Pregame Notes: Rangers at Senators

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The New York Rangers play their final game before the All-Star break, in Ottawa against the Senators (7:00 PM ET - TV: MSG Network/NHLN - Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM).
• New York has a 8-0-0 record in the second half of back-to-back games and is one of five teams to have a perfect record in the second game of back-to-back sets (NSH, PIT, EDM, WPG).
• Next week, Vincent Trocheck, Igor Shesterkin and Peter Laviolette will represent the Rangers at the 2024 All-Star Game in Toronto.
• With New York’s next win, Peter Laviolette will tie Al Arbour for the seventh most wins in NHL history by a head coach with 782. Tonight, Laviolette will coach in his 1,479th game, tying Darryl Sutter for ninth Most in NHL History.
• The Rangers have won three of their last four and five of their last six games in Ottawa.
• In the last 16 games (since Dec. 27), Artemi Panarin (19 pts) and Vincent Trocheck (17 pts) have recorded a combined 36 points (18G-18A).
• New York has the NHL’s second best power play percentage (27.7) and the fourth most (tied) power play goals in the league (41). The club also ranks eighth in penalty kill percentage (83.3) and has had a perfect PK in four-straight games.
• The Rangers’ 54.1 faceoff percentage is 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 117 points from defensemen this season, tied for the fourth most in the NHL.
• The Blueshirts have seven comeback wins after trailing in the third period, tied for the fifth most in the NHL.

RANGERS AND SENATORS CONNECTIONS

• Mika Zibanejad played parts of five seasons with the Senators (2011-12 – 2015-16) and was selected by Ottawa in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
• Vladimir Tarasenko was a trade acquisition by New York last season, recording 21 points (8G-13A) in 31 regular season games.
• Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, and Brady Tkachuk helped the United States earn a bronze medal at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.

NEXT ON FOX

Adam Fox has points in five of his last six games (1G-7A), eight of his last 11 games (5G-7A), and has multi-point games in three of his last six contests.

On Friday night, Fox recorded his 271st career point, surpassing Bill Gadsby for the ninth most points among defensemen in Rangers history. In the spot ahead of him is former captain and current MSG Network personality, Dave Maloney with 295 points.

Since the 2019-20 season, Fox ranks fifth among NHL defensemen in points (271) and third in assists (227).

FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK

Vincent Trocheck ranks first in the NHL (min. 700 FO) in faceoff percentage (61.8) and is one of three players in the NHL to have both 40 or more points and 60 or more hits.

Since Dec. 30, Trocheck’s 16 points (7G-9A) ranks among the top-15 in the NHL.

Trocheck has 12 points in his last 12 games (6G-6A) and 40 points in his last 37 games (14G-26A).

PANARIN’S POINTS

Artemi Panarin ranks tied for sixth in the NHL in goals (29) and points (63), and tied for fifth in multi-point games (19). His 29 goals match his output from last season and are three away from his career-high of 32.

Panarin has points in seven of his last 10 games (4G-4A), 14 of his last 17 games (12G-8A) and 19 of his last 23 games (13G-13A).

He has notched a point in 39 of his 48 games this year, the second most games with a point in the NHL this season (MacKinnon leads with 42).

KREIDING TO MAKE HISTORY

Chris Kreider has points in eight of his last 11 games (3G-5A) and 14 of his last 18 contests (6G-12A). 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).

MIKA’S MISSION TO 500 POINTS WITH NYR

Mika Zibanejad has points in four of his last six games (1G-4A) and six of his past 11 games (1G-6A).

Zibanejad (532 GP) sits one point 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 ninth in the NHL in hits with 128.
• Jacob Trouba’s 142 blocked shots are the most in the NHL. Trouba is the only player in the NHL to have 100+ blocked shots and 100+ hits.
• The Rangers have a regular season record of 42-11-6 when Kreider and Zibanejad score a goal in the same game.