Pregame Notes: Rangers at Ducks

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The New York Rangers play their third game of a four-game road trip with the second/final meeting of the season against the Anaheim Ducks (8:30 PM ET - TV: MSG Network - Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). New York will play three of their next four games on the road prior to the All-Star break.
• Tonight completes the Blueshirts’ eighth back-to-back set of the season with the team 7-0-0 in the second half of back- to-backs this year. They are one of five teams in the NHL to have a perfect record in the second half of back-to-backs (EDM, PIT, NSH, WPG).
• The Rangers are 8-2-1 against Anaheim in their last 11 games and have wins in five of their last six contests against them. Against the Western Conference, the Rangers are 13-7-1 and 8-4-0 against Pacific Division teams.
• In the last 13 games (since Dec. 27), Artemi Panarin (17 pts) and Vincent Trocheck (15 pts) have recorded a combined 32 points (15G-17A).
• New York has the NHL’s second best power play percentage (28.1) and the fourth most power play goals in the league (39). The club also ranks eighth in penalty kill percentage (82.3).
• The Rangers’ 54.2 faceoff percentage is the third 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 107 points from defensemen this season, tied for the sixth most in the NHL.

RANGERS AND DUCKS CONNECTIONS

• Rangers forward Nick Bonino played his first five seasons of his career with the Ducks, notching 82 points (33G-49A) in 189 games.
• Ducks forward Ryan Strome skated for the Blueshirts for parts of four seasons (2018-19 – 2021-22)
• Ducks forward Frank Vatrano was a New York acquisition on March 16, 2022, playing 22 regular season games for the team (8G-5A) and 20 playoff games (5G-8A).
• Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek played parts of two seasons with the Rangers (1994-95 and 1995-96).

PANARIN’S POINTS

Artemi Panarin has points in five of his last seven games (2G-4A), 12 of his last 14 games (10G-8A) and 17 of his last 20 games (11G-13A).

On Tuesday, Panarin hit the 60-point mark in 43 games, matching his pace in 2019-20. The only Rangers player to hit 60 points faster in the past 40 years is Jaromir Jagr (39 GP in 2005-06). He is the fifth player in the NHL to reach the 60-point plateau this season.

Panarin ranks tied for sixth in the NHL in goals (27) and tied for fifth in points (61).

He has notched a point in 37 of his 45 games this year, the second most games with a point in the NHL this season (MacKinnon leads with 40).

FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK

Vincent Trocheck has 14 points (6G-8A) in his last 11 games, 18 points in his last 17 games (8G-10A), and 41 points (13G-28A) in his past 39 games. Since Dec. 30, Trocheck’s 14 points rank tied for ninth in the NHL.

Trocheck’s next assist will be the 300th of his career.

Trocheck’s 11 multi-point games are the second most on the Blueshirts and the team is 9-1-1 when he record multiple points.

In the NHL, Trocheck ranks tied for fifth in primary assists with 23.

Trocheck is one of three players in the NHL to have both 40 or more points and 60 or more hits. Others: J.T. Miller and Filip Forsberg.

Among NHL skaters with 700 or more faceoffs, Trocheck ranks first in faceoff percentage (62.3).

NEXT ON FOX

Adam Fox has points in three of his last five games (2G-3A) and five of his last eight games (4G-3A).

Fox became the third defenseman in Rangers history to reach the 30-point mark in each of their first five seasons with the club, joining Reijo Ruotsalainen (5 from 1981-82–1985-86) and Barry Beck (5 from 1979-80–1983-84).

Since the 2019-20 season, Fox ranks fifth among NHL defensemen in points (265) and third in assists (222).

KREIDING TO MAKE HISTORY

Chris Kreider scored his 136th career road goal on Saturday night, tying Camille Henry for the fourth most road goals in Rangers history. Kreider has points in six of his last eight games (2G-4A) and 13 of his last 15 contests (5G-11A).

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
• 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).

MIKA’S MISSION TO 500 POINTS WITH NYR

Mika Zibanejad has points in three-straight games (1G-3A), five of his past eight games (1G-5A) and 15 of his last 19 games (9G-14A).

Zibanejad (530 GP) sits two points away from 500 with the Blueshirts. He can become the fourth-fastest in Rangers history to notch 500 points with the club behind Mark Messier (406 GP), Brian Leetch (496 GP), and Andy Bathgate (518 GP).

SLAP SHOTS

• Will Cuylle ranks first among rookies and tied for eighth in the NHL in hits with 120.
• Jacob Trouba’s 140 blocked shots are the most in the NHL. Trouba is the only player in the NHL to have 100+ blocked shots and 100+ hits.
• Nick Bonino ranks first among forwards with 75 blocked shots and since 2021-22, Bonino leads all forwards in blocked shots with 256. Bonino is one assist away from 200 in his career.
• The Rangers have a regular season record of 42-11-6 when Kreider and Zibanejad score a goal in the same game.