Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Canucks

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The New York Rangers return home for their 14th game at MSG with a Monday night meeting against the Vancouver Canucks (7:00 PM ET - TV: MSG Network - Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). The Blueshirts will play three of their next five games at home.
• The Rangers rank tied for the NHL’s most wins (26) and tied for second in most points (54) and point percentage (.711). The Blueshirts have points in five of their last seven contests and eight of their last 11.
• At home, the Blueshirts are 13-5-0 for 26 points and have a 7-3-0 record in their last 10 home contests.
• Following a loss this season, the Rangers are 10-1-0.
• When facing a Western Conference opponent, New York is 12-3-1 and the club is 7-1-0 against Pacific Division teams this season.
• Against Vancouver, the Blueshirts are 3-1-1 in their last five matchups and 7-4-1 in their last 12 contests against them.
• In the last six games (since Dec. 27), Artemi Panarin (11 pts) and Vincent Trocheck (10 pts) have recorded a combined 21 points (9G-12A).
• The Blueshirts have scored at least one power play goal in 10 of their last 13 games. New York has the NHL’s best power play percentage (29.7) and the fourth most power play goals in the league (35).
• New York’s 84.4 penalty kill percentage is the sixth best in the NHL and has had a perfect PK in its last two games (5-for- 5). New York has allowed 18 power play goals, tied for the third fewest in the NHL.
• When scoring four or more goals in a game, the Blueshirts are 16-0-1 and 18-0-0 when allowing two or fewer goals in a game.
• 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.
• The Rangers have 12 comeback wins on the season, tied for the third most in the NHL, and six wins when trailing at any point in the third period, tied for the most in the NHL.
• The Blueshirts have 11 wins in one-goal games, tied for the second most in the NHL.
• New York has 96 points from defensemen, the sixth most in the NHL.

RANGERS AND CANUCKS CONNECTIONS

• Nick Bonino played the 2014-15 season with the Canucks.
• Rangers assistant coach Michael Peca played parts of two seasons (1993-94 to 1994-95) with the Canucks, making his NHL debut with the club.
• J.T. Miller played parts of six seasons with the Rangers (2012-13 – 2017-18) and helped the Blueshirts advance to the Stanley Cup Final in 2013-14.
• Phillip Di Giuseppe skated in two seasons for the Rangers from 2019-20 – 2020-21.
• Kaapo Kakko was selected in the first round (second overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, which was held in Vancouver.
• Jacob Trouba, Blake Wheeler, and Tyler Myers were teammates with the Jets.

FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK

Vincent Trocheck has nine points (2G-7A) in his last four games, 13 points in his last 10 games (4G-9A), and 36 points (9G-27A) in his past 32 games. Trocheck’s 10 multi-point games are tied for the second most on the Blueshirts and the team is 9-0-1 when he record multiple points.

In the NHL, Trocheck ranks tied for fourth in primary assists with 22.

Trocheck is one of three players in the NHL to have both 35 or more points and 50 or more hits. Others: J.T. Miller and Filip Forsberg.

Among NHL skaters with 600 or more faceoffs, Trocheck ranks first in faceoff percentage (61.9).

PANARIN’S POINTS

Artemi Panarin has points in seven-straight games (8G-4A), 12 of his last 13 games (9G-9A) and in 17 of his last 20 games (15G-14A). Panarin ranks among the NHL’s best in a multitude of categories.

He has notched a point in 32 of his 38 games this year, tied for the second most games with a point in the NHL this season (Nylander and MacKinnon lead with 33).

On Saturday night, Panarin scored his 25th goal of the season. It marks Panarin’s seventh career 25-plus goal season and the fastest he’s reached the mark (38 GP).

KREIDING TO MAKE HISTORY

Chris Kreider has points in eight of his last nine games (4G-7A) and has 13 points (6G-7A) in his last 12 games.

On Thursday night, Kreider scored his 20th goal of the season - 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).

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

MIKA MADNESS

Mika Zibanejad has points in 11 of his last 13 games (8G-10A) and has points in 19 of his last 22 contests (12G-16A). Since November 22, he has been one of the leading scorers in the NHL.

SLAP SHOTS

• Igor Shesterkin was named to the 2024 ASG in Toronto. He has won six of last seven starts and has allowed two or fewer goals in five of those.
• Jacob Trouba’s 121 blocked shots are the most in the NHL and he has points in three of his last four games (1G-2A).
• Nick Bonino ranks first among forwards with 66 blocked shots and since 2021-22, Bonino leads all forwards in blocked shots with 247. Bonino is one assist away from 200 in his career.
• Will Cuylle ranks first among rookies in hits with 96.
• Alexis Lafreniere has points in four of his last five games (1G-4A) and has points in six of his last eight contests (2G-5A).
• The Rangers have a regular season record of 42-11-6 when Kreider and Zibanejad score a goal in the same game.