TONIGHT'S GAME
KNOCKIN' ON SEVEN'S DOOR
Tonight, the Rangers will contest their 17th Game 7 of all-time and second in this postseason. New York is 10-6 (.625) overall in Game 7s and is 7-1 in its past eight Game 7s since 2012. Two of those 10 Game 7 victories have come on the road (2014 SR at PIT &2013 CQF at WSH). It will be the fifth time (1994, 2012, 2014, 2015) in team history that the Rangers will play multiple Game 7s in a playoff year and first time since 2015 (Second Round, Conference Finals).
Monday will mark the first road Game 7 for the Blueshirts since the Second Round in 2014, a 2-1 win in Pittsburgh.
Mika Zibanejad leads the Rangers with three points (1G-2A) in his career in Game 7s. Chris Kreider and Justin Braun lead the Blueshirts with seven Game 7s in their careers. Kreider is 6-1 in those games.
Pregame Notes: Game Seven at Hurricanes
NO QUIT IN NEW YORK
New York is 4-0 in these playoffs when facing elimination, after winning three elimination games in the First Round and earning a Game 6 victory on Saturday. This is the third time in club history in which the Rangers have won more than three games when facing elimination in a single playoff year: 2014 (5-1 overall; 1-0 in R1 vs. PHI, 3-0 in R2 vs. PIT and 1-1 in SCF vs. LAK) and 2015 (4-1 overall; 3-0 in R2 vs. WSH, 1-1 in CF vs. TBL).
It is the sixth time in the past 10 postseasons that a team has won at least four games while facing elimination - with the Rangers accounting for three of those (4-0 in 2022, 5-1 in 2014 &4-1 in 2015). The Canadiens (4-1 in 2021), Sharks (4-1 in 2019) and Kings (7-0 in 2014) account for the other instances in that span.
With a win in Game 7, the Blueshirts (3-1 vs. PIT, 2-0 vs. CAR) would become the fourth team in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to win multiple series in one year after facing a multi-game deficit in each. The 2011 Bruins (2-0 vs. MTL &VAN), 2009 Penguins (2-0 vs. WSH &DET) and 2003 Wild (3-1 vs. COL &VAN) all did so. Both the Bruins and Penguins won the Stanley Cup in those years.
In the First Round, the Rangers became the first team in Stanley Cup Playoff history to record three consecutive comeback wins in elimination games within the same series.
In the regular season, New York had 27 comeback victories, the second most in the NHL in 2021-22 and most in franchise history.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE MAN ADVANTAGE
After not mustering a power play goal in Games 1 and 2, the Rangers have scored a power play goal in their last four contests. It is the first time since 2008 (Games 3-5 of CQF vs. NJD &Game 1 of SF vs. PIT) they have scored power play goals in four consecutive playoff games (in one playoff year).
New York has scored power play goals in five-straight playoff games (in a single playoff year) on four occasions in team history:
5 GP - 1995
5 GP - 1994
6 GP - 1990
6 GP - 1986
Of the remaining five teams in the postseason, the Rangers' 29.7 power play percentage (11-for-37) ranks second behind Colorado (34.5).
I-GOR
Since Game 5 of the First Round against Pittsburgh, Igor Shesterkin has recorded a 6-3 record, .937 save percentage and 2.10 goals against average. He has allowed two or fewer goals in all but one game (Game 5) in this series.
Shesterkin has four wins in his career when facing elimination, the second most in Rangers history behind Henrik Lundqvist (16). In Game 7 of the First Round, Shesterkin stopped 39 of 42 shots in 63:44 minutes of play. Shesterkin became the fourth goaltender in Rangers history to win a Game 7, joining Henrik Lundqvist (6x), Mike Richter (2x) and John Vanbiesbrouck (1x).
Shesterkin has three assists in these playoffs and is the second goaltender in Rangers history to record multiple assists in a playoff year, joining John Vanbiesbrouck in 1985-86. The most assists by a goaltender in a single postseason is four, achieved by Martin Brodeur with the New Jersey Devils in the 2012 playoffs
MIKA MAY
Mika Zibanejad has goals in four-straight games - the longest run by a Rangers player since Brendan Shanahan (4 GP) in 2007. The only skater to record a longer stretch with the franchise in a playoff year was Cecil Dillon (5 GP) in 1933.
Zibanejad has four power-play goal in the playoffs, which is tied for the most among all players this postseason (Nathan MacKinnon, Ryan O'Reilly, David Perron &T.J. Oshie). Zibanejad's four power play goals are the most in one postseason by a Rangers player since Adam Graves set the franchise mark with six in 1996. Zibanejad's four power-play goals are tied for the third most on record within one playoff year by a Rangers player, behind Graves and Alex Kovalev (5 in 1994).
Zibanejad's 16 points (7G-9A) are tied with Adam Fox for the third most in the NHL in the playoffs. Since Game 5 against the Penguins (May 11), Zibanejad has seven goals and five assists for 12 points in nine games, his seven goals tied with Evander Kane (EDM) for the most in that span.
DEADLINE DARLINGS
In this series, deadline acquisitions Tyler Motte (2G), Andrew Copp (1G-2A) and Frank Vatrano (1G-1A) have combined for seven points (4G-3A).
Andrew Copp established a postseason career-high with three points (1G-2A) in Game 4 against Carolina and recorded his second multi-point game of these playoffs (Game 7 vs. PIT). Since joining the Rangers, Copp has accumulated 28 points in 29 games (8G-10A in 16 RS GP &5G-5A in 13 PS GP). Copp has the second-most playoff points among in-season additions behind Edmonton forward Evander Kane (15 PTS in 12 GP). Copp needs six points to match the most by an in-season acquisition in Rangers history, achieved by Steve Larmer in 1994 (16 PTS in 23 GP).
Frank Vatrano has tallied three goals and four assists for seven points in 13 games this postseason. Since joining the Rangers on March 17, Vatrano has accumulated 20 points (11G-9A) in 35 games.
Tyler Motte, acquired by the Rangers on deadline day, has two goals in this series. Motte is the seventh player to score each of his first two goals in a Rangers uniform during the postseason. The others: Chris Kreider, Shane Churla, Doug Lidster, George McPhee, Bobby Sheehan and Rod Gilbert.
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Adam Fox leads all NHL defensemen with 16 points and 12 assists in these playoffs. His four goals are tied for the most among d-men (Devon Toews).
Fox's 16 points are tied with Brian Leetch (1992) for the fourth most by a Rangers defenseman in a playoff year. Fox's 12 assists are tied for the sixth most by any Rangers player (regardless of position) in a single postseason and the most since 2014 when Ryan McDonagh collected 13 in 25 games.
Fox has eight points (1G-7A) in four games when facing elimination during these playoffs, tying him with Ray Bourque (8 in 1980), Ian Turnbull (8 in 1976), Denis Potvin (8 in 1975) for the most among defensemen in a single postseason.
KREIDING RIGHT INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
Chris Kreider has nine points (6G-3A) in these playoffs. In 25 career elimination games, Kreider has 13 goals and four assists for 17 points. He ranks first in career goals and second in career points (Derick Brassard: 19) in games when facing elimination among all players in Rangers history. Kreider is tied with Alex Ovechkin (13) for the most career goals among active skaters in games when facing elimination. The only players in NHL history with more are: Mark Messier (16), Jaromir Jagr (15), Maurice Richard (15), Gilbert Perreault (15) and Justin Williams (15).
Kreider has a combined 31 special teams goals (PP + SH) this season, the most since Mario Lemieux's 43 in 1995-96. The breakdown of Kreider's special teams' goals is below:
PPG: 27
SHG: 4
RS PPG: 26
RS SHG: 1
PO PPG: 3
PO SHG:1
PANARIN MAN
Artemi Panarin has four goals and six assists for 10 points in 13 playoff games and has points in three of the Rangers' four elimination games this year. In the regular season and playoffs combined, Panarin has 106 points, the most since Jaromir Jagr in 2006-07 (107 PTS).
In Game 7 of the First Round, Panarin scored the overtime winner, joining Derek Stepan (2015 R2) and Stephane Matteau (1994 ECF) as the only Game 7 overtime goal scorers in team history.
UPCOMING PLAYOFF MILESTONES
Chris Kreider
- 1 game from surpassing Walt Tkaczuk for the fifth most games played (94) in Rangers playoff history.
- 1 power play goal from tying Rod Gilbert for the third most power play goals in Rangers playoff history (11).
- 1 point from tying Derek Stepan, Steve Vickers, Ron Greschner for the sixth most points (49) in Rangers playoff history.
