BREAD WINNER
Artemi Panarin has multi-point games in the first two games of a season for the second time in his career (Other: 2019- 20). He has never had multi-point games in three-straight to open a season.
With his multi-point game on Saturday, the 135th with the Rangers, he tied Vic Hadfield for 10th most in franchise history.
His 36 multi-point games since the beginning of last season are the fifth most in the NHL.
Among NHL skaters since 2015-16, has the second most assists (518) and fifth most points in the NHL (783).
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Adam Fox tallied three assists in the home opener on Saturday night. It was his 12th career game with three or more assists and first since Feb. 15, 2024 against Montreal. Since 2019-20, his 12 such games ranks fifth among NHL defensemen.
Since 2022-23, Fox’s 36 multi-point games rank fifth among NHL defensemen. Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes are tied for the lead with 47.
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.
KREIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS
Chris Kreider opened his 13th season with two goals in Pittsburgh, including his 10th career shorthanded goal. Kreider’s 13 seasons are tied for the eighth most in team history with Rod Gilbert leading with 18 seasons.
Since 2021-22, Kreider’s 10 shorthanded goals lead the NHL.
Kreider has 110 career power play goals, the second most in franchise history.
Last year, Kreider scored 39 goals and added an additional 36 assists for 75 points in 2023-24 while changing the Rangers record books:
- Scored his 300th career goal, becoming the third player in franchise history to reach the feat (Rod Gilbert - 406, Jean Ratelle - 336).
- Surpassed Rod Gilbert (108) for the second most power play goals in franchise history.
- Played in his 800th career game on Mar. 16, becoming the 10th skater in franchise history to reach the number
- Surpassed Adam Graves for the third most goals in Rangers history (281)
- Surpassed Adam Graves for the 10th most points in team history (508)
- Recorded his 500th career point
- Surpassed Camille Henry for the fourth most road goals in franchise history (137)
- Became the fifth Ranger to tally 100 career power play goals
- Recorded his 166th career goal at MSG (regular season and playoffs) to surpass Rod Gilbert for the most in the building’s history
FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK
Vincent Trocheck has two points (1G-1A) through the first two games of the season.
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.”
LIVE, LAF, LOVE
On October 12 against Utah, Alexis Lafreniere skated in his 300th career NHL game.
Since his rookie season in 2020-21, he has the fifth most points on the Blueshirts (151) and in that same frame, ranks third on the Rangers in even strength goals (71) and fourth in even strength points (138).
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).
PUCK STOPPING SHESTERKIN
Igor Shesterkin began the season with a 31-save shutout, the first by a Ranger goaltender in their season-opening game since October 12, 1956 when Gump Worsley blanked the Blackhawks. The only other goaltenders in Rangers history
to record a season-opening shutout are John Ross Roach (Nov. 11, 1930 & Nov. 15, 1928), Dave Kerr (Nov. 7, 1937) and Hal Winkler (Nov. 16, 1926).
Shesterkin became the fifth goaltender to register three season-opening wins for the Rangers. The others: Henrik Lundqvist (8-5-1), Gump Worsley (5-4-1), John Ross Roach (4-0-0) and Ed Giacomin (3-6-2).
Last season, Igor Shesterkin finished tied for third in wins (36), tied for fifth in save percentage (.913), and seventh in GAA (2.58).
He posted his third consecutive 30-win season. Only two other goaltenders in franchise history have had three 30-win campaigns in their career: Henrik Lundqvist (11) and Ed Giacomin (5).
He also finished 16-5-1 in his last 22 games of the year.
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.
Last season, he notched 40 assists in a season for the third consecutive year and 25 goals for the sixth time in his career in 2023-24.
He had double-digit power play goals (12) for a seventh straight season. The only other player that has reached 10-plus power play goals in the last seven seasons is Steven Stamkos.
2023-24 RECAP
The Rangers earned a trip to the Eastern Conference Final last season, after defeating Washington in the First Round and Carolina in the Second Round. Their playoff run came after a regular season that saw them finishing with a 55-23-4 record for 114 points.
They earned first place in the League standings for the fifth time in franchise history, won the Metro Division and eighth division title in franchise history. New York set the franchise record in wins (55) and points (114).
Other notes from the 2023-24 season include:
- The Rangers recorded a 26.4 power play percentage, the second-best mark in franchise history (1977-78) and third best in the NHL.
- With an 84.5 clip, the Blueshirts finished with the third highest penalty kill percentage in the NHL.
- New York’s 52.3 faceoff percentage ranked tied for the third highest in team history and highest since the 2007-08 season.
- The Blueshirts had a franchise record and league-high 28 comeback victories. Fourteen of the 28 came when trailing during the third period, tied for the most in the league. The Blueshirts also had 20 wins when trailing first in a game, the most in a single season in franchise history.
- The Rangers’ 106 third period goals were the eighth most in franchise history and the most since 1991-92. In the NHL, the goal number was the second best in the NHL.
