Rangers at Lightning: Pregame Notes

The New York Rangers return from holiday break with a trip to Florida, beginning with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night (7:00 PM ET - TV: MSG 2 - Radio: ESPN 1050 AM).

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The Blueshirts have points in eight of their last nine games (7-1-1) against the Lightning and in 10 of their last 12 contests against them (8-2-2).
• Vincent Trocheck has six points (1G-5A) in his last three games against the Lightning, including a four-point (1G-3A) game on Dec. 30, 2023 at Tampa.
• The Rangers have 25 or more hits in each of their last eight games, including five games with 33 or more hits. Since December 9, the Blueshirts’ 260 hits are the most in the NHL.
• On the road, the Blueshirts have allowed 2.47 goals per game, the second fewest in the NHL.
• New York’s 85.3 penalty kill percentage is tied for the third best in the NHL and has posted a perfect penalty kill in six of its last eight games.
• At this year’s World Junior Championships in Ottawa, the Rangers are being represented by Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue (Team USA) along with Rico Gredig (Team Switzerland).
• New York’s .906 team save percentage ranks tied for second in the NHL.
• With a 54.4 percent clip, the Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in faceoff percentage and have been 50 percent or better in 25 of 34 games this season.
• When the Blueshirts score four or more goals in a game, they are 10-1-1 and when they allow two or fewer goals, they are 14-2-0. The Rangers have allowed two or fewer goals in 14 of 16 victories this season. Since the start of last season, the Rangers have posted a 52-2-0 record in 54 regular season games in which they have allowed two goals or fewer (not counting team goals awarded for shootout win).
• On the year, New York is 10-2-0 when leading after one period and 14-1-0 when leading after the second period. The Blueshirts are 12-3-0 when scoring the first goal of the game.

RANGERS AND LIGHTNING CONNECTIONS

• Lightning 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.
• Lightning Assistant Coach Jeff Halpern played part of one season with the Rangers (2012-13).

PANARIN’S POINTS

Artemi Panarin has a team-leading 15 goals and 37 points and has points in seven of his last 10 games (3G-8A).

During the 2024 calendar year, Panarin has accumulated 107 points (41G-66A) in 79 regular season games, the seventh most in the NHL.

He has at least one point in 23 of 32 games this year and dating back to last season, he has points in 90 of 114 games The only NHL players who have tallied a point in more games over the span are Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (97) and Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (94).

With his latest multi-point game (143rd), Panarin moved past Ron Greschner and into a tie with Mika Zibanejad for the eighth most in franchise history.

Among NHL skaters since his debut in 2015-16, Panarin has the fourth most assists (538) and fifth most points in the NHL (818).

Panarin has tallied 498 points (164G-334A) in 381 career games with the Rangers. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in points per game (1.30) and assists per game (0.87). He would be the 14th player to register 500 points in a Rangers uniform and fastest to do so.

TOO COOL

Will Cuylle has established a career-high of 24 points (11G-13A) and on New York, ranks tied for second in goals, third in points, first in plus/minus (12), and fourth in assists (13).

His team-leading 127 hits rank fourth in the NHL and Cuylle is one of three NHL players who have registered 10+ goals and 100+ hits this season (along with Brady Tkachuk and Kiefer Sherwood).

Cuylle required the fewest games (23 GP) to 20 points in a season by a Rangers player under the age of 23 since Alex Kovalev (20 GP in 1995-96).

TROCHECK IN THE CIRCLE

Vincent Trocheck has eight points (3G-5A) in his last 10 games.

Trocheck ranks second in the NHL among players with 400 or more faceoffs with a 61.3 FOW% and ranks third in the NHL in faceoffs won (393) this season.

Trocheck has won 160 of 248 faceoffs he has taken over the last 12 games (64.5%); he leads the NHL in faceoffs win over the span (since Nov. 30).

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Adam Fox has logged over 26 minutes of ice time in three of his last four games and 24:00+ in 11 of his last 12 contests, including single-game season-high 27:15 on Dec. 20 in Dallas. Since Nov. 30, Fox’s 25:15 TOI/GP ranks ninth among all NHL skaters.

He has 25 assists on the season, the fourth most among NHL defensemen.

Fox has 58 multi-assist games since his debut season in 2019-20, the fourth most among defenseman over that span. In that time frame, he ranks third among defensemen in the NHL in assists (280) and fifth in points (334).

Fox is one of only three defensemen in Rangers history to register 25 or more points in each of their first six NHL seasons (along with Brad Park and Ron Greschner).

BROADWAY BACKSTOPS

Igor Shesterkin has 11 wins this season and has allowed two or fewer goals in all but one of his victories. Shesterkin has allowed two or fewer goals in six of his last seven starts dating back to Dec. 6.

Shesterkin has made 40 more saves on four occasions this season and when makes 40 or more saves in a game over his career, the Rangers are 14-2-1.

Since the beginning of last season, the 23 games in which Shesterkin has allowed one or fewer goals rank first among NHL goaltenders.

Dating back to the 2021-22 season, Shesterkin has ranked among the best in the NHL.

Jonathan Quick has five wins on the season and sits two wins away from 400 in his career which would make him the 15th goaltender in NHL history to reach the mark and first American-born player.

KREIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS

Chris Kreider ranks tied for second on the Rangers with 11 goals this season, with four of his 11 goals being game-winning tallies. His career total of 48 GWGs are the second most in Rangers history behind Rod Gilbert’s 52.

Kreider has 100 regular season goals on tips/deflections in his NHL career (92 tipped, 8 deflected). No NHL player has more since Kreider’s first NHL regular season game in 2012-13 (Pavelski is second - 96)

Kreider has 41 career multi-goal games, one shy of tying Camille Henry (42 GP) for the sixth most in Rangers history.

Since 2021-22, Kreider’s 11 shorthanded goals are the most in the NHL. His 11 career shorthanded goals are tied with Walt Tkaczuk and Mika Zibanejad for fifth place on the franchise’s all-time list.

Kreider has 114 career power play goals, the second most in franchise history. Since 2021-22, his 56 power play goals rank tied for third in the NHL.

MIKA’S MISSION

Mika Zibanejad is one assist from 400 and one point from 700. He would be the fourth active Swedish player to record 400 assists in their career.

With 312 assists in a Rangers sweater, Zibanejad has surpassed Steve Vickers for the 11th most in franchise history. Zibanejad has 143 multi-point games with the Rangers, the eighth most in franchise history.

Since Zibanejad joined the Rangers in 2016-17, he ranks sixth in the NHL in power play goals with 103 which is also the sixth most in Rangers history.

BLUESHIRT BULLETS

• Braden Schneider has logged exactly 40:00 of shorthanded ice time this year and has not been on the ice for a power play goal against. He is one of only two NHL players (and the only defenseman) who has been on the ice for 40:00+ of shorthanded ice time without being on the ice for an opposition’s power play goal (along with Teuvo Teravainen).
• Of the 246 NHL players who have logged at least 40:00 of shorthanded ice time this season, the Rangers currently have three players in the top 10 for power play goals against per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time (Schneider – T-1st with 0.00; Sam Carrick – 4th with 1.33; Smith – 10th with 2.62).
• The Rangers have posted a 64-11-2 record in the 77 regular season games which Alexis Lafrenière has scored a goal in his NHL career.
• Reilly Smith has 16 points (7G-9A) on the year and the Rangers are 12-2-0 this season when he notches a point.