Rangers vs. Panthers: Pregame Notes

The New York Rangers return home to face the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden (7:00 PM ET - TV: MSG Network - Radio: ESPN 880 AM). The Blueshirts will play five of their next six games and seven of their next nine contests at MSG.

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• New York will wear its third jerseys against Florida for the first of 10 times this season. Last year donning the third threads, the Rangers were 9-1-0.
• With a 5-0-1 record, the Rangers have set the franchise record for the longest point streak to begin a season.
• For the first time in franchise history, the Rangers have scored at least four goals in each of the first six games of a season. New York is the fourth team in the NHL since 1990-91 to notch the feat.
• The Blueshirts’ 31 goals are the second most in the NHL and the most for an NHL team through their first six games since the Devils and Kings in 1993-94.
• On the year, an NHL-high tying 14 players have scored a goal for New York and 18 different players have notched a point.
• New York’s 5.17 goals per-game are the most in the NHL and its 2.00 goals-against per game ranks fourth in the league. The Rangers’ 12 goals allowed are the third fewest in the NHL.
• At home against the Panthers in the regular season, New York has points in seven of eight contests (6-1-1) dating back to 2018.
• The Blueshirts rank first in the NHL with a plus-19 goal differential (31-12 edge). It is the Rangers’ highest goal differential through six games in team history. New York also ranks first in the NHL in first period GD (+9) and second in third period GD (+7).
• The Blueshirts have the second highest shots per-game in the NHL with a 35.0 rate.
• Over the first six games, Rangers defensemen have accounted for 20 points (4G-16A), the fourth most in the NHL. Last season, the 201 combined points (44G-157A) from New York blueliners ranked fourth in the NHL.
• New York has scored first in five of its first six games, boasting a 5-0-0 record in those games.

RANGERS AND PANTHERS CONNECTIONS

• Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck was drafted by the Panthers (2011 – 3rd Round) and played parts of his first seven seasons with Florida. In 2017-18 with Florida, Trocheck set career-highs in goals (31), assists (44), points (75). In 2016-17, Trocheck led the Panthers in points (54) and tied for the team lead in assists (31), earning a trip to the 2017 NHL All-Star Game.
• Rangers forward Reilly Smith played two seasons with the Panthers (2015-16 – 2016-17), compiling 87 points (40G-47A) in 162 games.
• Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola played 31 games for the Rangers in 2022-23, notching three points (1G-2A).

PANARIN’S POINTS

Artemi Panarin has 13 points (6G-7A) through the team’s first six games of the season, making him one of three players in the NHL since 2019-20 to reach the feat (Others: Jack Hughes - 2023-24 and Connor McDavid - 2021-22).

Panarin has the most points through six games in franchise history and has recorded a point in every game this season. Panarin ranks among the best in the NHL across the board this season.

Panarin was the first player in franchise history to record multiple points in each of the first four games of a season. The only other active player to accomplish the feat is Connor McDavid in 2021-22 (6-5—11 in 4 GP).

Panarin’s 38 multi-point games since the beginning of last season are tied for the fourth most in the NHL.

Among NHL skaters since 2015-16, has the second most assists (523) and fifth most points in the NHL (794).

In addition, Panarin’s 56 three-point games since joining the Rangers in 2019-20 are the third most among all players through that span. Connor McDavid (83) and Leon Draisaitl (65) rank first and second.

PUCK STOPPING SHESTERKIN

Igor Shesterkin has four wins on the young season, allowing one or fewer goals three of four victories. He has 19 career wins in the month of October (26 GP). His .731 win percentage is the highest in NHL history in the calendar month of October (min. 15 GP).

Since the beginning of last season, the 21 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.

KREIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS

Chris Kreider has five goals in his first six games of his 13th season and on Saturday, he notched his 46th career game- winning goal, tying Jean Ratelle for the second most in franchise history. His five goals were the most through five games in his career.

Kreider has 111 career power play goals, the second most in franchise history.

Since 2021-22, Kreider’s 10 shorthanded goals are tied for the most in the NHL (Travis Konecny, Adrian Kempe).

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Adam Fox has two three-assist games over his last five contests (Oct. 12 vs. UTA, Oct. 17 at DET) and seven assists in his last five games. His 13 career three-assist games are the second most by a Rangers defenseman behind Brian Leetch (37). Since 2019-20, his 13 such games ranks tied for fourth among NHL defensemen.

Since 2019-20, Fox has 75 multi-point games, which ranks fourth among NHL defensemen.

Last season, Fox set a career-high in 17 goals and posted 56 assists and 73 points last season. He scored the most goals by a Rangers defenseman since Brian Leetch in 2000-01 (21). Among NHL blueliners, he ranked tied for sixth in goals, sixth in points, and eighth in assists.

LIVE, LAF, LOVE

Alexis Lafreniere has points (3G-3A) in five of his six games to start the season. He tied Tomas Sandstrom (5 GP in 1986- 87) and Mike McEwen (5 GP in 1978-79) for the second-longest season-opening point streak by a Rangers player age 23 or younger. Darren Turcotte tops the list with an 11-game run in 1990-91.

On October 12 against Utah, Lafreniere skated in his 300th career NHL game.

Since his rookie season in 2020-21, he has the fifth most points on the Blueshirts (154) and in that same frame, ranks third on the Rangers in even strength goals (73) and even strength points (142).

Last year, Lafreniere had a career high in goals (28), assists (29) and points (57) in 2022-23 and was one of five players on New York to play in all 82 games. On the Rangers, he ranked second in even strength goals (26) and third in even-strength points (51).

FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK

Vincent Trocheck has seven points (2G-5A) through the first six games of the season, including his fourth career four-point game on October 17 at Detroit. Among skaters with 100 or more faceoffs, Trocheck ranks fourth in faceoff percentage (59.7).

Trocheck sits one goal away from 200 in his career.

In 2023-24, Trocheck posted a career-high in assists (52) and points (77). On New York, he finished fifth in goals, third in assists and second in points. With a 58.7 percent clip in the faceoff dot, Trocheck had the fourth highest percentage in the NHL among players who took 700 or more draws.

Trocheck was named last year’s winner of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, which is presented annually to the Ranger who, as chosen by the fans, “goes above and beyond the call of duty.”

MIKA’S MISSION

Mika Zibanejad is in his ninth season with the Rangers after being acquired ahead of the 2016-17 season. In that time frame, Zibanejad ranks fifth in the NHL in power play goals with 101 which is also the fifth most in Rangers history.

On Saturday in Toronto, Zibanejad became the 13th player in Rangers history to notch 300 assists with the team. He has six points (2G-4A) in his last four games.

BLUESHIRT BULLETS

• Will Cuylle has 29 hits, tied for the fourth most in the NHL.
• Rookie defenseman Victor Mancini has points in three-straight games.
• Reilly Smith has multiple points in his last two games and five points (2G-3A) in his most recent four games.