The New York Rangers begin a three-game road trip, against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night (7:30 PM ET – TV: ESPN Plus/HULU – Radio: ESPN 880 AM).

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The Blueshirts have earned points in each of their first three games for the first time since the 2015-16 season (3-0-0). The last occurrence of New York having points in its first four games was 2008-09 (4-0-0).
• The Rangers will aim to win their first two road games of a season for the first time since the 2015-16 season. 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.
• The Rangers have earned at least one point in 12 of their last 13 games against Detroit (10-1-2) and 19 of their last 21 games against the Red Wings, dating back to Jan. 22, 2017 (14-2-5 record).
• New York has scored 15 goals through the first three games of the season, tied for the most in franchise history (Others: 1983-84 and 1979-80). The team record for the most goals through four games is 22 (1976-77).
• Eleven different Rangers have scored a goal through the first three games of the season, the most in the NHL. In addition, 16 different Rangers have tallied a point this year, which is tied for the most in the league.
• Artemi Panarin has points (2G-5A) in four-straight against the Red Wings and in nine of his last 10 contests against them (3G-12A).
• Over the first three games, Rangers defensemen have accounted for 10 points (2G-6A). Last season, the 201 combined points (44G-157A) from New York blueliners ranked fourth in the NHL.

RANGERS AND RED WINGS CONNECTIONS

• Rangers assistant general manager Ryan Martin had a 16-year stint (2005-21) with the Red Wings, including 11 seasons (2010-21) as the team’s assistant general manager and eight seasons as the general manager of the Grand Rapids Griffins (2013-21).
• Red Wings defenseman Erik Gustafsson skated for the Rangers in 2023-24, recording 31 points (6G-25A) in 76 games and a plus-3 rating.
• Red Wings forward Patrick Kane played in 19 regular season games for the Blueshirts last season and an additional seven playoff games.
• Red Wings forward Tyler Motte had two stints with the Rangers, during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
• Red Wings forward Vladamir Tarasenko was a trade acquisition by New York during the 2022-23 season, recording 21 points (8G-13A) in 31 regular season games.
• Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot played his first two seasons (2013-14 – 2014-15) with the Rangers, making 53 starts with the team.
• Red Wings forward Andrew Copp played for the Rangers at the end of the 2021-22 season following his acquisition at the trade deadline. Copp finished with the second most points by an in-season acquisition in Rangers history, behind Steve Larmer in 1994 (16 PTS in 23 GP). Copp accumulated 32 points in 36 total games with the Rangers (8G-10A in 16 RS GP & 6G-8A in 20 PS GP).

BREAD WINNER

Artemi Panarin (2G-5A) is the eighth player in Rangers history with at least seven points through the team’s first three games of a season. He joins Mika Zibanejad (8 in 2019-20), Bernie Nicholls (8 in 1990-91), Rod Gilbert (8 in 1976-77), Pierre Larouche (7 in 1986-87), Phil Esposito (7 in 1977-78), Walt Tkaczuk (7 in 1973-74) and Andy Bathgate (7 in 1961-62).

Panarin is also the fourth player in Rangers history to record multiple points in three straight games to start a season. The others: Chris Kreider (3 GP in 2016-17), Bernie Nicholls (3 GP in 1990-91) and Mike McEwen (3 GP in 1978-79).

His 37 multi-point games since the beginning of last season are the fifth most in the NHL.

Among NHL skaters since 2015-16, has the second most assists (521) and fifth most points in the NHL (788).

In addition, Panarin’s 55 three-point games since joining the Rangers in 2019-20 are the third most among all players through that span. Connor McDavid (83) and Leon Draisaitl (65) rank first and second.

KREIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS

Chris Kreider has three goals in three games in his 13th season, his latest being a game-winning tally on Monday night. Kreider’s 45 career game-winning goals are the third most in franchise history behind Rod Gilbert (52) and Jean Ratelle (46).

Since 2021-22, Kreider’s 10 shorthanded goals are tied for the most in the NHL (Travis Konecny). Kreider has 111 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

PUCK STOPPING SHESTERKIN

Igor Shesterkin has two wins on the young season, allowing one or fewer goals in both victories. He has 17 career wins in the month of October (24 GP). His .708 win percentage is the second highest in NHL history in the calendar month of October (min. 15 GP), behind only Linus Ullmark (.714).

Since the beginning of last season, the 20 games in which Shesterkin has allowed one or fewer goals rank first among NHL goaltenders.

Shesterkin began the season with a 31-save shutout, the first by a Ranger goaltender in their season-opening game since October 12, 1956 when Gump Worsley blanked the Blackhawks. The only other goaltenders in Rangers history to record a season-opening shutout are John Ross Roach (Nov. 11, 1930 & Nov. 15, 1928), Dave Kerr (Nov. 7, 1937) and Hal Winkler (Nov. 16, 1926).

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.

FORECHECK, BACKCHECK, TROCHECK

Vincent Trocheck has two points (1G-1A) through the first three games of the season.

In 2023-24, 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

Alexis Lafreniere has points (2G-2A) in all three games to start the season. On October 12 against Utah, Lafreniere skated in his 300th career NHL game.

Since his rookie season in 2020-21, he has the fifth most points on the Blueshirts (152) and in that same frame, ranks third on the Rangers in even strength goals (72) and fourth in even strength points (139).

Last year, 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).

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Adam Fox tallied three assists in the home opener on October 12. It was his 12th career game with three or more assists and first since Feb. 15, 2024 against Montreal. Since 2019-20, his 12 such games ranks fifth among NHL defensemen.

Since 2022-23, Fox’s 36 multi-point games rank fifth among NHL defensemen. Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes are tied for the lead with 47.

Last season, 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.

MIKA’S MISSION

Mika Zibanejad is in 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.

Zibanejad sits one assist away from being the 13th player in Rangers history to notch 300 helpers.

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.

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.