The New York Rangers head north of the border to play the Toronto Maple Leafs in a Saturday night affair (7:00 PM ET – TV: MSG Network – Radio: ESPN 880 AM).

RANGERS RUNDOWN

• The Blueshirts have earned points (3-0-1) in each of their first four games for the first time since 2008-09 (4-0-0) and the ninth time in team history. The Rangers have won their first two road games of a season for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign.
• If New York gains at least one point against Toronto, it will start off a season with points in each of its first five games for the fourth time in franchise history (2008-09, 1997-98, 1983-84). On two occasions have the Blueshirts won each of their first three road games to start a campaign (1927-28, 1931-32).
• The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL with a plus-11 goal differential (20-9 edge) behind Winnipeg (+13). It is the Rangers’ third highest goal differential through four games in team history behind 1983-84 (+12) and 1973-74 (+13).
• New York’s 5.00 goals per game lead the NHL.
• On the road in Toronto, New York has recorded points in three-straight contests (1-0-2) and five of its last six road matchups against the Maple Leafs (3-1-2).
• The Rangers have 20 goals on the year, tied for the second most through the first four games of a season in franchise history (Others: 20 in 1987-88, 22 in 1976-77). It also marks the third time in Rangers history that they have scored at least four goals in each of the first four games of the season (Others: 1987-88, 1989-90).
• Twelve different Rangers have scored a goal through the first four games of the season, tied for the most in the NHL. In addition, 17 different Rangers have tallied a point this year, which is tied for the fourth most in the league.
• The Blueshirts have scored five power play goals through four games, tied for the fourth most in the NHL.
• Over the first four games, Rangers defensemen have accounted for 14 points (3G-11A), tied for the fourth most in the NHL. Last season, the 201 combined points (44G-157A) from New York blueliners ranked fourth in the NHL.

RANGERS AND MAPLE LEAFS CONNECTIONS

• Rangers skaters Sam Carrick, Will Cuylle, and Reilly Smith are natives of Ontario.
• Rangers forward Sam Carrick was drafted by the Maple Leafs in 2010 and played his first two NHL seasons with the team (2014-15, 2015-16).
• Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey played 30 games for Toronto in 2020-21, tallying seven points (5G-2A).
• Rangers assistant coach Michael Peca played for the Maple Leafs for one season (2006-07).
• Rangers associate coach Phil Housley played his final NHL game with the Maple Leafs in the 2002-03 season.
• Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves played parts of two seasons with the Blueshirts (2021-22 – 2022-23), recording 13 points (5G-8A) in 81 games.
• Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan played two seasons with the Rangers (2006-07 and 2007-08).
• Maple Leafs forward William Nylander is the son of former Ranger Michael Nylander, who played two seasons with the Blueshirts (2005-06 and 2006-07).

PANARIN’S POINTS

Artemi Panarin sits tied for the NHL-lead in points with 11, tied for second in goals (5), and tied for fifth in assists (6).

Panarin is the first player in franchise history to record multiple points in each of the first four games of a season and is the first Rangers player to record 11 points in his team’s first four games of a season. The only other active player to accomplish the feat is Connor McDavid in 2021-22 (6-5—11 in 4 GP).

The only active players to record five or more multi-point games to begin a season are Auston Matthews (7 GP in 2018-19) and Connor McDavid (6 GP in 2021-22).

Panarin’s 38 multi-point games since the beginning of last season are tied for the fourth 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 56 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.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Adam Fox has two three-assist games over his last three contests (Oct. 12 vs. UTA, Oct. 17 at DET). His 13 career three-assist games are the second most by a Rangers defenseman behind Brian Leetch (37). Since 2019-20, his 13 such games ranks tied for fourth among NHL defensemen.

Since 2019-20, Fox has 75 multi-point games, which ranks fourth among NHL defensemen.

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.

KREIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS

Chris Kreider has three goals in four 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 six points (2G-4A) through the first four games of the season, including his fourth career four- point game on October 17 at Detroit.

Trocheck sits one goal away from 200 in his career.

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-3A) in all four 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 (153) and in that same frame, ranks third on the Rangers in even strength goals (72) and tied for third in even strength points (141).

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).

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.