The New York Rangers win the Presidents Trophy as the leading scorers in the NHL… in a season in which the Blueshirts won the most games in franchise history

The New York Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy for the NHL’s best regular season record thanks to a 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night.

Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist, Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves for his fourth shutout of the season in the win.

Goals were also scored by Jack Roslovic, Adam Fox and Alexis Lafreniere, while Chris Kreider had two assists as the Rangers won their league-best 55th game and finished with 114 points – both franchise records – and will have home-ice advantage through the playoffs. .

New York won for the fifth time in seven games and went 26-7-1 in their last 34 games. They previously won the Presidents’ Trophy in 1991-92, 1993-94 – their only Stanley Cup since 1940 – and 2014-15.

Roslovic, acquired from Columbus on March 8, scored his third goal with the Rangers and ninth overall this season at 5:55 of the first, beating Ottawa goaltender Joonas Korpisalo by finishing off a 2-on-1 passing play with Kreider.

Artemi Panarin managed a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators

Fox made it 2-0 with a shorthanded goal at 8:58 of the second. Fox flicked a pass from Kreider past Korpisalo for his 17th goal of the season with Kaapo Kakko – playing his 300th NHL game – in the penalty box for slashing.

Fox has the most goals by a Rangers defender since Brian Leetch scored 21 in 2000-01.

Panarin made it 3-0 with his 49th goal at 4:34 of the third. Panarin finished with 120 points — second most in Rangers history — and with points in a franchise-record 67 of his 82 games this season.

Panarin had a chance for his 50th on a late Rangers power play, but Korpisalo denied him twice. Lafreniere made it 4-0 with seven minutes left in the third with his 28th, finishing off a beautiful setup from Panarin and defender Erik Gustafsson.

Shane Pinto (57) of the Ottawa Senators controls the puck against Mika Zibanejad (93)

Kreider finished with 75 points, including 39 goals, for the second-highest point total of his career.

Shesterkin won seven of his last nine starts to finish the regular season 36-17-2. In 22 games since Feb. 12, the 28-year-old Russian netminder was 16-5-1 with four shutouts.

The Rangers finished 30-11-0 at home and won 15 of their last 19 contests at Madison Square Garden. The 30 home wins tied the 1970-71 squad for the most in franchise history.

The Senators miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season. The last time Ottawa reached the postseason was in 2017, when they defeated the Rangers in six games in a second-round series.