Rangers vs. Blackhawks 12.13.16: Pregame Notes
© Jared Silber
TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their 31st game of the 2016-17 season tonight, Dec. 13, against the Chicago Blackhawks in an Original Six matchup at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). New York enters the contest with a three-game winning streak and has won four of its last five contests (4-1-0). The Rangers have posted a 20-9-1 record this season.
RANGERS VS. BLACKHAWKS
RANGERS-BLACKHAWKS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. BLACKHAWKS
20-FOR-30
This season, the Rangers have earned at least 20 wins in their first 30 games of a season for the fourth time in franchise history (1941-42, 1971-72, 1993-94, 2016-17), and their 20 wins in 2016-17 are tied for the second-most they have earned through the first 30 games of one season in franchise history. The only season in which the Rangers registered more than 20 wins in the first 30 games was 1993-94 (21). New York leads the NHL in wins this season.
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 30 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.
SHUTTING THE DOOR
The Rangers have posted a shutout in each of the last two games. New York has recorded a shutout in two consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 19 - Nov. 23, 2014.
0 TO 100 (REAL QUICK)
The Rangers tallied their 100th goal of the 2016-17 season on Dec. 9 at Chicago. New York became the first NHL team to register 100 goals in 2016-17. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last season in which the Rangers were the first NHL team to tally 100 goals was 1990-91. The Rangers have recorded 105 goals in 30 games this season and lead the NHL in goals per game (3.50).
MAKING THE DIFFERENCE
The Rangers lead the NHL in goal differential this season (plus-35; 105 goals for, 70 goals against). The Blueshirts have posted a plus-35 goal differential or better through the first 30 games of a season for the first time since 1993-94 (plus-36).
TWO GOOD
The Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in regulation in 20 of 30 games this season and have posted a 17-2-1 record in those 20 contests. New York is tied for sixth in the NHL in goals against per game in 2016-17 (2.30 - tied with Chicago).
AV SQUAD
Alain Vigneault leads NHL head coaches in wins since the start of the 2006-07 season (477). He has earned 164 wins as the Rangers' head coach, and he is one win away from passing Tom Renney for sole possession of fifth place on the franchise's all-time wins list among head coaches.
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist is three wins away from tying Dominik Hasek for the most wins by a European-born goaltender in NHL history. He is one of 10 goaltenders in NHL history who have earned at least 350 career wins and 60 career shutouts (along with Brodeur, Roy, Sawchuk, Plante, Hasek, Hall, Belfour, Esposito, and Luongo).
RAISE THE ANTTI
Antti Raanta was selected as the NHL's Second Star of the Week for the week ending on Dec. 11. Raanta has earned a shutout in each of his last two starts/appearances (Dec. 9 at Chicago and Dec. 11 vs. New Jersey). He is the first Rangers goaltender to earn a shutout in two consecutive appearances which were also two consecutive games for the team since Mike Dunham on Mar. 17 - Mar. 19, 2003. Raanta enters the contest with an active shutout streak of 151:04, and he has posted a 3-0-0 record, along with a 0.33 GAA, a .984 SV% (62 saves on 63 shots), and 2 SO in his last three appearances. When he posted a shutout against Chicago on Dec. 9, Raanta became the first goaltender in Rangers history to post a shutout in his first start against his former team, as well as the first Rangers goaltender to earn a shutout against his former team (in any start) since Jacques Plante on Mar. 8, 1964 against Montreal.
Raanta has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his last nine starts (and each of his last 10 appearances). Raanta has posted an 8-1-0 record, along with a 1.52 GAA, a .945 SV%, and 2 SO in his 10 starts this season. He ranks second in the NHL in GAA (1.65) and ranks third in the NHL in SV% (.943) this season.
STEP-AN UP
Derek Stepan enters the contest with a three-game assist/point streak (three assists). He has recorded seven points (one goal, six assists) in the last six games and 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in the last 12 contests. Stepan is tied for the team lead - and leads Rangers forwards - in assists this season (16). Over the last two years (since Dec. 13, 2014), the Rangers have posted a 62-9-5 record in games which Stepan has tallied a point.
IT'S MILLER TIME
J.T. Miller leads the Rangers in points in 2016-17 (22). New York has posted a 16-1-0 record in games which he has tallied a point this season. In his last 82 games (dating back to Dec. 12, 2015), Miller has registered 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists) and a plus-20 rating, and he leads the team in goals over the span.
CAPTAIN MAC
Ryan McDonagh enters the contest with a three-game assist/point streak (three assists over the span). The Rangers captain is tied for the team lead in assists this season (16), and he also leads Rangers defensemen in assists and points (17) in 2016-17. In addition, McDonagh is tied for fourth among NHL defensemen in assists this season.
FINE KLEIN
Kevin Klein is celebrating his birthday tomorrow (born on Dec. 13, 1984). Klein has registered eight assists/points in his last 18 games (dating back to Nov. 5), and he leads Rangers defensemen in assists over the span.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Blueshirts are the only team that ranks fifth or better in the NHL in both power play efficiency and penalty kill efficiency this season. The Rangers have outscored their opponent on special teams in 14 of 30 games in 2016-17.
Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
UPCOMING MILESTONES
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
- Dec. 12, 1971 - Brad Park became the first defenseman in franchise history to register a hat trick as the Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-1, at MSG.
- Dec. 12, 1976 - While skating in his 1,000th career NHL game, Rod Gilbert registered three assists as the Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 5-2, at MSG.
- Dec. 13, 1991 - Mark Messier recorded a hat trick and Brian Leetch registered three assists as the Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals, 5-3, in Washington.
- Dec. 13, 1992 - The Rangers recorded 10 goals in a 10-5 win against the Montreal Canadiens at MSG. Alexei Kovalev, who was skating in his 18th career NHL game, registered four points (one goal, three assists), while Sergei Nemchinov and Doug Weight each tallied two goals and an assist.
- Dec. 13, 2005 - Petr Prucha tied a Rangers rookie record by registering a goal for the sixth consecutive game. Prucha registered two goals against the Vancouver Canucks at MSG, giving him nine goals over the six-game stretch.
