Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Bruins

FIRST GARDEN PARTY

The Rangers returned home to MSG on Tuesday, where they went 30-11-0 last season, tying the franchise record for most home wins (1970-71), and won dramatically against the Islanders, 6-4.

After trailing 3-0 after two periods, the Blueshirts responded with a six-goal win in the third period. Chris Kreider and Zac Jones both recorded three points (2G-1A), while Adam Edstrom and Jacob Trouba each had two points.

In the win, both Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick saw their first preseason action.

BEANTOWN TO BEGINNING

To start the season, the Rangers traveled to Boston on Sunday evening and won 3-2.

Victor Mancini and Filip Chytil led the Blueshirts with a goal and an assist each. Dylan Garand and Louis Domingue each scored a goal for New York.

63 PLAYERS INVITED TO TRAINING CAMP, 47 STAYED

The Rangers invited 63 players to training camp this season, including 36 forwards, 21 defensemen and six goalkeepers. Of the 63 players, 28 played at least one game for the Blueshirts last season.

Of the 63 players, 47 remain in camp (28 strikers, 14 defensemen, five goalkeepers).

Newbies

On July 1, the Rangers signed forward Sam Carrick and acquired forward Reilly Smith in a trade with Pittsburgh.

The 32-year-old Carrick had 10 goals and six assists for 16 points in 77 games for the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks last season. He has 28 goals and 25 assists for 53 points in 240 career NHL games between the Oilers, Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 33-year-old Smith scored 13 goals and 27 assists for 40 points in 76 games for the Penguins in 2023-24. He played parts of 13 seasons in the NHL, split between the Penguins, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights, recording 513 points (213G-300A) in 840 regular season games.

REVIEW 2023-24

The Rangers earned a trip to the Eastern Conference finals last season after defeating Washington in the first round and Carolina in the second round. Their playoff run came after a regular season in which they finished with a record of 55-23-4 and 114 points.

They finished first in the league standings for the fifth time in franchise history, won the Metro Division and the eighth division title in franchise history. New York set franchise records for wins (55) and points (114).

Other notes from the 2023-24 season include:

• The Rangers posted a power play percentage of 26.4, the second-best mark in franchise history (1977–78) and third-best in the NHL.
• The Blueshirts finished with the third-highest penalty kill percentage in the NHL at a clip of 84.5.
• New York's faceoff percentage of 52.3 was the third highest in team history and the highest since the 2007-08 season.
• The Blueshirts had a franchise record and league-high 28 comeback wins. Fourteen of the 28 players came behind in the third period, which is the most in the league. The Blueshirts also earned 20 wins while trailing first in a game, the most in a single season in franchise history.
• The Rangers' 106 goals in the third period were the eighth-most in franchise history and the most since 1991–92. The number of goals was the second best in the NHL.
• At home, New York finished with a record of 30-11-0 and 60 points, tying the franchise record for most home wins (1970-71).
• Away from home, the Blueshirts had a record of 25-12-4 and 54 points, the fifth time in team history that they had 25 or more road wins in a year. Their 25 road wins ranked third in the NHL.

BREAD WINNER

Artemi Panarin scored a career-high 49 goals and 71 assists in 82 games this season for a career-high 120 points. His point total was the second-highest for a Rangers skater in a single season (Jaromir Jagr – 123 points in the 2005–2006 season) and the fourth-highest in the NHL that year.

He scored a point in 67 of his 82 games that year, setting the franchise record for most games with a point.

FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK

In the 2023-24 season, Vincent Trocheck recorded career highs in assists (52) and points (77). In New York, he finished fifth in goals, third in assists and second in points.

With a 58.7 percent faceoff clip, Trocheck had the fourth-highest draw percentage in the NHL among players who made 700 or more draws.

Trocheck was named this year's winner of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, given annually to the Ranger who, as voted by fans, “goes above and beyond the call of duty.”

LIFE, LAF, LOVE

Alexis Lafreniere had a career high in goals (28), assists (29) and points (57) during the 2022-23 season and was one of five New York players to appear in all 82 games. On the Rangers, he ranked second in even-strength goals (26) and third in even-strength points (51).

When he scored a goal during the season, the Blueshirts were 21-1-1.

With 28 goals and 29 assists, he became the first Rangers skater age 22 or younger since Tony Amonte (1992–93) to score more than 25 goals and record more than 25 assists in a single season.

PUCK STOPS SHESTERKIN

Last season, Igor Shesterkin ranked third in wins (36), fifth in save percentage (.913) and seventh in GAA (2.58).

He posted his third straight 30-win season. Only two other goalies in franchise history have had three 30-win seasons in their careers: Henrik Lundqvist (11) and Ed Giacomin (5). He also finished 16-5-1 in his final 22 games of the year.

FANTASTIC LORD. FOX

Adam Fox set career highs last season with 17 goals, 56 assists and 73 points. He scored the most goals by a Rangers defender since Brian Leetch in the 2000/2001 season (21).

Among NHL blueliners, he was tied for sixth in goals, sixth in points and eighth in assists.

KREIDING IN THE HISTORY BOOKS

Chris Kreider scored 39 goals and added another 36 assists for 75 points in the 2023-24 season, changing the Rangers' record books:

• Scored his 300th career goal, becoming the third player in franchise history to achieve the feat (Rod Gilbert – 406, Jean Ratelle – 336).
• Surpassed Rod Gilbert (108) for second-most power play goals in franchise history.
• Played his 800th career game on March 16, becoming the tenth skater in franchise history to reach that number
• Surpassed Adam Graves for third-most goals in Rangers history (281)
• Surpassed Adam Graves for 10th-most points in team history (508)
• Recorded his 500th career point
• Surpassed Camille Henry for fourth-most away goals in franchise history (137)
• Became the fifth Ranger to score 100 power play goals in his career
• He scored his 166th career goal at MSG (regular season and playoffs), surpassing Rod Gilbert for the most goal in the building's history

MIKA'S MISSION

Mika Zibanejad scored 40 assists in a season for the third consecutive time in 2023-24 and 25 goals for the sixth time in his career.

He scored double-digit power play goals (12) for the seventh straight year. The only other player to score more than 10 power play goals in the last seven seasons is Steven Stamkos.