Pregame Notes: Rangers at Bruins 03.27.19

NEW YORK RANGERS at BOSTON BRUINS
Wednesday, Mar. 27, 2019, 7:30 p.m. ET
TD Garden - Boston, MA
TV: NBCSN, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM
Rangers:29-33-13 (71 pts)
Bruins: 46-21-9 (101 pts)
The Rangers play their 76th game of the 2018-19 season on Wednesday, Mar. 27, against the Boston Bruins in an Original Six matchup at TD Garden (7:30 p.m. ET - TV: NBCSN, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). Including Wednesday's game, the Blueshirts conclude the season with seven games over an 11-day stretch.

TOMORROW STARTS TODAY
Through seven trades made leading up to the NHL's Trade Deadline in both 2018 and 2019, the Rangers acquired 22 assets in exchange for eight players who were on the team's roster. Among the assets acquired were:
The Rangers either have made, or will make, seven selections in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft over a three-year period from 2017 - 2019. Since the start of the NHL Entry Draft Era in 1979 (following the NHL-WHA merger), no NHL team has made more than seven first-round selections in a three-year span. In addition, for the first time in franchise history (since the inception of the NHL Amateur/Entry Draft in 1963), the Rangers have had multiple first-round picks in three consecutive years (two first-round selections in 2017, three first-round selections in 2018, and two first-round selections in 2019).
In 2018, the Rangers selected three players in the first round of the same NHL Amateur/Entry Draft for the first time in franchise history. The Blueshirts used their three first-round picks to select Vitali Kravtsov, K'Andre Miller, and Nils Lundkvist.
The Rangers made 10 selections overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, which was the most the team made in one year since the NHL adopted a seven-round Draft format beginning in 2005. The Blueshirts currently have 10 picks in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft (their own first-round pick, Winnipeg's first-round pick, their own second-round pick, eitherDallas' second-round pick or first-round pick, eitherTampa Bay's second-round pick or first-round pick, their own third-round pick, Columbus' fourth-round pick, their own fifth-round pick, their own sixth-round pick, and Columbus' seventh-round pick).
RANGERS VS. BRUINS
RANGERS-BRUINS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. BRUINS
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Several Rangers players have connections with fellow members of the Blueshirts and/or members of the team's coaching staff in addition to being teammates with the Rangers:
YOUTH SERVED
According to NHL Stats & Information, the Rangers are currently the youngest team in the NHL (average age is 25.7 years old). Seven of the Rangers' last 12 goals have been scored by a player who is 23 years old or younger (Buchnevich (3), Lemieux (2), Pionk, and Howden). At least one Ranger who is 23 years old or younger has registered a goal in eight of the last nine games and in 10 of the last 12 games.
ON POINT
At least one Rangers defenseman has recorded a point in 22 of the team's last 24 games, including all 22 gameswhich the team has registered a goal over the span. Rangers defensemen have tallied 46 points (seven goals, 39 assists) in the last 24 games (note - does not include points recorded by Brendan Smith, who has played forward during the stretch).
CLOSE CALL
Six of the Rangers' last 11 games, eight of their last 14 games, and 40 of their 75 games this season have been decided by one goal. The Blueshirts' 40 one-goal games are the second-most in the NHL in 2018-19. The Rangers have played at least 40 one-goal games in a season for the first time since 2008-09 (43). In addition, the 2018-19 season is the seventh in the Rangers' 92-season history that the team has played at least 40 games decided by one goal or fewer. Of the Rangers' 35 games which have not been decided by one goal this season, 10 were one-goal games prior to an empty-net goal being scored.
WORKING OVERTIME
Six of the Rangers' last 14 games and 21 of their 75 games this season have been decided in either overtime or a shootout. New York has played at least 21 games which have been decided in either overtime or a shootout in one season for the first time since 2008-09 (22).
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist has made at least 30 saves in seven of his last 11 appearances and in 26 of his 49 appearances this season. Lundqvist is tied for fifth among NHL goaltenders in games with 30 or more saves in 2018-19. When Lundqvist makes his next appearance (which will be his 50th appearance of the 2018-19 season), he will become the seventh goaltender in NHL history to appear in 50 or more games in at least 12 different seasons (along with Martin Brodeur, Ed Belfour, Roberto Luongo, Tony Esposito, Curtis Joseph, and Patrick Roy) and only the second NHL goaltender to have at least 12 seasons with 50 or more appearances within his first 14 seasons in the league(along with Esposito).
MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad leads the Rangers in goals (28), assists (40), and points (68) this season, and he has established career-highs in all three categories. He has established career-highs in numerous categories in 2018-19, including total ice time (1,539:38), takeaways (64), faceoffs won (770), and faceoffs taken (1,541), and he is averaging a career-high in time on ice per game (20:32). Zibanejad is one of three centers in franchise history who have registered 68 or more points in a season when 25 years old or younger (along with Walt Tkaczuk and Mark Pavelich).
DOING IT ALL
Zibanejad is one of six NHL players who have registered 28 or more goals and have won 750 or more faceoffs this season (along with Aleksander Barkov, Sidney Crosby, Dylan Larkin, John Tavares, and Jonathan Toews). He is also one of 10 NHL players who have recorded at least 28 goals and 60 or more takeaways in 2018-19 (along with Barkov, Larkin, Toews, Sebastian Aho, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Sean Monahan, Mark Scheifele, and Mark Stone).
PLAYING THE GAME
Zibanejad is the only Ranger who has played in every game thus far this season, and he leads the Rangers in total ice time in 2018-19 (1,539:38). Since the NHL began to track ice time in 1997-98, no Rangers forward has led the team in total ice time in one season. Zibanejad is the first Rangers forward who has logged at least 1,539 minutes of ice time in one season since 2011-12 (Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, and Derek Stepan).
HOT AT THE DOT
Zibanejad's 770 faceoff wins in 2018-19 are the fifth-most a Ranger has registered in one season since the NHL began tracking faceoffs in 1997-98 and the most by a Ranger in one season since 2005-06. In addition, Zibanejad's 1,541 faceoffs taken this season are the fourth-most a Ranger has registered in one season since 1997-98 and the most by a Ranger in one season since 2005-06.
BUCH BOOST
Pavel Buchnevich enters the contest with a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists), which is tied for his career-high. He leads the Rangers (min. 10 games played) in goals per 60 minutes of ice time this season (1.25). Buchnevich has established career-highs in goals (18), even strength goals (11), and power play goals (seven) this season, and he also ranks third on the Rangers in goals in 2018-19.
DE-FENSE
Tony DeAngelo has recorded an assist/point in 13 of his last 19 games (14 assists) and in 15 of his last 23 games (16 assists). DeAngelo's 14 assists since Feb. 12 are the second-most among NHL defensemen. He ranks 11th among NHL defensemen 23 years old or younger in points this season (28).
SHATT STATS
Kevin Shattenkirk has notched an assist/point in three of the last four games and in five of the last eight games. He has also tallied 13 assists/points in his last 19 games. Shattenkirk's 13 assists since Feb. 12 are tied for the third-most among NHL defensemen.
STROME SURGE
Ryan Strome has recorded a goal in two of the last three games, and he tallied the game-winning goal in overtime on Mar. 23 at Toronto. Strome has registered 26 points (14 goals, 12 assists) in 56 games with the Rangers this season, and he has notched 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in the last 21 games. Since he was acquired by the Rangers on Nov. 16, Strome ranks third on the team in goals and ranks fifth on the team in points. In addition, he is one of only two Rangers who have played in all of the team's 56 games since he was acquired on Nov. 16 (along with Mika Zibanejad). Strome's 14 goals with the Rangers are tied for the most by an NHL player who was acquired by a team after the start of the season in 2018-19 (tied with his brother Dylan Strome, who has registered 14 goals since he was acquired by Chicago).
CHYTIL-MANIA
Filip Chytil has skated in 71 games this season and in 80 games in his NHL career. Chytil's 71 games played this season are tied for the third-most by a teenager in one season in franchise history (trailing only Michael Del Zotto and Manny Malhotra, and tied with Mike Allison). In addition, Chytil's 80 career games played are tied for the second-most by a teenager in franchise history (trailing only Malhotra and tied with Del Zotto).

Chytil is one of five NHL teenagers who have skated in at least 70 games this season (along with Miro Heiskanen, Rasmus Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi; of the five players, Chytil is the only one who was not selected third overall or higher in the NHL Entry Draft in either 2017 or 2018). In addition, Chytil, who was selected by the Rangers with the 21st overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, ranks third among players selected in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft in career NHL games played; the only two players with more games are the players who were selected first and second overall, Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
UPCOMING MILESTONES
INJURIES (170 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
REMEMBERING 1993-94
The 1993-94 season was the only season in which the Rangers had two defensemen who recorded at least 75 points in franchise history (Sergei Zubov and Brian Leetch). Entering the 2018-19 season, the 1993-94 Rangers were the last NHL team that had two defensemen who recorded 75 or more points in the same season.
RANGERS VS. BRUINS - 1993-94
The Rangers posted a 1-2-1 record in four games against the Bruins during the 1993-94 season. Mark Messier (two goals, three assists) and Brian Leetch (five assists) tied for the team lead with five points in the season series, and Messier, Adam Graves, and Alexei Kovalev tied for the team lead with two goals in four games. One of Kovalev's two goals against Boston was scored during an extended, seven-minute shift he had on February 23, 1994 at MSG. Glenn Healy stopped all 28 shots he faced to earn a win and a shutout as the Rangers defeated the Bruins, 3-0, on February 3, 1994 at Boston; Healy played the game with a brand new helmet, which needed to be covered in blue tape in order to match the team's blue jersey on the road.