris Kreider (2021-22) - 22
T-3rd - Mike Gartner (1990-91) - 22
T-3rd - Marcel Dionne (1987-88) - 22
Kreider is the first player since Peter Bondra (WSH) in 2000-01 to tally 44+ goals, 22+ power play goals, 3+ shorthanded goals in a season. On only 14 occasions in league history has a player reached all three in a single season. Others besides Kreider to do it are Mario Lemieux (3x), Jeremy Roenick (3x), Joe Nieuwendyk (2x), Brett Hull, Phil Esposito, Marcel Dionne, Pavel Bure, and Peter Bondra.
Since 2007-08, Kreider is the third player to have at least 44 goals and 22 power play goals in a season, joining Alex Ovechkin (3x) and Steven Stamkos.
LIVE, LAF, LOVE
Alexis Lafrenière is currently riding a career-long five-game point streak (1G-4A). Since 2007-08, Lafrenière is the fourth different Rangers skater under- 21 years old to record a point streak of five or more games, joining Derek Stepan (2x), Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil.
Lafrenière's 23 points and 14 goals are a career-high while his nine assists are tied for his mark last season.
MARCH OF MIKA
Mika Zibanejad recorded his 500th career point on Friday against Pittsburgh. Zibanejad becames the 11th Swedish-born center to reach the milestone and third center from the 2011 NHL Draft class to notch 500 points (Mark Scheifele, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins). Of all skaters who made their debut in 2011- 12 or later, Zibanejad became the 14th to reach 500 points in 669 games or less.
Zibanejad has points in six of his last seven contests (4G-6A) and 10 of his last 13 games (6G-8A).
STATE OF THE ART-EMI
Artemi Panarin has 11 points (1G-10A) in his last seven games and points in eight of his last 10 games (1G-14A), and 10 of his last 13 games (2G-17A).
Panarin's 58 assists rank fourth in the NHL and are the third most in a single season in his career.
At home, Panarin leads the Rangers with 35 points (5G-30A) and has points in 18 of his 27 home contests.
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Adam Fox has points in five of his past eight games (3G-4A) and points in nine of his last 13 games (3G-12A).
Fox has the second most assists among defensemen (54) and ranks third among league defensemen with 64 points. Among Rangers defensemen, his 64 points are tied for the 16th most in a single season in franchise history and his 54 assists are tied for the 10th most in a single season in team history.
