With the Rangers and Flyers going to overtime and the Capitals beating the Red Wings, the Rangers have clinched a spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
From the NHL:
* The Rangers look to join the Canadiens (23), Maple Leafs (13), Red Wings (11), Bruins (6), Blackhawks (6), Oilers (5) and Penguins (5) as the eighth franchise in NHL history to win at least five Stanley Cups.
* The Rangers are two seasons removed from their most recent Conference Finals appearance (4-2 L vs. TBL in 2022), a stretch that saw Mika Zibanejad post a team-leading 24 points (10-14—24 in 20 GP). New York’s four total appearances in the final four since 2012 are tied with Vegas for the second most among all teams and two behind Tampa Bay (6) through that span.
* Chris Kreider claimed the franchise record for career playoff goals in 2023 and will enter his 10th career postseason needing three points to tie Rod Gilbert for third place in club history. Kreider is the only player who remains with the Rangers after dressing for the club in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.
* Adam Fox enters his fourth postseason with a 1.03 points-per-game rate in his playoff career, the second highest in franchise history among defensemen. In fact, his total is also the highest among players on New York’s active roster, ahead of both Mika Zibanejad (16-31—47 in 58 GP; 0.81 P/GP) and Artemi Panarin (16-30—46 in 57 GP; 0.81 P/GP).
* Artemi Panarin (16-30—46 in 57 GP) is appearing in the postseason for the eighth time in nine seasons and sits four points shy of 50 in his playoff career. He can join Martin St. Louis (47 GP), Adam Oates (48 GP), Steve Duchesne (57 GP), Joe Mullen (57 GP) and Tim Kerr (58 GP) as the sixth undrafted player in the past 35 years (since 1989) to register 50 career playoff points in 60 contests or fewer.
* Igor Shesterkin (9-5 in 14 GP; 2.07 GAA, .941 SV%) and the Rangers are in the mix to capture home-ice advantage in the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner owns the highest home playoff save percentage among active goaltenders (min. 10 GP), a total that has benefited from nine consecutive home postseason starts with two or fewer goals against. Shesterkin can become the sixth different goaltender in NHL history to allow two or fewer goals in 10 consecutive home playoff starts and first since Martin Brodeur (14 GS from Game 3 of 2002 CQF – Game 2 of 2003 SCF). Brodeur’s stretch is the longest in NHL history.
* Peter Laviolette (NYI, CAR, PHI, NSH, WSH & NYR) has surpassed Scotty Bowman (STL, MTL, BUF, PIT & DET), Mike Keenan (PHI, CHI, NYR, STL & CGY) and Roger Neilson (TOR, BUF, VAN, NYR & PHI) as the first head coach in NHL history to appear in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with six different franchises.
* Peter Laviolette also eyes a return to the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time in his career following a championship run with Carolina in 2006 as well as appearances in the Final with Philadelphia (2010) and Nashville (2017). Laviolette can join Scotty Bowman (STL, MTL, PIT & DET) as the second head coach in League history to reach the championship series with four different franchises.