The New York Rangers begin the 2024-25 season, their 99th year in team history, with a meeting against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30 PM ET – TV: TNT – Radio: ESPN 1050 AM).

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• All-time in season openers, the Blueshirts are 41-42-13-1, including wins in three of their last five. The 2023-24 campaign began with a 5-1 win over the Sabres in Buffalo.
• This is the third time that New York will open a regular season against the Penguins (2009-10 at Mellon Arena, 1987-88 at MSG).
• New York will open up on the road for 68th time in franchise history, the most among NHL franchises (CHI – 53), and the third time in the last four seasons.
• Tonight is the 300th regular season meeting between the Rangers and Penguins.
• Against the Penguins since 2021-22, the Blueshirts are 7-3-1 in 11 regular season games and have victories in four of their last five games against Pittsburgh. On the road against the Penguins, New York has points in three-straight contests (2-0- 1).
• Mika Zibanejad has 14 points (5G-9A) in eight career season-opening games for the Rangers, making him one of six players in franchise history to record at least 10 career points in season openers. Only three players have netted more goals for the franchise in season-opening games: Butch Keeling (7 in 10 GP), Jean Ratelle (6 in 11 GP), Cecil Dillon (6 in 8 GP).
• On the road last year, the Blueshirts had a 25-12-4 record for 54 points. It marked the fifth time in team history they had 25 or plus road wins in a year. Their 25 road wins ranked tied for third in the NHL.
• Artemi Panarin has points in four of his last five games against Pittsburgh (4G-5A) and six points (2G-4A) in his last two games against them.

RANGERS AND PENGUINS CONNECTIONS

• Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck is a native of Pittsburgh, growing up in Upper St. Clair.
• Rangers forward Reilly Smith played 76 games for the Penguins in 2023-24, recording 13 goals and 27 assists for 40 points.
• Rangers defenseman Chad Ruhwedel spent parts of eight seasons with the Penguins, notching 47 points (13G-34A) in 326 games. He was apart of the 2017 Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburgh club.
• Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan served as an Assistant Coach with the Rangers for four seasons (2009-10 – 2012-13).
• Penguins forward Kevin Hayes spent the first five seasons of his career in New York, tallying 216 points (87G-129A) in 361 games.
• Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round (110th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

PRESEASON IN THE PAST

New York went 4-2-0, including a 3-0-0 mark at home, in their preseason slate against the Devils, Islanders and Bruins.

2023-24 RECAP

The Rangers earned a trip to the Eastern Conference Final last season, after defeating Washington in the First Round and Carolina in the Second Round. Their playoff run came after a regular season that saw them finishing with a 55-23-4 record for 114 points.

They earned first place in the League standings for the fifth time in franchise history, won the Metro Division and eighth division title in franchise history. New York set the franchise record in wins (55) and points (114).
Other notes from the 2023-24 season include:

• The Rangers recorded a 26.4 power play percentage, the second-best mark in franchise history (1977-78) and third best in the NHL.
• With an 84.5 clip, the Blueshirts finished with the third highest penalty kill percentage in the NHL.
• New York’s 52.3 faceoff percentage ranked tied for the third highest in team history and highest since the 2007-08 season.
• The Blueshirts had a franchise record and league-high 28 comeback victories. Fourteen of the 28 came when trailing during the third period, tied for the most in the league. The Blueshirts also had 20 wins when trailing first in a game, the most in a single season in franchise history.
• The Rangers’ 106 third period goals were the eighth most in franchise history and the most since 1991-92. In the NHL, the goal number was the second best in the NHL.
• At home, New York finished with a 30-11-0 record for 60 points, tying the franchise record for the most home wins (1970-71).

BREAD WINNER

Artemi Panarin tallied a career-high 49 goals, and 71 assists for a career-high 120 points in 82 games this season. His point total was the second most for a Rangers skater in a single season (Jaromir Jagr – 123 points in 2005-06) and the fourth highest in the NHL this year.

He notched a point in 67 of his 82 games this year, establishing the franchise record for the most games with a point.

Among NHL skaters since 2015-16, has the second most assists (516) and fifth most points in the NHL (781).

FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK

In 2023-24, Vincent Trocheck posted a career-high in assists (52) and points (77). On New York, he finished fifth in goals, third in assists and second in points.

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

Trocheck was named last year’s winner of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, which is presented annually to the Ranger who, as chosen by the fans, “goes above and beyond the call of duty.”

LIVE, LAF, LOVE

Last year, Alexis Lafreniere had a career high in goals (28), assists (29) and points (57) in 2022-23 and was one of five players on New York to play 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, was the first Rangers skater aged 22 or younger since Tony Amonte (1992-93) to have 25-plus goals and 25-plus assists in a single season.

He has the fifth most points on the Blueshirts since 2020-21 (148) and since 2020-21, ranks third on the Rangers in even strength goals (70) and fourth in even strength points (136).

PUCK STOPPING SHESTERKIN

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

He posted his third consecutive 30-win season. Only two other goaltenders in franchise history have had three 30-win campaigns in their career: Henrik Lundqvist (11) and Ed Giacomin (5).

He also finished 16-5-1 in his last 22 games of the year.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Adam Fox set a career-high in 17 goals and posted 56 assists and 73 points last season. He scored the most goals by a Rangers defenseman since Brian Leetch in 2000-01 (21).

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

KREIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS

Chris Kreider is entering his 13th season with the Rangers, which will be tied for the eighth most in team history. Rod Gilbert leads with 18 seasons.

Kreider has 110 career power play goals, the second most in franchise history.

Last year, Kreider scored 39 goals and added an additional 36 assists for 75 points in 2023-24 while changing the Rangers record books:

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

MIKA’S MISSION

Mika Zibanejad enters his ninth season with the Rangers after being acquired ahead of the 2016-17 season. In that time frame, Zibanejad ranks fifth in the NHL in power play goals with 101 which is also the fifth most in Rangers history.

Last season, he notched 40 assists in a season for the third consecutive year and 25 goals for the sixth time in his career in 2023-24.

He had double-digit power play goals (12) for a seventh straight season. The only other player that has reached 10-plus power play goals in the last seven seasons is Steven Stamkos.