TODAY'S GAME
The Rangers play their eighth game of the 2020-21 season and begin a three-game homestand, as well as begin a two-game set, today, Jan. 30, against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). Beginning with today's game, seven of the Blueshirts' next eight games will take place at MSG, and each of the eight contests will take place in the New York Metropolitan Area.
RANGERS VS. PENGUINS
- All-Time: 130-114-23-15 (72-54-9-7 at home; 58-60-14-8 on the road)
- 2020-21: The Rangers are playing Pittsburgh in the third of eight games between the two teams, including the first of four meetings between the two teams at MSG. The Rangers have posted a 0-1-1 record, as the Penguins won the last meeting between the two teams, 3-2, on Jan. 24 at Pittsburgh. Each of the two contests has been decided by one goal, and the Rangers have outshot the Penguins, 60-47, in the two games. Adam Fox (one goal, one assist), Phillip Di Giuseppe (two assists), and Artemi Panarin (two assists) are tied for first among all skaters with two points in the season series. The Blueshirts are also scheduled to play against the Penguins on the following dates: Feb. 1 (at MSG), Mar. 7 (at Pittsburgh), Mar. 9 (at Pittsburgh), Apr. 6 (at MSG), Apr. 8 (at MSG). The eight games between New York and Pittsburgh are part of four sets of consecutive team games between the two teams at the same venue.
- The Rangers and Penguins are in the same division for the 34th season, as well as the 22th consecutive season (1981-82 - 1992-93; 1998-99 - 2020-21) - Patrick (1981-82 - 1992-93), Atlantic (1998-99 - 2012-13), Metropolitan (2013-14 - 2019-20), MassMutual NHL East (2020-21).
- The Rangers have earned at least one point in 20 of their last 30 games against the Penguins, dating back to Apr. 3, 2013 (13-10-7 record over the span).
- Ten of the last 13 meetings between the Rangers and Penguins have been decided by one goal, and six of those 13 contests have been decided in either overtime or a shootout. In addition, 12 of the last 29 meetings between the two teams have been decided in either overtime or a shootout.
Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Penguins 01.30.21
YOUTH SERVED
The average age of a player on the Rangers' active roster this season is 25.6 years old, which is the youngest in the NHL.
SHOOTING GALLERY
The Blueshirts have outshot their opponent in each of the last six games, registering 211 shots on goal and allowing 147 shots on goal over the span. New York ranks second in the NHL in shots on goal per game in 2020-21 (33.6) and has also allowed the fifth-fewest shots on goal against per game in the NHL thus far this season (25.7). The Blueshirts have held their opponent to 28 shots on goal or fewer in each of the last six games. Prior to the current stretch, the last time the Rangers held their opponents to 28 shots on goal or fewer in six consecutive games was a nine-game stretch from Mar. 17, 2012 vs. Colorado to Apr. 1, 2012 vs. Boston. The Rangers have also held their opponent to 10 shots or goal or fewer in 16 of the last 18 regulation periods, dating back to the start of their second game of the season on Jan. 16 vs. NY Islanders.
CLOSE CALL
Each of the Rangers' last five games, and five of the team's seven games this season, have been decided by one goal. The Blueshirts have played at least five consecutive games which were decided by one goal for the first time since a seven-game stretch from Jan. 17, 2019 vs. Chicago to Feb. 6, 2019 vs. Boston. In addition, two of the Rangers' last four games have been decided in either overtime or a shootout.
DRAW IT UP
The Rangers have drawn 33 penalties and have taken 26 penalties through seven games this season. New York's plus-seven net penalty differential is tied for the fourth-best in the NHL in 2020-21.
HIGH FIVE
The Blueshirts have only allowed 12 goals at 5-on-5 through seven games in 2020-21. Among the 26 NHL teams that have played at least seven games this season, the Rangers' 12 goals against at 5-on-5 are tied for the sixth-fewest.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Alexis Lafrenière tallied his first career NHL goal/point, which was the game-winning goal in overtime, on Jan. 28 at Buffalo. He became the first Ranger to tally his first career NHL goal in overtime since Mats Zuccarello on Jan. 5, 2011, and according to NHL Stats and Information, he also became only the fourth player in franchise history to register his first career NHL goal in overtime (Zuccarello, Sergei Nemchinov on Oct. 5, 1991, and Paul Thompson on Nov. 30, 1926).
WHAT THE FOX SAYS
Adam Fox has recorded a point in four of the last six games (one goal, four assists), and he has logged at least 24:52 of ice time in four of the last five games (Fox has also led the Rangers in ice time in four of the last five contests). Since Dec. 31, 2019, Fox has recorded 30 points (four goals, 26 assists) and a plus-19 rating in 39 games; his plus-19 rating is the second-best among NHL defensemen, and his 26 assists and 30 points are each tied for the third-most among NHL defensemen over the span.
KEY TO SUCCESS
K'Andre Miller has been on the ice for nine of the Blueshirts' 14 even strength goals this season; he has been on the ice for more even strength goals the Rangers have scored than any other player in 2020-21. He leads NHL rookies in plus/minus rating this season (plus-six), and he is also one of only two NHL rookies who have been on the ice for at least nine of his team's goals at even strength in 2020-21 (Kirill Kaprizov). Miller ranks sixth among NHL rookies in average ice time (17:44) and ranks third among NHL rookies in average even strength ice time (17:09) this season. He led the Rangers in even strength ice time in the team's last game on Jan. 28 at Buffalo (18:41).
HART-EMI
Artemi Panarin has recorded a point in five of the last six games, and he leads the Rangers in goals (three), assists (five), and points (eight) this season. He is one of four NHL players (and the only winger) who have registered 100 or more points since the start of last season (Draisaitl, McDavid, MacKinnon), and his plus-38 rating since the start of last season is the best in the NHL. Panarin has registered 423 points (151 goals, 272 assists) in 398 career NHL games; the only active players who have recorded more points within their first 400 career NHL games are Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Connor McDavid. He has tallied a point in 36 of the Rangers' 39 wins since he joined the team prior to the start of last season. Panarin has also registered 66 points (25 goals, 41 assists) in 44 career games at MSG.
COLIN CARD
Colin Blackwell has recorded a point in each of his first three games with the Rangers (one goal, two assists), and he is tied for second on the team (and tied for first among team forwards) in plus/minus rating this season (plus-three). Blackwell established a single-game career-high with 15:53 of ice time on Jan. 28 at Buffalo, and in addition to tallying an assist on the game-winning goal in overtime, he led all skaters with four hits and two takeaways in the contest.
FROM RUSSIA WITH GLOVE
Igor Shesterkin has earned a win in 107 of his 137 regular season appearances in the NHL, AHL, and KHL since the start of the 2016-17 season. He has posted a .920 SV% at even strength in 2020-21 (92 saves on 100 shots); among NHL goaltenders who have faced at least 100 shots at even strength thus far this season, Shesterkin's .920 SV% at even strength is tied for the 11th-best in the league.
