Rangers at Maple Leafs 1.19.17: Pregame Notes
© Claus Andersen
TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their 46th game of the 2016-17 season tonight, Jan. 19, against the Toronto Maple Leafs in an Original Six matchup at Air Canada Centre (7:30 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). The Rangers have posted a 28-16-1 record this season.
RANGERS VS. MAPLE LEAFS
RANGERS-MAPLE LEAFS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. MAPLE LEAFS
ROAD WARRIORS
New York leads the NHL in road wins this season (15) and leads the NHL in road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season (87). The Rangers' 87 road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season are tied for the most road wins the team has earned in any four-season span in franchise history (the Blueshirts also earned 87 road wins from 2011-12 - 2014-15). The Rangers have won four of their last five road games (4-1-0) and have tallied at least four goals in each of the five contests. The Blueshirts have earned a win in 14 of their last 19 road contests (14-5-0), including eight of their last 10 road games (8-2-0).
GOALS GALORE
New York leads the NHL in goals (158 - includes two team goals awarded for shootout wins) and ranks second in the NHL in goals per game (3.47) this season. The Rangers have recorded 43 goals over the last 10 games, registering at least four goals in eight of the 10 contests. The Blueshirts have also tallied five or more goals in five of the last eight games.
Over the last 10 games...
15 different Rangers have recorded at least one goal
21 different Rangers have tallied at least one point
Six different Rangers have tallied 10 or more points
THREE'S COMPANY
The Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Mats Zuccarello line has tallied 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists) over the last 10 games, and each player has recorded 12 or more points over the span. In addition, the three players have registered 62 points - including 23 goals - in the Rangers' 21 games since Dec. 1, and each player has tallied at least 20 points over the span.
PICK SIX
The six forwards on two of the Rangers' line combinations (Kreider, Stepan, Zuccarello, Buchnevich, Zibanejad, and Nash) registered 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in the Rangers' last game on Jan. 17 vs. Dallas. Each player notched at least two points in the contest.
RED, WHITE, AND BLUESHIRT
Five American-born players have tallied 10 or more goals with the Rangers in 2016-17 (Kreider, Miller, Hayes, Vesey, and Stepan). This season is the first season in which five American-born players have recorded at least 10 goals with the Rangers in franchise history.
SHOOTING GALLERY
The Rangers registered a single-game season-high 40 shots on goal, as well as a single-period season-high 25 shots on goal on Jan. 17 vs. Dallas. New York has recorded at least 30 shots on goal in each of its last four games and seven of its last 10 contests.
PAVEL'S PARTY
Pavel Buchnevich posted his second three-point game of the season on Jan. 17 vs. Dallas (one goal, two assists). He has tallied a point in each of his last seven NHL games (five goals, six assists). He has recorded a point in nine of his 13 career NHL games, tallying 13 points (five goals, eight assists). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Buchnevich is the first Ranger who has tallied at least 13 points in his first 13 NHL games since Don Maloney, who recorded 14 points in his first 13 NHL games from Feb. 14, 1979 - Mar. 10, 1979.
Among NHL players who have skated in at least 10 games this season, Buchnevich leads the NHL in assists per 60 minutes of ice time (2.43) and is tied for second in the NHL in points per 60 minutes of ice time (3.95). In addition, Buchnevich is one of 10 NHL players (min. 10 games played) who have averaged at least one point per game this season.
UP FOR GRABS
Michael Grabner is tied for the NHL lead in even strength goals (19), is tied for eighth in plus/minus rating (plus-20), and is tied for 11th in goals (19) this season. He ranks second in the NHL (min. 10 games played) in goals per 60 minutes of ice time this season (1.89).
WELCOME MATS
Mats Zuccarello tied single-game career-highs with three assists and three points on Jan. 17 vs. Dallas. He has registered 15 assists/points over the last 12 games (since Dec. 18), and he leads the NHL in assists over the span. Zuccarello is tied for second in the NHL in even strength assists this season (22 - tied with Patrick Kane, trails Connor McDavid, who has 24). Zuccarello leads the Rangers in assists (27), even strength assists, and even strength points (28) in 2016-17.
STEP-AN UP
Derek Stepan leads the Rangers in points this season (36; 12 goals, 24 assists). Stepan has posted a multi-point game in each of the last two contests (three goals, two assists in the two contests). He has recorded 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in the last 27 games, including 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in the last 21 contests and 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in the last 12 games.
KREID-ING HIGH
Chris Kreider registered two points (one goal, one assist) and was assessed a fighting major on Jan. 17 vs. Dallas, becoming the first Ranger to register a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" since Brandon Dubinsky on Dec. 12, 2010 vs. Washington. He ranks second in the NHL in goals since Dec. 1 (14) and has recorded 12 points (nine goals, three assists) in the last 10 games. In addition, he is tied for the NHL lead in goals over the Rangers' last 10 games (since Dec. 23).
CAPTAIN MAC
Ryan McDonagh was selected to participate in the 2017 NHL All-Star Game. He is tied for first among NHL defensemen in primary assists (16), ranks third in even strength assists (17), ranks fifth in assists (26), and is tied for seventh in points (28) in 2016-17. In addition, McDonagh ranks third among NHL defensemen in games with an assist this season (22).
HEY HEY HAYES
Kevin Hayes is tied for the NHL lead in shorthanded assists (three) and shorthanded points (four) this season. Hayes is one of three NHL players who have recorded at least 33 points and a plus-16 rating in 2016-17.
IT'S MILLER TIME
J.T. Miller posted a career-high seven-game point streak from Dec. 29 at Arizona to Jan. 14 at Montreal (five goals, five assists over the span). He leads the NHL in shorthanded goals (three) and is tied for third in the NHL in shorthanded points (three) this season. In addition, Miller is tied for the team lead in games with a point in 2016-17 (24).
MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad tallied two goals on Jan. 17 vs. Dallas. Zibanejad, who returned to the lineup on Jan. 17 after missing 25 games due to injury, has tallied 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 20 games this season.
HOLDEN STEADY
Nick Holden is one of six NHL defensemen who have registered at least 20 even strength points this season (along with Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Duncan Keith, Justin Schultz, and Victor Hedman).
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rangers are one of 10 teams that have a 20.0% power play efficiency and an 80.0% penalty kill efficiency or better this season.
Power Play:
The Rangers were 1-for-2 (1:32) on Jan. 17 vs. Dallas.
New York has tallied a PPG in six of the last nine games (10-for-31; 32.3%).
The Blueshirts rank fifth in the NHL in power play efficiency this season (22.8%; 31-for-136).
Penalty Kill:
The Rangers were 0-for-1 (0:18) on Jan. 17 vs. Dallas.
New York ranks second in the NHL in SHG in 2016-17 (six).
UPCOMING MILESTONES
INJURIES (115 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
- Jan. 18, 2001 - Mike Richter earned his 267th career win with the Rangers, passing Ed Giacomin to become the franchise's all-time leader in wins (at the time). The Rangers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1, in overtime at MSG, as Brian Leetch registered the game-winning goal with less than a minute remaining in the extra session.
- Jan. 19, 1955 - Andy Bathgate tallied two goals and Gump Worsley stopped all 41 shots he faced as the Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 2-0, at MSG.
