TONIGHT'S GAME
RANGERS VS. FLYERS
All-Time: 136-125-37-10 (71-53-23-6 at home; 65-72-14-4 on the road)
Dec. 1 vs. PHI
Jan. 15 at PHI
Apr. 3 vs. PHI
Apr. 13 at PHI
2020-21
- New York went 4-3-1 against Philadelphia last season and 2-2-0 at home.
- On March 17, 2021, the Rangers defeated the Flyers 9-0, the first time since Nov. 10, 1998 at Tampa Bay (10) they've scored as many.
- Mika Zibanejad led New York with 18 points (7G-11A) last year against the Flyers, the single-season franchise record for points against Philadelphia.
- Adam Fox had 10 assists last season against the Flyers, the most by an NHL defenseman in one season against Philadelphia in league history.
Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Flyers 12.01.21
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. FLYERS
Artemi Panarin - 22 GP, 9G-21A=30 PTS - Panarin has tallied a point in eight of his last nine games against Philadelphia (three goals, 10 assists) and 14 of his last 16 games (6G-19A).
Mika Zibanejad - 34 GP, 13G-13A=26 PTS - Zibanejad has points in five-straight games against the Flyers, including back-to-back six-point games on March 17 and March 25.
Chris Kreider - 32 GP, 12G-8A=20 PTS - Kreider has a point in three of his last five games against the Flyers (1G-2A). On Feb. 24, 2021, Kreider recorded his third career hat trick.
Goalies vs. PHI
Alexandar Georgiev (7 GP, 4-3-0, 2 SO, 13 GA, 1.85 GAA)
Igor Shesterkin (4 GP, 1-3-0, 12 GA, 3.06 GAA)
RANGERS AND FLYERS CONNECTIONS
GARDEN PARTY
Tonight, the Rangers begin their longest homestand of the season (3) thus far with games against NYI -PHI - Dec. 1, SJS - Dec. 3, and CHI - Dec. 4. The Blueshirts have wins in five-straight home games and points in seven of eight home games (5-1-1). The five-game home win streak is the longest since Dec. 22, 2019 - Jan. 13, 2020 (5). Their next longest was an eight-game streak from Oct. 26, 2017-Nov. 26, 2017.
The Rangers' .786 home point percentage is fourth in the NHL (FLA leads with .923).
FIRST 10 GAMES VS. SECOND 10 GAMES
Below are the splits for the Rangers between the first 10 games of the season and second 10 games of the season:
1-10
6-2-2 (14 PTS) Goals For (24)
Goals Against (22)
PP% (19.4)
PK% (86.1)
Shots/GP (26.9) 1
1-20
7-2-1 (15 PTS)
Goals For (35)
Goals Against (32)
PP% (21.7) PK% (73.1)
Shots/GP (29.7)
WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?
Defending Norris Trophy Award winner Adam Fox enters tonight's contest with assists in three straight games (5) and points in 15 of 20 games this season. Among NHL defensemen, Fox is tied for the most assists with 17 and second in points behind John Carlson with 21. Friday afternoon marked Fox's 145th NHL game and he is one of 22 NHL defensemen to record 110 points in his first 145 games and one of eight to have 93 or more assists through the first 145 games of a career:
Sergei Zubov - 113
Stefan Persson - 107
Mark Howe - 104
Al MacInnis - 100
Quinn Hughes - 98
Larry Murphy - 96
Brian Leetch - 95
Adam Fox - 93
Of the six players on that list who are not actively playing, five are in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
A PARTRIDGE, A PEAR TREE, A PANARIN
In his last five games, Artemi Panarin has one goal and five assists for six points and has six games this season with two or more points. Panarin has recorded a point in 10 of the Rangers' 13 wins, and the Rangers have earned a point in each of the 13 games he has tallied a point (10-0-3 record). Panarin, who shares the team-lead for the most points on New York with 21, has recorded 53 multi-point games since the 2019-20 season, the third most in the NHL:
Connor McDavid - 71
Leon Draisaitl - 70
Artemi Panarin - 53
GAUTHIER MAKING GAINS
Julien Gauthier registered the second multi-point game of his career with two assists on Friday afternoon. Gauthier has three points (1G-2A) in his last five games and has cumulated 16 shots in those five games. Since Nov. 16, Gauthier's 16 shots are tied with Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba for the most on the Rangers.
Gauthier has the second most points per 60 minutes (2.01) on New York behind Ryan Strome's 2.45 P/60 and the second most assists per 60 (1.51) behind Strome's 1.90.
PUCK STOPPING SHESTERKIN Igor Shesterkin has 11 wins to his name this season and has earned wins in six of his last seven games. Shesterkin is the first Rangers goaltender since Henrik Lundqvist in 2015-16 to have 11 wins through the first 20 games of the team's season. Shesterkin has a .933 SV% or better in 11 of 16 appearances this season and is 10-1-0 record in those 11 appearances.
Among NHL goaltenders, Shesterkin ranks among the best:
Wins (11) - T-3rd
Save % (.933) - 5th
GAA (2.22) - 8th\
\min. 10GP
STROME COOKING
Ryan Strome has seen his point-streak climb to eight games (2G-8A), his longest point streak since his 11-game streak from March 13-April 1, 2021 (2G-14A) and tied for the second longest of his career:
Mar. 13-Apr. 1, 2021 - 11 Games (2G-14A)
Feb. 9-22, 2020 - 8 Games (4G-7A)
Nov. 8-26, 2021 - 8 Games (2G-8A)
Strome's seven-game assist streak is the second longest of his career.
Strome's 11 assists this season are the fourth most on New York while his 14 points are the fifth-most on the team. Strome has at least one point in 12 of his 16 games this season.
MIKA'S MISSION TO 300 POINTS IN MANHATTAN
Mika Zibanejad sits one point away from recording 300 points with the Rangers which would make him the 42nd player to tally 300 points with the Blueshirts. Since being acquired by the Rangers from Ottawa on July 18, 2016, Zibanejad among Rangers ranks:
1st in Goals - 140
1st in Assists - 158
1st in Points - 299
1st in PPG's - 56
1st in GWG's - 24
2nd in Games Played - 343
Zibanejad has points in four of his last seven games (4A) and has four goals and 12 assists for 16 points this season.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Mika Zibanejad
Greg Mckegg
Artemi Panarin
MILESTONES ACHIEVED
11/24 at NYI - Chris Kreider passed Mike Gartner for the 10th most PPG's in team history (67).
POWER PLAY
The Rangers are 12-for-59 (20.3%) on the power play this season. The Rangers have power play goals in two of their last three games. The Rangers are 7-1-2 in games which they have scored a power play goal. When outscoring an opponent on special teams this season, New York is 5-0-1 and when special teams are even, the Rangers are 7-0-0.
PP Leaders:
Goals: Kreider (9)
Points: Panarin (9), Kreider (9)
PP TOI: Kreider (68:16)
PP Shots: Zibanejad (20)
PENALTY KILL
New York is 50-for-62 (80.7%) on the penalty kill this season. The Blueshirts are 9-for-9 on the penalty kill in their last two games. The Rangers are 10- 0-1 in games this season where they have not allowed a power play goal.
PK Leaders:
SH Goals: Fox (1)
SH TOI: Goodrow (49:56)
SH Shots: Goodrow (5), Trouba (5)
