NEW YORK RANGERS NOTES:
LAST GAME
New York Rangers 7, Chicago Blackhawks 1 – December 18, 2022 – United Center
NYR Goals: F. Chytil (8), A. Panarin (8), K. Kakko (8), J. Trouba (2), V. Trocheck (11), V. Kravtsov (2), J. Brodzinski (1)
CHI Goals: P. Kurashev (4)
NYR Goalie: I. Shesterkin (W – 29/30)
CHI Goalie: A. Soderblom (L – 19/26)
NYR Shots: 26
CHI Shots: 30
NYR PP: 1/1
NYR PK: 1/1
Game Summary | Event Summary
RECAP/NOTES: For a second-straight night, the Rangers posted six-plus goals when it finished off a back-to-back with a 7-1 win over the Blackhawks on Sunday night. It was the fourth time since the 2012-13 season the Blueshirts have reached the feat (Mar. 4-6, 2021, Dec. 29-31, 2016, Apr. 18-19, 2013). In the game, the Blueshirts had six different players with multiple points and seven different goal scorers. The second time this they have had both.
RANGERS RUNDOWN
- The New York Rangers complete their three-game road trip with their first meeting of the season against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena (7:00 PM ET – TV: MSG Network – Radio: ESPN 1050 AM).
- The Blueshirts have won seven games in a row and are 8-1-1 over their last 10 games. A win tonight would mark their longest win streak since the 2015-16 season.
- Both the Rangers and Knicks are riding seven-game win streaks, the first time in history they both have simultaneously been on streaks as long. In 1993-94, the year both teams reached their respective finals, both teams had a six-game win streak at the same time.
- These two teams will meet for the first time since their thrilling seven-game First Round series in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs was capped off by Artemi Panarin’s overtime winner at MSG.
- Last regular season, the Rangers went 3-1-0 (2-0-0 at home, 1-1-0 on the road) against the Penguins, winning their last three games against them. New York outscored the Penguins 11-4 over the course of the season.
- New York’s seven occurrences of six or more goals this year are the second most in the NHL (BUF – 8). Their three games with seven or more goals this season are tied for the most in the league, also with Buffalo.
- The Blueshirts have scored on the power play in six of their last eight games and seven of their last 11 contests. The Rangers’ penalty kill has been perfect in their last four games (7-for-7).
- The Rangers defensemen group has collected 81 points, the third most in the NHL. New York’s 64 assists by defensemen are the third most in the league while their 17 goals are tied for the fifth most.
- The Blueshirts have 10 players with five goals this season, tied for the second most amount in the NHL. Five Rangers have 20 or more points this year (Zibanejad, Fox, Panarin, Kreider, Trocheck), tied for the seventh most in the NHL.
- New York ranks third in the NHL in hits with 926
UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES ET)
DATE/TIME OPPONENT/LOCATION TV RADIO
Dec. 22/7:00 PM Islanders/MSG MSG Network ESPN 1050 AM
Dec. 27/7:00 PM Washington/MSG MSG 2 ESPN 1050 AM
Dec. 29/7:00 PM Tampa Bay/Amalie Arena MSG 2 ESPN 1050 AM
Jan. 1/5:00 PM Florida/FLA Live Arena MSG Network/NHLN TBD
Jan. 3/7:00 PM Carolina/MSG MSG Network TBD
LAST FIVE GAMES
DATE OPPONENT RESULT
Dec. 18 at Chicago W, 7-1
Dec. 17 at Philadelphia W, 6-3
Dec. 15 Toronto W, 3-1
Dec. 12 New Jersey OTW, 4-3
Dec. 9 at Colorado SOW, 2-1
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
December 9 – Ryan Carpenter re-assigned to Hartford.
December 5 – Jonny Brodzinski recalled from Hartford
December 4 – Jonny Brodzinski re-assigned to Hartford.
December 3 – Recalled Ben Harpur and Jonny Brodzinski from Hartford. Re-assigned Zac Jones to Hartford.
November 23 – Acquired fifth round pick in 2025 NHL Draft in exchange for Ryan Reaves
ALL-TIME RECORD 135-118-23-16 (309 PTS)
2022-23 0-0-0
2021-22 3-1-0
NYR HOME 76-55-9-8 (169 PTS)
NYR AWAY 59-63-14-8 (140 PTS)
LAST FIVE MEETINGS 3-2-0
LEADING SCORER(S) – CURRENT RANGERS IN CAREER G: Panarin (13) – A: Panarin (17) – Pts: Panarin (30)
LEADING SCORER(S) – ALL-TIME IN GAMES W/NYR G: Ratelle (23) – A: Leetch (70) – Pts: Leetch (89)
TEAM NOTES
RANGERS ON A ROLL
The Rangers have won seven games in a row win. It is tied for the second longest streak since the 2015-16 and is the 19th time in franchise history the team has won seven or more games in a row. New York is the seventh different team in the NHL this year to post a seven-plus game win streak. A win tonight would give the Blueshirts’ their seventh eight-game win streak in team history and only third since 1976. Since December 5, the date the streak started, the Rangers rank first in wins (7), first in goals (32), first in PP% (50%), and third in PK% (88.9).
SHESTERKIN IN NET
Igor Shesterkin is 16-4-4 on the season, his 16 wins are tied for the second most in the NHL. Shesterkin is 6-0-1 in his last seven starts with a .935 save percentage and 1.95 GAA. Shesterkin has allowed one goal or fewer in four of his last five games. On the road, Shesterkin is 9-0-1. Shesterkin is the 12th goalie in NHL history who have recorded a point in at least 10 of their first road starts in a season. (Pyotr Kochetkov of the Hurricanes has an active run of 10 such games this season). Two other Rangers have done this: Dave Kerr in 1939-40 (11 games) and John Ross Roach in 1931-32 (10 games).
GLORY ROAD
On the road, the Blueshirts are 11-4-1 for 23 points and have earned a point in 11 of its last 13 games (10-2-1) away from home. The team ranks among the NHL best in multiple road categories:
TROCHECK-ING THE BOX SCORE
Vincent Trocheck has a point streak of four games (2G-5A), has two multi-point performances in his last three games, and has 10 points (3G-7A) in his last seven games. Trocheck’s seven power play goals are the second most on the Rangers while his 25 points are the fourth most on the
team. He is one of only two NHL players who have registered 25+ points and 80+ hits this season (along with Alex Ovechkin). In 30 of 33 games this season, Trocheck has had either 1+ points, 3+ hits, or a 50.0%+ faceoff win percentage; he has hit two of the three categories in 18 of the 33 games, and he hit all three categories in the same game three times (Dec. 15 vs. TOR, Dec. 5 vs. STL, Nov. 8 vs. NYI).
PANARIN PUTTING UP POINTS
On Sunday night, Artemi Panarin recorded his 65th career three-point game. Since Panarin’s NHL debut in 2015-16, only Connor McDavid (93 GP) and Leon Draisaitl (69 GP) have more three-point outings. Panarin has points in eight of his last nine games (2G-13A) and multi-point games in five of his last eight contests has points in seven of his last eight games (1G-11A) and multi-point games in four of his last seven contests.
Since December 2, Panarin’s 13 assists are the most in the NHL. Panarin has points in 11 of his last 13 games (3G-15A), 28 points in his last 25 games (4G-24A) and 40 points (8G-32A) in 33 games this season. Panarin’s 30 points against the Penguins are his fourth most regular season points against any one team in the NHL (PHI – 39) and his 13 goals against Pittsburgh are tied for his most against one team in the NHL. Panarin has points in threestraight games against Pittsburgh (1G-3A) and in nine of his 11 games with New York against the Penguins (4G-11A).
MIKA’S MISSION
on Sunday, Mika Zibanejad recorded his 400th point with the Rangers in his 437th game with the club. He required the fifth-fewest games to reach the mark with the franchise, behind Mark Messier (322 GP), Brian Leetch (380 GP), Phil Esposito (405 GP) and Andy Bathgate (423 GP). He has points in nine of his last 11 games (5G-9A), 14 of his last 17 games (6G-13A) and in 21 of his last 25 contests (11G-18A).
WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?
Adam Fox has seven goals and 27 assists for 32 points this season. He has points in six of his last nine games (1G-8A), eight of his last 12 games (1G-10A), 10 of his last 15 games (2G-12A), and 17 of his last 22 games (5G-20A). Fox has recorded at least one point in 23 of 33 games this year. Fox has tallied three three-assist game of the season, the most among all defensemen in the NHL. His 34 multi-assist games since 2019-20 are the second most in the league (Roman Josi – 39). When Fox records multiple points, the Rangers are 7-0-0. Fox has skated over 20:00 minutes in every game this season, over 25 minutes in 15 contests and his season-high was 30:04 against the Devils on Nov. 28.
BLUESHIRT BULLETS
- Braden Schneider’s four goals since November 22 are tied for the most among NHL defensemen in that span.
- Jacob Trouba has 103 hits and 83 blocked shots. He is the only player in the NHL with both 100+ hits and 75+ blocked shots. Trouba ranks seventh in the NHL in hits and second in blocked shots.
- K’Andre Miller has points in five of his last seven games (2G-5A). Miller’s 28 takeaways this year are the third most for a defensemen.
- Sammy Blais ranks third in the NHL (min. 25 games played) in hits per 60 (20.37).
- Among players who have skated in 20 games this year, Julien Gauthier ranks third in penalties drawn/60 (2.65).
- Filip Chytil has four goals in his last six games and has compiled six points (4G-2A) in those six games.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS NOTES:
LAST 2 GAMES
Dec. 18: Carolina 3, Pittsburgh 2 – PNC Arena
PIT Goals: Rakell (PP), McGinn
Multiple Points: Guentzel (2G), Crosby (2A), Malkin (1G-1A),
Letang (1G-1A)
Goalie: DeSmith (26 saves/29 shots)
Key Stats: The Penguins seven-game winning streak came to a close as they fell to the Hurricanes for the second time this season.
PP: 1-5
PK: 3-3
Dec. 15: Pittsburgh 4, Florida 2 – FLA Live Arena
PIT Goals: Guentzel (2), Letang (SH), Malkin (PP)
Multiple Points: Guentzel (2G), Crosby (2A), Malkin (1G-1A),
Letang (1G-1A)
Goalie: Jarry (32 saves/34 shots)
Key Stats: Pittsburgh scored at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded for the second time this season as the team stayed undefeated in December.
PP: 2-3
PK: 3-3
INJURIES
Position Player Status Consecutive Games Missed Total Games Missed
D Jeff Petry Upper-Body 3 3
F Jason Zucker Lower-Body 2 2
2022-23 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 42
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Date Transaction
Dec. 13 F Drew O’Connor and D Mark Friedman recalled from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL).
Dec. 13 D Jeff Petry placed on LTIR, retroactive to Dec. 11.
Nov. 15 F Teddy Blueger activated off of LTIR. F Filip Hallander re-assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL).
Nov. 13 D Mark Friedman re-assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL).
Nov. 11 D Mark Friedman recalled from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL). F Sam Poulin re-assigned to WBS
Pittsburgh’s All-Time Record vs. Rangers: 134-122-36
In Pittsburgh: 70-54-20
In New York: 64-68-16
OT Record vs. Rangers: 25-11-17
Shootout Record vs. Rangers: 7-4
2021-22 Results: Pittsburgh went 1-3-0.
Penguins All-Time Point Leaders vs. RANGERS:
Mario Lemieux: 70 GP, 132 PTS (61G-71A)
Sidney Crosby 78 GP, 98 PTS (37G-61A)
Evgeni Malkin 67 GP, 67 PTS (30G-37A)
TONIGHT’S GAME
-The Penguins take on the New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena for the first time this season (TV: AT&T SportsNet, TVA; Radio 105.9 The X).
-Pittsburgh has points in 14 of its last 19 games versus New York (11-5-3), and is 15-7-3 in its last 25 games versus the Rangers.
-Here at home, Pittsburgh has points in eight of its last nine home games versus New York (7-1-1) dating back to Jan. 14, 2018.
-The Penguins are in the midst of a four-game stretch versus divisional opponents. Pittsburgh is 3-1-1 against Metropolitan Division foes this year, outscoring their opponents by a combined 18-11 margin.
QUICK HITS
1) Excluding a stretch where the Penguins were winless for seven games (0-6-1) from Oct. 24-Nov. 5, Pittsburgh has gone 18-3-3 on the year.
2) Rickard Rakell has nine points (3G-6A) in 15 career games against the New York Rangers.
3) Kasperi Kapanen has eight points (4G-4A) over his last eight games. Since Dec. 1, his eight points are fifth on Pittsburgh.
4) Tristan Jarry enters tonight’s game with a six-game winning streak. Only Tampa Bay’s Brian Elliott (7) has a longer active win streak than Jarry. During this streak he has a 2.00 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage.
5) Kris Letang has 43 points (11G-32A) in 59 career regular-season games against the Rangers. His 43 points are eight more against New York than any other active defenseman.
TEAM NOTES
‘TIS THE SEASON
Pittsburgh enters tonight’s game as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Dating back to November 9, Pittsburgh has points in 16 of its last 19 games overall (14-3-2). Since this 19-game stretch began, no one has picked up more points than the Penguins (30), and they have vaulted from 27th in the league standings to 10th.
WIN-TER WONDERLAND
The Penguins have won each of their last five home games, which trails only Minnesota (7) for the longest active home winning streak in the league. This season, there has only been three home winning streak longer than the Penguins current streak (Boston, 14; Minnesota, 7; New Jersey, 6). It’s the longest home winning streak since the team won eight-straight home games last season from Dec. 11, 2021- Jan. 25, 2022.
Sidney Crosby leads all Penguins with 21 home points (11G-10A) in 14 games. He’s only been held off the scoresheet twice in 14 home games, and his 0.79 goals-per-game average at home is sixth in the league
SIDNEY CLAUS
Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby has been nothing short of dominant all season, as he enters tonight’s game tied for ninth in the NHL with 40 points (17G-23A) in 31 games. Of his 40 points, 32 of them have come at even strength (15G-17A) which is first in the NHL, and he ranks in the top-20 in almost every major offensive category
MERRY MALKIN
Evgeni Malkin comes into tonight riding a eight-game point streak, notching two goals and 10 assists in that span. Only Connor McDavid (12), Mats Zucarello (10), David Pastrnak (9), Kyle Connor (9) and Josh Morrissey (9) have longer active point streaks than him. Malkin’s point streak is the longest by a Penguin this season. He is also one of just four players along with McDavid, Boston’s David Pastrnak and Vancouver’s J.T. Miller to have multiple point streaks of seven or more games this season. Malkin currently sits one point shy of tying Sergei Fedorov for the second-most points in NHL history among a Russian-born player
KRIS-KRINGLE
Defenseman Kris Letang enters tonight’s game on the verge of becoming just the seventh player in franchise history to record 400 even-strength points Letang is also looking to become just the third active defenseman along with Brent Burns (496) and Erik Karlsson (436) to accumulate 400 points at even strength. Only 22 blueliners in NHL history have accomplished this feat.
JOLLY JEFF
Jeff Carter enters tonight’s game one assist from 400 in his career and is set to become the sixth player from the 2003 draft class to collect 400 goals and 400 assists along with Eric Staal, Patrice Bergeron, Joe Pavelski, Corey Perry and Zach Parise. He would also become the 100th player in NHL history to accomplish this feat. Jeff Carter has recorded 25 points (9G-16A) in 56 career games against the Rangers.
MERRY TRIST-MAS
Tristan Jarry enters tonight’s game having picked up points in each of his last 12 games (10-0-2), which is the longest point streak of his career. The last time a Penguins goalie had a longer point streak was MarcAndre Fleury, who had points in 14-consecutive starts from Nov. 12-Dec. 11, 2010 (13-0-1). Jarry has been one of the hottest goalies in the NHL since Nov. 17:
Stats Since Nov. 17 (min. 5GP)
Stat NHL Rank
Wins (10) 1st
GAA (1.89) 2nd
SV% (.941) 1st
SO (1) T-4th
Assists (1) T-1st
Overall on the season, Jarry ranks in the top-10 among all NHL goalies (min. 10GP) in wins (13, T-4th), save percentage (.921, 11th) and assists (2, T-1st).
REIRDEN’S REINDEER
Pittsburgh’s power play converted for the eighth-consecutive game on Sunday in Carolina, going 1-for-5 on the night. The Penguins power play
has gone 11-for-32 (34.4%) in the past eight games, a figure that is fifth in the NHL.
This stretch marks the first time the Penguins have scored on the power play in eight-consecutive games since Pittsburgh scored on the man advantage in 12-consecutive games from Feb. 3-26, 2013 (16 PPG).
The Penguins stretch of eight-consecutive games with a power-play goal is the longest active such streak in the league. There have only been two such streaks longer all season (Boston and Tampa Bay, 10 games).
HO HO HEINEN
Danton Heinen currently sits one assist shy of 100 in his career. Heinen, who was drafted in the fourth round (116th overall) in the 2011 NHL Draft, is looking to become the 21st member of his draft class to register 100 assists. Of the 20 players with 100 assists, only six players (Christian Dvorak and Brandon Montour, 2nd Round; Brayden Point, 3rd Round; Viktor Arvidsson and Devon Toews, 4th Round; Kevin Lebanc, 6th Round) were selected outside of the first round
