Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Sabres

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The New York Rangers play their final game before the holiday break, at home against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night (7:30 PM ET - TV: MSG Network - Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). Tonight is the regular season finale between the two teams and the fourth team the Blueshirts will have completed a season series against thus far (BUF, EDM, NSH, MIN).
• Tonight is the second half of the Rangers’ fifth back-to-back of the season. On the year, they are 4-0-0 in the second half of back-to-backs.
• For the third time this season, the Rangers will wear their third jerseys and are 2-0-0 this season when wearing them.
• The Blueshirts have won three of their last four games and seven of their last 11 games.
• The Rangers’ plus-18 goal differential ranks first in the Eastern Conference and tied for fifth in the NHL.
• The Blueshirts’ 22 wins are tied for the most in the NHL and their 45 points rank third in the league. Their .726 point percentage is the highest in the league. On seven occasions, the Rangers have had the most wins among all teams through games played Christmas (1931-32, 1932-33, 1935-36, 1966-67, 1969-70, 1993-94, 2016-17).
• New York’s 22 wins through 30 games in a season were its most in franchise history, eclipsing the previous best of 21 victories set in 1993-94.
• The Rangers have the NHL’s best (tied) power play percentage (31.3) and have scored power play goals in six-straight games, 11 of their last 13 games and in 24 of 31 games this season. The team’s 31 power play goals this year are the second most in the NHL.
• On home ice, the Blueshirts are 10-4-0 and their 14 home games thus far are tied for the fewest in the NHL.
• The Rangers have points in 14 of their last 15 games against the Sabres (11-1-3) and are 14-3-3 in their last 20 contests against them.
• The Rangers have the best faceoff percentage in the NHL with a 54.9 percent mark and have been over 50 percent in the faceoff circle in 24 of 31 games. Since 1997-98 when the league started tracking FOW%, the team hasn’t finished a season over 53.3 percent.
• New York has the league’s fifth best penalty kill percentage (85.6) and have had a perfect PK in six of its last eight games.
• The Rangers have a league-high tying 11 comeback wins on the season and six wins when trailing at any point in the third period, also tied for the most in the NHL.
• New York has allowed one or fewer goals a league-leading 12 times this season and has 10 one-goal wins - tied for the most in the NHL.

RANGERS AND SABRES CONNECTIONS

• Rangers associate head coach Phil Housley began his playing career with the Sabres, skating eight seasons for the team (1982-83 – 1989-90). From 2017-19, Housley was the head coach of the Sabres. Among skaters in Sabres history, Housley ranks fourth in assists (380) and fifth in points (558).
• Rangers assistant coach Michael Peca played for the Sabres from 1995-96 to 1999-2000 and was an assistant coach with the Sabres’ AHL affiliate for two seasons.
• Sabres Development Coach Dan Girardi played parts of 11 seasons with the Rangers (2006-07 – 2016-17).
• Sabres forward Kyle Okposo and Blake Wheeler played together at the University of Minnesota in the mid 2000’s. - Mattias Samuelsson’s father, Kjell Samuelsson, played parts of two seasons with the Rangers (1985-86 and 1986-87).

MIKA’S MISSION

Mika Zibanejad has points in six-straight games (6G-4A) and in 14 of his last 15 contests (10G-10A).
Since November 22, his 10 goals rank tied for fifth in the NHL and his 20 points rank tied fourth in the NHL in that span. His 41 power play goals since 2021-22 are the third most in the NHL in that span.

PANARIN’S POINTS

With 43 points (17G-26A), Artemi Panarin had the most points by a Rangers player through 30 games in a campaign since Jaromir Jagr (44) in 2006-07. In total, only eight other skaters in franchise history have accomplished the feat: Frank Boucher (53 in 1929-30), Jean Ratelle (51 in 1971-72), Bill Cook (48 in 1929-30), Vic Hadfield (46 in 1971-72), Rod Gilbert (46 in 1971-72 & 44 in 1976-77), Mark Messier (46 in 1992-93), Jaromir Jagr (44 in 2006-07 & 43 in 2005-06) and Theo Fleury (43 in 2000-01).

Panarin has points in five of his last six games (1G-5A) and points in 10 of his last 13 games (7G-10A). He has notched a point in 25 of his 31 games this year.

FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK

Vincent Trocheck has six points in his last six games (2G-4A) and 26 points (7G-19A) in his past 25 games. Trocheck’s 28 points on the year (8G-20A) and seven multi-point games rank tied for second on the Blueshirts. The team is 7-0-0 when he collects multiple points.

Trocheck is one of four players in the NHL to have both 28 or more points and 40 or more hits. Others: J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Filip Forsberg.

Among NHL skaters with 450 or more faceoffs, Trocheck ranks first in faceoff percentage (63.4).

KREIDING TO MAKE HISTORY

Chris Kreider has six points (2G-4A) in his last five games and 21 points in his last 24 games (11G-10A).

On Dec. 15 against Anaheim, Chris Kreider scored two goals to surpass Adam Graves for the third most goals in Rangers history (281), recorded his 500th career point and became the fifth Ranger to tally 100 career power play goals.

Only seven other active players have 100 power-play goals with their current franchise: Alex Ovechkin (300 w/ WSH), Steven Stamkos (200 w/ TBL), Evgeni Malkin (175 w/ PIT), Sidney Crosby (165 w/ PIT), Leon Draisaitl (133 w/ EDM), Anze Kopitar (115 w/ LAK) and David Pastrnak (105 w/ BOS).

At MSG in the regular season and playoffs combined, Kreider has scored 164 goals, the second most in history behind Rod Gilbert’s 165.

ADAM’S APPLES

Adam Fox has assists/points in seven of his last 10 games (10A) and overall has points in 15 of 21 games this season (3G-18A). In the NHL among defensemen, Fox has the fifth most points per game (1.00).

Since his rookie season in 2019-20, Fox has been one of the best defensemen in the NHL.

SLAP SHOTS

• Jacob Trouba’s 99 blocked shots are the second most in the NHL.
• Nick Bonino ranks first among forwards with 54 blocked shots and since 2021-22, Bonino leads all forwards in blocked shots with 235.
• Will Cuylle ranks first among rookies in hits with 81.
• The Rangers have a regular season record of 41-11-6 when Kreider and Zibanejad score a goal in the same game.