Rangers vs. Senators 12.27.16: Pregame Notes
© Jared Silber
TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their 37th game of the 2016-17 season tonight, Dec. 27, against the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). New York has won seven of its last 11 contests (7-4-0), including six of its last nine games (6-3-0). The Rangers have posted a 23-12-1 record this season.
RANGERS VS. SENATORS
RANGERS-SENATORS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. SENATORS
WINNING WAYS
BOUNCE BACK
Since Dec. 22, 2015, the Rangers have posted a 27-5-1 record in the game following a loss (regulation or overtime/shootout). New York has posted a 10-1-1 record in games following a loss in 2016-17.
TOP TEN
The Rangers are the only NHL team that has five players who have registered at least 10 goals this season (Michael Grabner, Rick Nash, Kevin Hayes, Chris Kreider, and Jimmy Vesey). New York has five players who have tallied 10 or more goals through the first 36 games of a season for the first time since 2001-02. The Blueshirts are the only team that has 11 players who have recorded 10 or more assists in 2016-17 and are one of two teams that have 15 players who have recorded 10 or more points.
ON POINT
The Rangers are the only NHL team that has four defensemen who have recorded 10 or more assists this season. Four Blueshirts defensemen have notched 10 or more assists through the first 36 games of a season for the first time since 1988-89.
GOALS GALORE
New York ranks second in the NHL in goals for (119 - includes two team goals awarded for shootout wins) and ranks third in the NHL in goals per game (3.25) this season. Including team goals awarded for shootout wins, the Rangers have tallied three or more goals in 22 games this season and have posted a 19-3-0 record in those games.
TWO GOOD
The Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in regulation in 24 of 36 games this season and have posted a 20-3-1 record in those 24 contests.
MAKING THE DIFFERENCE
The Rangers rank third in the NHL in goal differential this season (plus-30; 119 goals for, 89 goals against). The Blueshirts have posted a plus-30 goal differential or better through the first 36 games of a season 13 times in their 90-season history.
HOME COOKING
The Rangers have posted a 12-6-1 record at home this season and have outscored opponents, 68-50, in their 19 home contests in 2016-17. The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 44 of their 60 home games since the start of last season (39-16-5 record) and have averaged 3.28 goals per game at home over the span.
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist enters the contest one win away from passing Dominik Hasek to become the all-time leader in wins by a European-born goaltender in NHL history. Lundqvist is also one win away from passing Hasek for sole possession of 12th place on the NHL's all-time wins list. Lundqvist's next appearance will be his 711th career appearance with the Rangers, and he will tie Olaf Kolzig for the fourth-most appearances by a goaltender with one franchise in NHL history.
STEP-AN UP
Derek Stepan leads the Rangers in assists (19), points (26), and primary assists (13) this season. He enters the contest with a three-game point streak (two goals, three assists), and he has recorded 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in the last 18 games, including 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in the last 12 contests. Stepan is also tied for ninth in the NHL in primary assists in 2016-17.
KREID-ING HIGH
Chris Kreider has recorded 10 of his 11 goals and 18 of his 24 points in 2016-17 in situations when the Rangers have either led by one goal, trailed by one goal, or were tied. Kreider leads the Rangers in multi-point games this season (seven). He has tallied 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in the last 12 games, and he is tied for fourth in the NHL in goals since Dec. 1. Kreider tied single-game career-highs with three points (two goals, one assist) and a plus-three rating, and established a single-game career-high with eight shots on goal in the Blueshirts' last contest on Dec. 23 vs. Minnesota.
WELCOME MATS
Mats Zuccarello tied single-game career-highs with three assists and three points on Dec. 23 vs. Minnesota. He enters the contest with a three-game assist/point streak (five assists), and he has registered 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in the last 11 games. Since the start of the 2013-14 season, 154 of Zuccarello's 194 points have either been a goal or a primary assist. Zuccarello leads the Rangers in even strength assists (15) and even strength points (21) this season.
CAPTAIN MAC
Ryan McDonagh leads Rangers defensemen in assists (18) and points (20) in 2016-17. He is tied for second among NHL defensemen in even strength assists (13), is tied for fifth in primary assists (11), is tied for sixth in even strength points (14), and is tied for seventh in assists this season. He is also tied for fourth among NHL defensemen in games with an assist in 2016-17 (16). This season, 12 different Rangers have recorded a goal that was assisted by McDonagh. He has led the Rangers in ice time in 33 of 35 games he has played in 2016-17.
ON THE MARC
Marc Staal enters the contest tied for 16th place on the Rangers' all-time games played list (653 - tied with Don Maloney).
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rangers are one of three teams that have a 20.0% power play efficiency and a 83.0% penalty kill efficiency or better in 2016-17.
Power Play:
The Rangers were 0-for-2 (4:00) on Dec. 23 vs. Minnesota.
The Blueshirts rank 10th in the NHL in power play efficiency this season (20.0%; 21-for-105).
Penalty Kill:
The Rangers were 0-for-1 (1:06) on Dec. 23 vs. Minnesota.
The Blueshirts are tied for ninth in the NHL in penalty kill efficiency this season (83.5%; 81-for-97).
The Rangers have not allowed a power play goal against in six of the last nine games and in 17 of the last 25 games.
The Blueshirts have killed off 58 of their opponents' last 68 power play opportunities, dating back to Nov. 3 (85.3%).
New York is tied for second in the NHL in shorthanded goals in 2016-17 (five).
UPCOMING MILESTONES
INJURIES (83 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
None
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Two of the Rangers' prospects are representing their respective countries at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship: defenseman Sergey Zborovskiy (Russia) and goaltender Adam Huska (Slovakia).
QUICK HITS
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
- Dec. 26, 1993 - Mike Gartner registered his 600th career NHL goal as the Rangers defeated the New Jersey Devils, 8-3, at MSG.
- Dec. 27, 1974 - The line of Steve Vickers-Jean Ratelle-Rod Gilbert registered five goals and 13 points as the Rangers defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 9-5, at MSG. Ratelle tallied five points (one goal, four assists), while Gilbert and Vickers each recorded four points (two goals, two assists). Brad Park tallied two assists to tie Harry Howell's then-franchise record for points by a defenseman (345).
- Dec. 27, 1992 - Trailing by three goals with seven minutes remaining in regulation, the Rangers registered four unanswered goals to defeat the Boston Bruins, 6-5, at MSG. 19-year-old rookie Alexei Kovalev recorded his first career NHL hat trick and registered the game-winning goal with 35.9 seconds remaining in regulation.
- Dec. 27, 1996 - Brian Leetch tallied his 611th career point as a Ranger, passing Ron Greschner to become the franchise's all-time leader in points by a defenseman. Leetch recorded two assists as the Blueshirts defeated the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 3-2, at MSG.
