Rangers vs. Avalanche: Pregame Notes

BIG TEN

Since the Rangers began their 10-game point streak on Jan. 5, the team has had 17 different players score a goal and 20 players record at least two points, including 10 with five or more. In that span, the team has been one of the best in the NHL.

SHESTY’S SAVES

Igor Shesterkin is 6-0-1 in his last seven starts with a .948 save percentage, 1.39 GAA, and two shutouts. He has allowed two or fewer goals in five of the seven games.

On the year, he has allowed two or fewer goals in 15 of his 17 wins this year and in 11 of his last 16 starts, dating back to Dec. 6. Since the beginning of last season, the 27 games in which Shesterkin has allowed one or fewer goals rank tied for first among NHL goaltenders.

Shesterkin has made 40 more saves on four occasions this season. When he makes 40 or more saves in a game over his career, the Rangers are 14-2-1.

Dating back to the 2021-22 season, Shesterkin has ranked among the best in the NHL.

ADAM’S APPLES

Adam Fox has three consecutive multi-point games and six assists in his last five games. He has points in seven of his last 10 games (1G-9A) and 12 assists in his last 14 games.

Fox has tallied his sixth consecutive 40-point season since making his debut with the Rangers. The only Rangers blueliners with as many straight seasons with 40 points are James Patrick (7: 1985-86 to 1991-92) and Brian Leetch (6: 1993- 94 to 1998-99).

Fox’s 37 assists this season are tied for the fourth among NHL defensemen and his 12 multi-point games are tied for the fifth most in the league among blueliners.

Since making his NHL debut in 2019-20, Fox has been one of the best blueliners in the NHL.

PANARIN’S POINTS

Artemi Panarin has a team-leading 20 goals and 50 points, has points three-straight games (1G-2A) and in 10 of his last 14 games (5G-8A).

Panarin has reached the 50-point mark for his sixth straight time as a member of the Rangers. The only players in franchise history to record as many consecutive 50-point seasons are Rod Gilbert (10: 1967-68 – 1976-77), Andy Bathgate (9: 1955-56 – 1963-64), Jean Ratelle (8: 1967-68 – 1974-75), Mika Zibanejad (6: 2018-19 – 2023-24), Mark Messier (6: 1991-92
– 1996-97) and Steve Vickers (6: 1972-73 – 1977-78).

With his 20th goal, Panarin became the sixth Rangers player since 1990-91 to tally four consecutive 20-goal seasons joining, Mika Zibanejad (7 from 2017-18 – 2023-24), Chris Kreider (6 from 2018-19 – 2023-24), Adam Graves (5 from 1995-96 – 1999-00), Petr Nedved (5 from 1998-99 – 2002-03) and Mike Gartner (4 from 1990-91 –1993 94).

He has at least one point in 33 of 46 games this year and dating back to last season, he has points in 100 of 128 games. The only NHL players who have tallied a point in more games over the span are Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (108) and Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (107).

Among NHL skaters since his debut in 2015-16, Panarin has the fourth most assists (547) and fifth most points in the NHL (831).

Panarin has 145 multi-point games since joining the Rangers in 2019-20, the sixth most in the NHL in that span. Panarin is the franchise’s all-time leader in points per game (1.29) and assists per game (0.86).

KREIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS

Chris Kreider, with 115 career power play goals, sits one power play goal away from tying Camille Henry for the most in franchise history.

He ranks second on the Rangers with 15 goals this season, with five of his 15 goals being game-winning tallies. His career total of 49 GWGs are the second most in Rangers history behind Rod Gilbert’s 52.

With five more goals, Kreider will become the second player in franchise history to have 10 or more 20-plus goal seasons (Gilbert – 12).

Over the course of his career, Kreider has scored 15 go-ahead goals in the final 10 minutes of regulation, which is the most in Rangers franchise history. The only active players with as many tallies are Steven Stamkos (18), Alex Ovechkin (16), Sidney Crosby (15) and Evgeni Malkin (15).

Kreider has 100 regular season goals on tips/deflections in his NHL career (92 tipped, 8 deflected). No NHL player has more since Kreider’s first NHL regular season game in 2012-13 (Pavelski is second – 96).

Kreider has 41 career multi-goal games, one shy of tying Camille Henry (42 GP) for the sixth most in Rangers history.

Since 2021-22, Kreider’s 11 shorthanded goals are the most in the NHL. His 11 career shorthanded goals are tied with Walt Tkaczuk and Mika Zibanejad for fifth place on the franchise’s all-time list. In that same span, his 57 power play goals rank tied for third in the NHL.

TROCHECK IN THE CIRCLE

Vincent Trocheck ranks third in the NHL in faceoff percentage (60.4) and faceoff wins (570).

On the Blueshirts, Trocheck ranks third in goals (14) and points (30), and fourth in assists (16). His 127 shots are the second most on the team.

Trocheck ranks seventh among NHL forwards in average ice time (21:31). He is the only NHL forward averaging at least 16:00 of even strength ice time, 3:00 of PP ice time, and 2:00 of SH ice time per game this season.

MIKA’S MISSION

Mika Zibanejad has points in eight of his last 12 games (3G-5A) and is one goal away from tying Brian Leetch (240) for the 10th most in franchise history. The list is topped by Rod Gilbert (406).

When he scores a goal this year, the Rangers are 7-1-1.

Zibanejad’s 104 power play goals with the Blueshirts rank fifth in franchise history and since 2016-17, the tallies are the sixth most in the league.

He has recently notched career milestones:

• Tallied his 400th career assist on Jan. 5, becoming the third active Swedish player to reach the mark (Others: E. Karlsson and V. Hedman)
• Recorded his 700th career point on Jan. 2, becoming the 15th Swedish player in NHL history with 700 career points and just the third active (Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman).

TOO COOL

Will Cuylle has goals in two of his last three games and this season has established a career-high of 26 points (13G-13A).

His team-leading 175 hits rank tied for fifth in the NHL.

Cuylle required the fewest games (23 GP) to 20 points in a season by a Rangers player under the age of 23 since Alex Kovalev (20 GP in 1995-96).