Rangers vs. Sharks: Pregame Notes

The New York Rangers host the San Jose Sharks at MSG before embarking on a four-game road trip to the West Coast (7:00 PM ET - TV: MSG Network - Radio: ESPN 880 AM).

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• Against the Sharks, the Blueshirts have earned a point in 10-straight games (8-0-2) dating back to 2018. Among active teams in the NHL, the Rangers’ .735 point percentage all-time against the Sharks is their second highest (Seattle - .917).
• At home against San Jose, New York is 4-0-1 in its last five contests and 7-1-1 in its last nine home games against them.
• The Blueshirts have points in 11 of 14 games this year and their .679 points percentage is tied for the sixth highest in the NHL.
• Will Cuylle is set to play in his 100th career NHL game, against San Jose.
• The Blueshirts rank fifth in goals for per game (3.71) and tied for fourth in goals against per game (2.57). The Rangers have allowed two or fewer goals in nine of 14 games and have scored four or more goals in eight of 14 games.
• New York has scored first in nine of its first 14 games, boasting a 9-0-0 record in those games. The Rangers’ nine wins when scoring first are the most in the NHL.
• Reilly Smith has 30 points (11G-19A) in 32 career games against the Sharks, including eight points (4G-4A) in his last six games against them.
• Since 2015-16, the Rangers have 72 wins in the month of November, the second most in the NHL behind Toronto (75).
• New York’s 89.4 penalty kill percentage ranks third in the NHL. The team has a perfect PK in nine of 14 games this year, including six of their last eight contests.
• As a team, the Rangers’ .921 save percentage is the second best in the NHL. The Rangers are one of eight teams to have multiple shutouts this year.
• The Rangers’ plus-16 goal differential (52-36) ranks tied for fourth in the NHL. Their plus-8 goal differential in the first period and third period ranks tied for third in the NHL.
• On the year, 17 players have scored a goal for New York, tied for the fifth most in the NHL, and the Rangers have 20 different players who have notched a point, tied for the seventh most in the league.

RANGERS AND SHARKS CONNECTIONS

• Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski played three games for the Sharks during the 2019-20 season.
• Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow played three seasons with the Rangers (2021-22 – 2023-24), compiling 76 points (28G-48A) in 241 regular season games.
• Sharks forward Alex Wennberg skated in 19 regular season games for the Blueshirts during the 2023-24 season, notching five points (1G-4A).
• Sharks general manager Mike Grier was a hockey operations adviser for the Rangers during the 2021-22 season.

PANARIN’S POINTS

Artemi Panarin has points in eight-straight home games, his fifth such streak with the Rangers. The only other New York players with as many are Brian Leetch (7), Mark Messier (6), Wayne Gretzky (5) and Andy Bathgate (5).

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

Panarin has 22 points (10G-12A) on the year and points in 13 of his 14 games this season. He ranks tied for eighth in the NHL in goals and points.

Panarin recorded his 800th career point on November 7 against Buffalo. Panarin (684 GP) became the fourth-fastest active player to record 800 points behind Connor McDavid (545 GP), Sidney Crosby (571 GP) and Alex Ovechkin (658 GP). Panarin also became the sixth fastest undrafted player to reach the 800-point milestone behind Wayne Gretzky (352 GP), Peter Stastny (531 GP), Bobby Orr (575 GP), Phil Esposito (633 GP) and Adam Oates (657 GP).

Panarin’s 40 multi-point games since the beginning of last season are the fifth most in the NHL.

Among NHL skaters since 2015-16, Panarin has the second most assists (528) and fifth most points in the NHL (803).

BROADWAY BACKSTOPS

With Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick as goaltenders, the Rangers’ .921 save percentage is the second best in the NHL.

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

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 3-0-0 this season with a 1.17 GAA, .964 save percentage and one shutout. In his tenure with New York, Quick has compiled a 21-6-2 record, 2.45 GAA and .917 save percentage.

His 61 shutouts are tied with Turk Broda for the 18th most in NHL history. He sits four 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.

LIVE, LAF, LOVE

Alexis Lafreniere has points (6G-6A) in 10 of his 14 games this season and points in back-to-back games (1G-1A).

Among Rangers skaters this season, he ranks tied for second in points, third in goals, even strength goals (4), and even strength points (10).

Since his rookie season in 2020-21, he has the fifth most points on the Blueshirts (160) and in that same frame, ranks third on the Rangers in even strength goals (74) and even strength points (146).

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Adam Fox has 12 assists in his last 13 games, including two three-assist games.

Since 2019-20, Fox ranks third among defensemen in the NHL in assists (267) and fifth in points (320). In that span, he has 76 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.

KREIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS

Chris Kreider has eight goals, the second most on the team, in the first 13 games of his 13th season, including two shorthanded goals. His most recent goal was 47th game-winning tally of his career, surpassing Jean Ratelle for the second most in Rangers history (Rod Gilbert leads with 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 four assists in his last four games and 11 points (2G-9A) in his last 12 games. He sits four goals away from 300 in his career and seven assists from 400.

Since Zibanejad joined the Rangers in 2016-17, he ranks fifth in the NHL in power play goals with 101 which is also the fifth most in Rangers history.

BLUESHIRT BULLETS

• Will Cuylle has 57 hits, the most on the Rangers and sixth most in the NHL. Cuylle has 11 points (5G-6A) in 14 games and four goals in his last seven games. Cuylle is one of three players in the NHL to have 10 or more points and 50 or more hits.
• Filip Chytil has seven points (3G-4A) in his last nine games and nine points (4G-5A) in 14 games this year.