Rangers at Islanders 12.6.16: Pregame Notes
© Bruce Bennett
TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their 27th game of the 2016-17 season and begin a three-game road trip tonight against the New York Islanders in a Metropolitan Division matchup at Barclays Center (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG 2; Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). The Blueshirts have won 15 of their last 22 games (15-6-1), including 12 of their last 18 games (12-5-1). The Rangers have posted a 17-8-1 record this season.
RANGERS VS. ISLANDERS
RANGERS-ISLANDERS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. ISLANDERS
WINNING WAYS
This season, the Rangers have earned at least 17 wins in their first 26 games of a season for the fifth time in franchise history (1971-72, 1993-94, 2008-09, 2015-16, and 2016-17), and their 17 wins in 2016-17 are tied for the second-most they have earned through the first 26 games of one season in franchise history. The only season in which the Rangers registered more than 17 wins in the first 26 games in a season was 1993-94 (18). New York is tied for the NHL lead in wins this season (17 - tied with Montreal).
POINT TAKEN
The Blueshirts have not been held pointless in two consecutive games thus far this season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Rangers went 26 games into a season without being held pointless in two or more consecutive games was 1971-72, when the team had its first two-game losing streak in games 68 and 69 of the season.
GOALS GALORE
The Rangers have registered 95 goals through the first 26 games of the 2016-17 season. New York has recorded at least 95 goals in the first 26 contests of a season for the first time since 1993-94. The Rangers lead the NHL in goals per game this season (3.65).
MAKING THE DIFFERENCE
The Rangers lead the NHL in goal differential this season (plus-30; 95 goals for, 65 goals against). The Blueshirts have now posted a plus-30 goal differential or better through the first 26 games of a season nine times in franchise history, and this season is the first time the Rangers have accomplished the feat since 1993-94.
ROAD WARRIORS
New York leads the NHL in road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season (79). The Rangers are tied for third in the NHL in road wins this season (seven) and have outscored their opponents, 40-26, in 11 road contests in 2016-17. The Blueshirts also lead the NHL in goals per game on the road this season (3.64).
TOP TEN
The Rangers are one of three NHL teams that have three players who have registered 10 or more goals this season (Michael Grabner, Rick Nash, and Kevin Hayes have all tallied 10 or more goals thus far in 2016-17).
TWO GOOD
The Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in regulation/overtime in 17 of their last 23 games. New York is tied for ninth in the NHL in goals against per game this season (2.46).
ON POINT
This season, two Rangers defensemen (Ryan McDonagh and Brady Skjei) have registered 13 assists in the first 26 games of a season for the first time since 1994-95 (Brian Leetch and Sergei Zubov).
AV SQUAD
Alain Vigneault leads NHL head coaches in wins since the start of the 2006-07 season (474). He has earned 161 wins as the Rangers' head coach, and he is three wins away from tying Tom Renney for fifth place on the franchise's all-time wins list among head coaches.
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist earned his 386th career NHL win on Dec. 3 vs. Carolina, passing Mike Vernon for sole possession of 13th place on the NHL's all-time wins list. He is three wins away from tying Dominik Hasek for the most wins by a European-born goaltender in NHL history. In addition, Lundqvist is one of 10 goaltenders in NHL history who have earned at least 350 career wins and 60 career shutouts. In his last 16 starts, Lundqvist has posted an 11-4-1 record, along with a 2.31 GAA, a .923 SV%, and 1 SO.
STEP-AN UP
In the seven games Mika Zibanejad has missed with a broken fibula, Derek Stepan has registered six points (three goals, three assists), recorded 20 shots on goal, posted a plus-two rating, and won 54.5% of faceoffs taken (66-for-121). He leads the team in shots on goal and is tied for the team lead in assists and points over the span. Stepan is tied for the team lead - and leads Rangers forwards - in assists this season (13).
KREID-ING HIGH
Chris Kreider tallied two goals on Dec. 3 vs. Carolina, and he has recorded four points (two goals, two assists) in the last six games. He is tied for the team lead in multi-point games this season (five).
HEY HEY HAYES
Kevin Hayes is the only NHL player who has registered at least 19 points and a plus-16 rating thus far this season. He is the first Ranger who has registered at least 19 points and a plus-16 rating through 26 games of a season since Martin Rucinsky in 2003-04.
SKJEI HEY KID
Brady Skjei is the first Rangers rookie who has registered 13 or more assists within the first 26 games of a season since Brian Leetch in 1988-89. He leads NHL rookies in assists this season (13), and he is also tied for sixth among all NHL defensemen in assists in 2016-17. Skjei is tied for the team lead in assists this season, and he is the first Rangers rookie defenseman who has recorded at least 13 assists in one season since 2009-10 (Michael Del Zotto).
RICK ROLLING
Rick Nash has recorded a goal/point in four of the last seven games, tallying six points (four goals, two assists) over the span. He leads the Rangers in power play goals (four), power play points (six), and shots on goal (73), and he ranks second in goals (11) this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Blueshirts are one of two NHL teams that have a 20.0% power play efficiency or better and a 85.0% penalty kill efficiency or better this season (along with St. Louis). The Rangers have outscored their opponent on special teams in 12 of 26 games this season.
Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
UPCOMING MILESTONES
J.T. Miller - 5 points away from 100 in his NHL career/as a Ranger
INJURIES (51 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
Pavel Buchnevich (back) - has missed 11 games
Mika Zibanejad (broken fibula) - has missed seven games
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Dec. 5 - Recalled Marek Hrivik from Hartford (AHL)
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
- Dec. 5, 1965 - Emile Francis became the 11th head coach in franchise history and he made his head coaching debut with the Blueshirts at MSG.
- Dec. 6, 1932 - "The A Line" of Bun Cook-Frank Boucher-Bill Cook registered nine points as the Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 5-3, at MSG. Each of the three players recorded three points in the contest, and each of the Cook brothers registered two goals in the game.
- Dec. 6, 1995 - The Rangers tallied five power play goals in a 5-5 tie with the Chicago Blackhawks at MSG. Brian Leetch tallied three points (one goal, two assists), including his 400th career NHL assist, in the contest, becoming the second defenseman in franchise history to tally 400 assists with the Rangers.
