Rangers vs. Blues: Pregame Notes

The New York Rangers return to Madison Square Garden for a one-game stop, against the St. Louis Blues on Monday night in Manhattan (7:00 PM ET - TV: MSG Network - Radio: ESPN 1050 AM).

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The Rangers will play seven of their next 10 games on home ice.
• New York has have wins in three of its last five and six of its last 10 games. The Rangers have points in 13 of 19 games this year their .658 points percentage ranks seventh in the NHL.
• The Blueshirts have won three in a row at home against the Blues and four of their last five at MSG against St. Louis. Since 2014-15, at home against the Blues, the Rangers are 6-2-1.
• New York’s 88.7 penalty kill percentage ranks second in the NHL.
• The Rangers have allowed two or fewer goals in 11 of 12 victories this season.
• As a team, the Rangers’ .919 save percentage is the best in the NHL. The Rangers are one of five teams to have three or more shutouts this year.
• New York boasts a 10-0-0 record when scoring first in a game, their 10 such wins ranking tied for the most in the NHL. - Thirty-nine of the Rangers assists this year have come from defensemen, the eighth most in the NHL.
• Since the start of last season, the Rangers have posted a 49-1-0 record in 50 regular season games in which they have allowed two goals or fewer (not counting team goals awarded for shootout win).
• Since 2015-16, the Rangers have 75 wins in the month of November, the second most in the NHL behind Toronto (78).
• The Rangers have 18 players with at least one goal this season, tied for the fifth most in the NHL.

RANGERS AND BLUES CONNECTIONS

• Rangers associate head coach Phil Housley played parts of one season for the Blues during the 1993-94 season.
• Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich played parts of five seasons with the Rangers (2016-17 – 2020-21).

PANARIN’S POINTS

Artemi Panarin has a team-leading 12 goals and 26 points. He has points in eight of his last 10 games (6G-5A) and at least one point in 16 of 19 games this year.

Panarin has seven multi-point games this year and 41 since last season, the sixth most in the NHL

Panarin had 10 goals in 15 games and was the fastest Rangers player to reach the 10-goal mark (14 GP) in a season since Rick Nash (12 GP in 2014-15).

Dating back to last season, Panarin has recorded a point in 83 of 101 regular season games; the only NHL players who have tallied a point in more games over the span are Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (87) and Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (84).

Among NHL skaters since 2015-16, Panarin has the second most assists (530) and fifth most points in the NHL (807).

BROADWAY BACKSTOPS

With Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick as goaltenders, the Rangers’ .919 save percentage is the best in the NHL.

Shesterkin has eight wins this season and has allowed two or fewer goals in all but one of his victories. When Shesterkin makes 40 or more saves in a game over his career, the Rangers are 13-2-1.

Since the beginning of last season, the 22 games in which Shesterkin has allowed one or fewer goals rank first among NHL goaltenders.

Since the 2021-22 season, Shesterkin has ranked among the best in the NHL.

Quick is 4-1-0 this season with a 1.85 GAA, .943 save percentage and two shutouts. In his tenure with New York, Quick has compiled a 22-7-2 record, 2.49 GAA and .916 save percentage.

Quick’s 62 shutouts are the 18th most in NHL history. He sits three 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.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Adam Fox has assists in three-straight games, assists/points (8) in six of his last seven games and 17 assists in his last 18 games. He has three multi-assist games this year and 55 since 2019-20, the fourth most for a NHL blueliner.

Among NHL defensemen this year, he ranks third in assists (17) and tied for seventh in points (17).
Since 2019-20, Fox ranks tied for second among defensemen in the NHL in assists (272) and fifth in points (325).

LIVE, LAF, LOVE

Alexis Lafreniere has points in six of his last seven games (3G-3A) and points in 14 of his 19 games.

Among Rangers skaters this season, he ranks third in points, third in goals, third in even strength goals (6), and third in even strength points (14).

The Rangers have posted a 64-10-2 record in the 76 regular season games which Alexis Lafrenière has scored a goal in his NHL career.

Since his rookie season in 2020-21, he has the fifth most points on the Blueshirts (164) and in that same frame, ranks third on the Rangers in even strength goals (76) and even strength points (150).

KREIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS

Chris Kreider ranks second on the Rangers with nine goals on the year. Four of his nine goals have been game-winning goals, ranking tied for second in the NHL for the most GWG’s. His career total of 48 are the second most in Rangers history behind Rod Gilbert’s 52.

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 113 career power play goals, the second most in franchise history. Since 2021-22, his 55 power play goals rank third in the NHL.

MIKA’S MISSION

Mika Zibanejad has seven points (2G-5A) in his last nine games. He is two goals from 300 in his career, six assists from 400 and eight points from 700.

Last Tuesday in Vancouver, Zibanejad recorded his 142nd multi-point game with the Rangers and tied Ron Greschner for 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 101 which is also the fifth most in Rangers history.

BLUESHIRT BULLETS

• Will Cuylle has points in five of his last eight games (4G-3A) and has 15 points (7G-8A) in 19 games. He has 79 hits, the most on the Rangers and tied for the fifth most in the NHL.
• Cuylle along with Vincent Trocheck are two of six players in the NHL to have 10 or more points and 60 or more hits.
• Jacob Trouba’s 56 blocked shots are the fifth most in the NHL.
• Reilly Smith has eight assists/11 points on the year. The Rangers are 9-0-0 this season when he notches a point.