Pregame Notes: Rangers at Blackhawks 

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The New York Rangers head to Chicago to close out their season series against the Blackhawks (8:30 PM ET - TV: MSG Network - Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). After tonight, the Rangers will play only two games later than 8:00 PM ET the rest of the season.
• New York has wins in three-straight games and points in five of its last six games (4-1-1). The Blueshirt’s 32 wins are tied for the second most in the NHL.
• On the road, the Rangers have points in three-straight contests (2-0-1) and are 15-9-3 away from MSG. New York’s 27 road games are tied for the second most in the NHL.
• In the past 30 years, the club has earned as many wins (31) through 50 games just four times: 1993-94 (33), 2011-12 (33), 2021-22 (32) and 2016-17 (31).
• The Rangers have won six of their last seven games against the Blackhawks dating back to the 2018-19 season.
• New York has six players (Kreider, Zibanejad, Panarin, Trocheck, Fox, Lafreniere) with 30 or more points, tied for the second most in the NHL. The Rangers also have four players (Kreider, Panarin, Trocheck, Zibanejad) with 15-plus goals, tied for the second most as well.
• In the last 19 games (since Dec. 27), Artemi Panarin (23 pts) and Vincent Trocheck (19 pts) have recorded a combined 42 points (20G-22A).
• When allowing three goals or fewer in a game this season, the Rangers have a 30-2-2 record.
• New York has the NHL’s fourth best (tied) power play percentage (26.6) and ranks tied for fourth in penalty kill percentage (83.2).
• The Blueshirts have 21 wins when scoring first, tied for the third most in the NHL (Vancouver leads with 26).
• The Rangers’ 54.1 faceoff percentage is tied for the fourth highest in the NHL. Since 1997-98 when the league started tracking FOW%, the team hasn’t finished a season over 53.3 percent.
• New York has accumulated 123 points from defensemen this season, the fourth most in the NHL.
• The Blueshirts have 15 comeback wins this season, tied for third in the NHL, and eight when trailing in the third period, tied for the second most in the league.

RANGERS AND BLACKHAWKS CONNECTIONS

• Artemi Panarin began his NHL career with Chicago and played two seasons with the Blackhawks (2015-16 and 2016-17). He won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2015-16 and was named to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team at Left Wing in 2016-17.
• Erik Gustafsson played the first four seasons of his career with the Blackhawks (2015-16 – 2019-20) and then again during the 2021-22 season.
• Blackhawks Associate General Manager Norm Maciver played parts of three seasons with the Rangers (1986-87 – 1988- 89).
• Jarred Tinordi played in seven games for the Rangers last season, recording one goal.
• Colin Blackwell skated in 47 games for the Blueshirts in 2020-21, recording 22 points (12G-10A).
• Ryan Donato is the son of Ted Donato, who played one season with the Rangers (2002-03). Ted also coached Adam Fox and Jimmy Vesey at Harvard University.
• Rangers associate coach Phil Housley played two seasons for the Blackhawks from 2001-02 – 2002-03.

PANARIN’S POINTS

Artemi Panarin had 31 goals in 51 games. Only two Rangers players have scored as many through 50 games in the past 25 years: Chris Kreider (33 in 2021-22) and Rick Nash (33 in 2014-15).

Panarin ranks sixth in the NHL in goals (31), tied for sixth in points (67), and tied for fifth in multi-point games (20).

He reached 30 goals in a season for the fourth time in his career and is the only active undrafted player to accomplish the feat.

His 31 goals are tied for the second most of his career.

Panarin has points in four of his last six games (4G-2A), seven of his last 10 games (5G-4A), 17 points in his last 16 games (8G-9A). He has notched a point in 41 of his 51 games this year.

QUICK AND TO THE POINT

Jonathan Quick has won three-straight starts, allowing two or fewer goals in all three. Quick is the oldest goaltender in franchise history with a three-game winning streak and the second active netminder with a run of that length at age 38 or older, joining Marc-Andre Fleury (7 GP & 3 GP in 2022-23).

Quick holds a 12-4-2 record this season. Among goaltenders with 18 or more starts, he ranks third in goals-against average (2.27) and seventh in save percentage (.919).

He is two wins away from tying Dominik Hasek for 15th most in NHL history (389) and four wins from tying Ryan Miller for the most wins among American-born goaltenders (391).

FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK

Vincent Trocheck ranks first in the NHL (min. 700 FO) in faceoff percentage (61.7) and is the only player in the NHL to have 45 or more points, 60 or more hits, and 40 or more blocked shots.

Since Dec. 30, Trocheck’s 18 points (7G-11A) ranks among the top-15 in the NHL.

Trocheck has points in four of his past six games (1G-3A) and 14 points in his last 15 games (6G-8A).

KREIDING TO MAKE HISTORY

Chris Kreider has 23 goals this season, points in six of his last nine contests (3G-6A) and eight of his last 12 games (3G-8A).

This season, Kreider has changed the Rangers record books:

• 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) - Tied Bill Cook for the third most game-winning goals in franchise history (42)
• 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
• Notched his ninth 20-goal campaign in his career. Only two players in franchise history have recorded as many: Rod Gilbert (12x) and Jean Ratelle (9x).

NEXT ON FOX

Adam Fox has points in five of his last seven games (1G-6A) and nine of his last 14 games (5G-8A).

With his next assist, Fox will become the sixth player, and second defenseman, in Rangers history to record 30 assists in each of his first five seasons with the club. He would join Mark Messier (6 from 1991-92 – 1996-97), Phil Goyette (6 from 1963-64 – 1968-69), Artemi Panarin (5 from 2019-20 – 2023-24), Reijo Ruotsalainen (5 from 1981-82 – 1985-86) and Phil Esposito (5 from 1975-76 – 1979-80).

Since the 2019-20 season, Fox ranks fifth among NHL defensemen in points (271) and tied for second in assists (228).

SLAP SHOTS

• Mika Zibanejad has points in six of his last nine games (1G-7A) and three assists in his last three games.
• Will Cuylle ranks first among rookies and fifth in the NHL in hits with 164. He has a plus/minus rating of even or better in 41 of 51 games this season (41 games with a plus/minus rating of even or better are most on the Rangers and most among all NHL rookies).
• Jacob Trouba’s 143 blocked shots are the second most in the NHL. Trouba is the only player in the NHL to have 125+ blocked shots and 125+ hits.
• Blake Wheeler has four points in his last four games (2G-2A) and six points in his last nine contests (4G-2A).
• The Rangers have a regular season record of 42-11-6 when Kreider and Zibanejad score a goal in the same game.