Rangers vs. Hurricanes: Pregame Notes

The New York Rangers play their final home game of the 2024 calendar year, a matinee against the Carolina Hurricanes in the first game of a back-to-back set (12:30 PM ET - TV: MSG Network - Radio: ESPN 880 AM). In 41 games at MSG since January 1, the Blueshirts are 25-15-1.

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• New York’s 88.0 penalty kill percentage is the best in the NHL and the 12 power play goals allowed by the Rangers are the fewest in the NHL. The Blueshirts have posted a perfect penalty kill in six-straight games (17-for-17) and nine of their last 11 contests.
• The Blueshirts’s four shorthanded goals this year rank tied for second in the NHL.
• The Rangers are 5-3-0 in their last eight regular season games against Carolina and have won three of their last five regular season games against them.
• 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.
• New York has allowed two or fewer goals in four of its last six contests.
• With a 54.6 percent clip, the Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in faceoff percentage and have been 50 percent or better in 24 of 32 games this season.
• The Rangers have 25 or more hits in each of their last six games, including four games with 33 or more hits. Since December 9, the Blueshirts’ 201 hits are the most in the NHL.
• 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 10-1-0 when leading after one period and 14-1-0 when leading after the second period. The Blueshirts are 12-2-0 when scoring the first goal of the game.

RANGERS AND HURRICANES CONNECTIONS

• Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck played parts of three seasons for the Hurricanes (2019-20 – 2021-22). From the time he was acquired by the Hurricanes on February 24, 2020 until 2021-22, Trocheck ranked third on the team in points (96), tied for third in assists (57), fourth in goals (39), and second in power play goals (14).
• Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette was the head coach for the Hurricanes from 2003-04 to 2008-09, winning the Stanley Cup with the franchise in 2006.
• Rangers defenseman Adam Fox was acquired by the Rangers from Carolina on Apr. 30, 2019.
• Hurricanes forward Jack Roslovic skated in 19 regular season games and 16 playoff games for the Blueshirts after being acquired at the 2023-24 trade deadline.
• Hurricanes forward Jack Drury is the nephew of Rangers president and GM Chris Drury

PANARIN’S POINTS

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

He has at least one point in 23 of 30 games this year and dating back to last season, he has points in 90 of 112 games The only NHL players who have tallied a point in more games over the span are Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (96) and Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (93).

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 380 career games with the Rangers. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in points per game (1.31) and assists per game (0.88). He would be the 14th player to register 500 points in a Rangers uniform.

TOO COOL

Will Cuylle has established a career-high of 24 points (11G-13A) and has points in eight of his last 13 games (4G-5A). On New York, Cuylle ranks tied for second in goals, third in points, first in plus/minus (12), and fourth in assists (13).

His team-leading 123 hits rank fifth 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 eight games, including a multi-point effort on Friday night in Dallas.

Trocheck ranks first in the NHL among players with 400 or more faceoffs with a 61.4 FOW% and ranks fifth in the NHL in faceoffs won (372) this season.

Trocheck has won 139 of 213 faceoffs he has taken over the last 10 games (65.3%); he leads the NHL in faceoffs win over the span (since Nov. 30).

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.

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 five of his last six 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.

Quick is 5-3-0 this season with a 2.47 GAA, .915 save percentage and two shutouts. In his tenure with New York, Quick has compiled a 23-9-2 record.

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

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Adam Fox has eight points (1G-7A) in his last 10 games.

He has logged 24:00+ in nine of his last 10 contests, including single-game season-high 27:15 on Friday in Dallas and 27:11 against Nashville on Dec. 17. Since Nov. 30, Fox’s 25:12 TOI/GP ranks 11th 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).

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 tied for fifth in the NHL in power play goals with 103 which is also the sixth most in Rangers history.

BLUESHIRT BULLETS

• 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.