TONIGHT'S GAME
RANGERS VS. KINGS
All-Time: 71-49-16-4 (40-20-6-2 at home; 31-29-10-2 on the road)
2021-22 Jan. 10 at LAK (L, 3-1)
The Rangers fell 3-1 on the third game of their west coast road trip after the Kings scored two goals in the second and then another to seal the deal in the third. In the loss, Ryan Lindgren played in his 150th career NHL game. Mika Zibanejad scored the lone goal for New York.
Jan. 24 vs. LAK
Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Kings 01.24.22
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. KINGS
Mika Zibanejad - 13 GP, 5G-6A-11 PTS - Zibanejad has points in five of his last 10 games against the Kings, four of them multi-point games (Three games - 1G-1A, One game - 1G-2A).
Artemi Panarin - 13 GP, 5G-5A-10 PTS - Panarin has goals/points in three out of his last four games (4G) against the Kings and at least one point in eight of his last 10 games against Los Angeles (5G-4A).
Goalies vs. LAK
Igor Shesterkin (1 GP, 1-0-0, 1 GA, .977 SV%, 1.00 GAA)
Shesterkin made 42 saves on 43 shots in his lone start against the Kings on Feb. 9. 2020.
Alexandar Georgiev (1 GP, 0-1-0, 2 GA, .947 SV%, 2.06 GAA)
RANGERS AND KINGS CONNECTIONS
SQUAD GOALS
The Rangers have scored six or more goals in two of their past three games and have combined for 16 goals in their past three games. New York has scored three or more goals in each of its last five games (22). Since January 13, the Rangers have the second-most goals in the league (tied) and their 4.40 goals against average is the third-most in the NHL in that span.
Since Dec. 1, New York has the ninth-most goals in the NHL with 68 for a 3.09 goals per game clip.
The Blueshirts rank third in the NHL in third period goals with 53 and tied for seventh in second period goals with 45.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
The Rangers are the only team in the NHL with four players with 40-plus points and are one of five teams to have five players with 30 or more points.
DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK
The Blueshirts have come from behind to win three of their last four games and have the second-most comeback victories in the NHL with 13. On the year, New York has 11 wins when trailing first in a game, the second-most in the league behind St. Louis' 14.
PATHS OF VICTORY
The Rangers have won four of their last five games, eight of their last 11 games, earned at least one point in 10 of their last 14 games (9-4-1), have wins in 17 of their last 25 games, 21 of their last 30 games and points in 25 of their last 34 games (22-9-3). The Rangers have at least one point in 31 of their 42 games this season.
In the NHL, the Rangers rank tied for fourth in wins (27) and fourth in points (58).
The 2021-22 Blueshirts have the most points (58) through 42 games since 2011-12 and tied for the fourth-most through 42 games in team history. New York's 27 wins through 42 games are its most since 2016-17 (28) and tied for the fifth-most in team history.
HOMETOWN GLORY
The Rangers have won four in a row at home, their second four-plus home win streak this season (8 GP - Oct. 29-Dec. 4) and have earned a point in 14 of their 17 home games this season (12-3-2). New York has earned a point in its last five home games (4-0-1).
New York is set to play seven of its next nine games at home and 24 of its final 40 games (60%) at MSG.
Since October 29, New York is 12-2-1 at home for a .833-point percentage, the league's third-best point percentage in that span.
PRIDE NIGHT
As part of the New York Rangers' and Madison Square Garden Company's ongoing commitment to support the LGBTQ+ community and improve diversity and inclusion across hockey, the Rangers will celebrate Pride Night, presented by Delta Air Lines, tonight at MSG.
CAREER-HIGH CHRIS
In recording his fifth career hat trick on Saturday night, Chris Kreider set his career-high in goals with 29 and pulled into a tie with Alex Ovechkin for the most goals in the NHL. His three goals came on a power-play, shorthanded and even-strength goal. It marks the 11th instance in which a Ranger has completed the feat and first since Mika Zibanejad on March 17, 2021 against Philadelphia.
His power play goal was the 14th of his season, the most in the NHL.
Kreider has scored goals in a career-long five-straight games (8G), has points in eight of his last 10 games (10G-4A) and nine of his last 12 games (11G-5A).
Since December 29, Kreider's 11 goals are tied for the most in the NHL in that span.
MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad has points in eight straight games (4G-7A), one shy of tying his career-long set in '19-20:
9 GP - Feb. 11-27, 2020 (NYR) - 8G-7A
8 GP - Jan. 6-21, 2022 (NYR) - 4G-7A
Zibanejad has points in nine of his last 10 games (7G-7A) and in his last 14 games, he has 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points. Since Dec. 15, Zibanejad and Chris Kreider are tied for the third-most points in the league with 21.
TROU TO HIS WORD
Jacob Trouba has recorded two goals and three assists for points in his last three games, including a three-point night (2G-1A) in his 150th game with New York on Saturday night.
Trouba's eight goals are the most among Rangers defensemen while his 112 shots on goal are third most on the team and the fifth-most among league defensemen.
SHESTERKIN BY THE NUMBERS
Igor Shesterkin has won six-straight starts and has won 10 out of his last 11 games and allowed two or fewer goals in nine of his last 13 starts.
Among NHL goaltenders with a minimum of 20 starts, Shesterkin ranks among the best in several categories:
Save % (.936) - 1st
GAA (2.07) - 2nd
Shutouts (3) - T-4th
Wins (19) - T-6th
THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Adam Fox has 38 assists on the season, the second-most in the NHL and the most among league defensemen. Fox's 45 points (7G-38A) are the most among NHL defensemen and he is the first Ranger defenseman with 45 points through 42 games since Brian Leetch in 2000-01 (48).
Fox has recorded points in five-straight games (2G-7A) and has points in seven of his last nine games (2G-10A). In his last 10 games, Fox has 12 assists. It is tied for his third-longest point streak of his career.
Fox's has 13 multi-point games this year, the most among defensemen.
PANARIN WITH THE POINTS
Artemi Panarin has registered a point in a four straight games (1G-6A), three of them being multi-point games. Panarin has points in six of his last eight games (2G-8A) and 20 points (5G-15A) in his last 15 games. Panarin has 13 multi-point games this season and 60 since 2019-20:
Connor McDavid - 78
Leon Draisaitl - 74
Artemi Panarin - 60
Nathan MacKinnon - 60
POWER PLAY
PENALTY KILL
- New York is 103-for-122 (84.4%) on the penalty kill this season, fifth-best in the NHL.
- In the win on Saturday over Arizona, the Rangers went five-for-five on the penalty kill, the second time this season it has had a perfect penalty kill with five or more times shorthanded.
- The Blueshirts have been perfect on the PK in eight of their last 12 games, 12 of their last 17 games and 18 of their last 24 games.
- The Rangers are 22-3-2 in games this season where they have not allowed a power play goal.
