Rangers at Jets 12.8.16: Pregame Notes
© Jonathan Kozub
TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their 28th game of the 2016-17 season and begin a back-to-back set tonight against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre (8:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). Tomorrow's game is also the second contest of the Rangers' three-game road trip. The Blueshirts have won 15 of their last 23 games (15-7-1), including 12 of their last 19 games (12-6-1). The Rangers have posted a 17-9-1 record this season.
RANGERS VS. JETS
RANGERS-JETS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. JETS
WINNING WAYS
This season, the Rangers have earned at least 17 wins in their first 27 games of a season for the ninth time in franchise history, and their 17 wins in 2016-17 are tied for the third-most they have earned through the first 27 games of one season in franchise history. The only seasons in which the Rangers registered more than 17 wins in the first 27 games were 1993-94 (19) and 1971-72 (18). New York is tied for the NHL lead in wins this season (tied with Chicago and Montreal).
BOUNCE BACK
Since Dec. 22, 2015, the Rangers have posted a 25-4-1 record in the game following a loss (regulation or overtime/shootout). New York has posted an 8-0-1 record in games following a loss in 2016-17.
UNITED NATIONS
The Rangers currently have at least one player from eight different countries on their active roster: Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United States.
YOUTH SERVED
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Rangers played a game in which all of their forwards were younger than 30 years old was Mar. 8, 1987.
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 27 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 97 goals through the first 27 games of the 2016-17 season. New York has recorded at least 97 goals in the first 27 contests of a season for the first time since 1995-96. The Rangers lead the NHL in goals per game this season (3.59).
MAKING THE DIFFERENCE
The Rangers lead the NHL in goal differential this season (plus-28; 97 goals for, 69 goals against). The Blueshirts have posted a plus-28 goal differential or better through the first 27 games of a season for the first time 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 fourth in the NHL in road wins this season (seven) and have outscored their opponents, 42-30, in 12 road contests in 2016-17. The Blueshirts have won six of their last nine road games (6-3-0).
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).
ON POINT
This season, two Rangers defensemen (Ryan McDonagh and Brady Skjei) have registered 13 assists in the first 27 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.
RAISE THE ANTTI
Among NHL goaltenders who have made at least 25 appearances since the start of the 2014-15 season, Antti Raanta ranks second in GAA (2.12) and is tied for second in SV% (.927). Raanta has posted a 5-1-0 record, along with a 2.05 GAA and a .934 SV% in his seven starts this season.
UP FOR GRABS
Michael Grabner leads the NHL in even strength goals (13) and plus/minus rating (plus-19), and he is tied for sixth in the NHL in goals (13) this season.
STEP-AN UP
In the eight games Mika Zibanejad has missed with a broken fibula, Derek Stepan has registered six points (three goals, three assists), recorded 21 shots on goal, posted a plus-three rating, averaged 19:04 of ice time, and won 53.2% of faceoffs taken (75-for-141). Stepan is tied for the team lead - and leads Rangers forwards - in assists this season (13).
IT'S MILLER TIME
J.T. Miller leads the Rangers in points (20), even strength assists (11), and even strength points (17) in 2016-17. The Blueshirts have posted a 14-1-0 record in games which he has tallied a point in 2016-17, and he leads the team in games with a point (15) in 2016-17.
VESEY DOES IT
Jimmy Vesey ranks third among NHL rookies in goals this season (nine), trailing only Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews. He has recorded a point in three of the last four games (two goals, one assist) and four of the last six games (two goals, two assists).
KREID-ING HIGH
Chris Kreider enters the contest with a three-game point streak (two goals, two assists) and he has recorded five points (two goals, three assists) in the last seven games. He is tied for the team lead in multi-point games this season (five).
HEY HEY HAYES
Kevin Hayes is one of two NHL players who have registered at least 19 points and a plus-15 rating this season. He is the first Ranger who has registered at least 19 points and a plus-15 rating through 27 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 in the first 27 games of a season since Brian Leetch in 1988-89. He leads NHL rookies in assists this season (13), and he is tied for ninth among all NHL defensemen in assists in 2016-17.
HOLDEN STEADY
Nick Holden is one of three NHL defensemen who have registered at least 12 points and a plus-12 rating this season (along with Ryan Suter and Shea Weber).
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Blueshirts are one of two NHL teams that have a 20.0% power play efficiency or better and a 84.0% penalty kill efficiency or better this season (along with St. Louis). The Rangers have outscored their opponent on special teams in 12 of 27 games this season.
Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
UPCOMING MILESTONES
J.T. Miller - 4 points away from 100 in his NHL career/as a Ranger
INJURIES (53 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
- Dec. 7, 1941 - On the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Rangers defeated Boston, 5-4, at MSG.
- Dec. 8, 1974 - Ron Greschner registered his first career NHL goal as the Rangers and Montreal Canadiens played to a 3-3 tie at MSG.
- Dec. 8, 2014 - Kevin Klein became the third defenseman to register two overtime goals in one season (as part of the NHL's current overtime format) as the Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-3, at MSG. The Rangers' win against Pittsburgh began a stretch in which the team won eight consecutive games and 13 of 14 contests.
