Photo by Frederick Breedon/ National Hockey League
NEW YORK RANGERS at NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Monday, Dec. 28, 2015, 8:00 p.m. ET
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
Rangers: 20-12-4 (44 pts)
Predators: 17-12-6 (40 pts)
TONIGHT'S GAME
The
Rangers play their 37th game of the 2015-16 season and begin a
three-game road trip tonight, Dec. 28, against the Nashville Predators
at Bridgestone Arena (8:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7
FM). Tonight's game is the Blueshirts' ninth contest against a Western
Conference opponent in December this season. The Blueshirts enter the
contest with a 20-12-4 record this season (44 points).
RANGERS VS. PREDATORS
· All-Time: 11-7-1-2 (5-5-1-1 at home; 6-2-0-1 on the road)
· 2015-16:
Tonight's game is the second of two meetings between the Rangers and
Predators, and the only meeting between the two teams in Nashville. The
Rangers have posted a 1-0-0 record (1-0-0 at home; 0-0-0 on the road)
against the Predators. New York defeated Nashville, 3-0, on Nov. 23 at
MSG. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 31 shots he faced to earn a
win/shutout in the contest. Kevin Hayes registered two points (one goal,
one assist) in the game, while Rick Nash tallied the game-winning goal.
· The
Rangers have earned at least one point in six of their last seven road
games against the Predators, dating back to Jan. 23, 2003 (5-1-0-1
record).
· New
York has registered a win in each of its last two games against
Nashville (Nov. 23, 2015 - 3-0 at MSG; Mar. 2, 2015 - 4-1 at MSG). The
Blueshirts have also recorded a win in five of their last seven games
against the Predators, dating back to Nov. 27, 2010 (5-2-0 record).
· The Rangers have posted a shutout in three of their last six games against Nashville.
RANGERS-PREDATORS CONNECTIONS
· Kevin Klein played parts of nine seasons with the Predators (2005-06 - 2013-14).
· Viktor Stalberg played parts of two seasons with Nashville (2013-14 - 2014-15).
· Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette played 12 games with the Rangers during the 1988-89 season.
· Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan, and Craig Smith were all teammates at the University of Wisconsin for one season (2009-10).
· Colin
Wilson's father, Carey, played parts of two seasons with the Rangers
(1988-89 - 1989-90). Colin was born when his father was a member of the
Rangers, and he is a native of Greenwich, CT.
· J.T.
Miller and Seth Jones helped Team USA capture a gold medal at the 2013
IIHF World Junior Championship. Their head coach in the tournament was
Predators Assistant Coach Phil Housley.
· Predators Assistant General Manager Paul Fenton skated in eight games with the Rangers during the 1986-87 season.
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. PREDATORS
· Henrik
Lundqvist - 8 GP, 5-3-0, 1.50 GAA, .947 SV%, 2 SO - In three career
appearances on the road against the Predators, Lundqvist has posted a
3-0-0 record, along with a 1.30 GAA and a .951 SV%. In addition, he has
posted two shutouts in his last three appearances against Nashville.
· Rick
Nash - 56 GP, 24-16-40 - Nash enters the contest with a four-game
goal/point streak against the Predators (four goals over the span). Nash
has also recorded a goal in five of his last six games against
Nashville, and he has tallied 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in
his last 16 contests against the Predators.
· Keith
Yandle - 29 GP, 6-18-24 - Yandle has notched a point in 14 of his last
20 regular season games against Nashville, registering 21 points (six
goals, 15 assists) over the span.
YEAR IN REVIEW
The
Rangers are tied for the NHL lead in regular season wins in the 2015
calendar year (53; 53-23-7 record in 83 regular season games in 2015).
The Blueshirts have earned more regular season and playoff wins combined
than any other NHL team in 2015 (64). The Rangers led the NHL in
regular season and playoff wins combined in the 2014 calendar year (58).
ROAD WARRIORS
The
Rangers lead the NHL in road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season
(59). In addition, the Blueshirts rank second in the NHL - and lead
Eastern Conference teams - in road points since the start of the 2013-14
season (125).
GOALS GALORE
The
Rangers have tallied three or more goals in five of their last seven
games (23 goals over the span). The Blueshirts have registered three or
more goals in 22 of 36 games in 2015-16, including four or more goals in
15 contests. New York ranks fifth in the NHL in goals per game this
season (2.86).
ON POINT
Blueshirts
defensemen have registered 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) over the
last seven games. At least one Rangers defenseman has registered a point
on seven of the team's last nine goals.
SHOOT TO SCORE
The
Rangers have registered three or more goals while recording 30 or fewer
shots on goal in the same contest in 18 of 36 games this season. New
York is tied for fifth in the NHL in shooting percentage in 2015-16
(10.2; 103 goals on 1,008 shots on goal).
AV SQUAD
Alain
Vigneault enters tonight's game tied with Colin Campbell for ninth
place on the Rangers' all-time wins list among head coaches (118). In
addition, he is one win away from tying Phil Watson for eighth place on
the franchise's all-time wins list among head coaches. Vigneault leads
all Rangers head coaches (min. 100 games coached) in points percentage
in franchise history (.633), and he leads all NHL head coaches in wins
since the start of the 2006-07 season (431).
KING HENRIK
Henrik
Lundqvist ranks second in the NHL in saves (827), ranks fifth in wins
(16), ranks eighth in even strength SV% (.937), and is tied for eighth
in SO (two) in 2015-16. Lundqvist has been selected as one of the game's
Three Stars more times than any other NHL player this season (17).
Entering this season, Lundqvist, who has posted a .924 SV% thus far in
2015-16, was the only NHL goaltender who registered a save percentage of
.920 or better in each of the previous six seasons (2009-10 - 2014-15).
WELCOME MATS
Mats
Zuccarello is tied for second in the NHL in goals when the score is
tied this season (eight). Zuccarello has tallied all of his 15 goals and
28 of his 30 points in 2015-16 when the Rangers have either led by one
goal, trailed by one goal, or were tied in the contest, and he is tied
for third in the NHL in goals when the score differential in the game is
one goal or fewer. He is one of nine NHL players who have recorded at
least 15 goals, 11 even strength goals, and 30 points this season.
Zuccarello
has tallied 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in the last 26 games, and
he has posted a 26.8 shooting percentage over the span. Zuccarello ranks
second in the NHL in shooting percentage this season (24.2).
MATS ZUCCARELLO SHOT BREAKDOWN IN 2015-16
| |
SHOT TYPE
|
GOALS/SHOTS ON GOAL (SHOOTING %)
|
Wrist Shot
|
7-for-40 (17.5%)
|
Snap Shot
|
5-for-11 (45.5%)
|
Slap Shot
|
1-for-7 (14.3%)
|
Backhand
|
2-for-3 (66.7%)
|
Tipped Shot
|
0-for-1 (0.0%)
|
TOTAL
|
15-for-62 (24.2%)
|
Zuccarello’s
15 goals this season equal his total from 2014-15 and are four shy of
his career-high of 19, which he established during the 2013-14 season.
BRASS BONANZA
Derick
Brassard is one of three NHL players who have registered at least 10
goals, 20 takeaways, and a 50.0 faceoff win percentage (min. 600
faceoffs taken) this season (along with Jonathan Toews and Patrice
Bergeron). In addition, Brassard has registered more goals than Toews or
Bergeron (Brassard has 13, Bergeron has 12, and Toews has 11).
Brassard has recorded 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the last
12 games and has notched 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in the last 28
games. He is tied for fifth among NHL centers in goals (12) and is tied
for seventh among NHL centers in points (25) since Oct. 24.
BOYLE-ING POINT
Dan
Boyle enters the contest with a three-game point streak (two goals, one
assist) and he has notched a power play point in each of the three
games. He has also tallied a goal in four of the last eight contests
(four goals, three assists over the span). Boyle is tied for first
among NHL defensemen in goals (four) and is tied for fifth among NHL
defensemen in points (seven) since Dec. 9, and he has registered five of
his seven points over the span in either the third period or overtime.
He has been on the ice for 16 of the Rangers' 22 power play goals this
season (including each of the team's last seven power play goals), and
he has recorded a point on five of the Blueshirts' last six power play
goals (two goals, three assists).
TOO HOT TO YANDLE
Keith
Yandle is tied for sixth among NHL defensemen in assists (18) this
season. Yandle leads the Rangers in assists and he leads team defensemen
in points (19) in 2015-16. Yandle has registered four assists in the
last five games, five assists in the last seven games, and nine assists
in the last 16 games.
STEPAN UP
Derek
Stepan has led Rangers forwards in ice time in each of the three games
he has played since returning to the lineup, and he has averaged 19:13
of ice time in the three contests. The Blueshirts have posted a 17-7-2
record when Stepan has been in the lineup this season.
CAPTAIN MAC
Ryan
McDonagh has recorded seven points (two goals, five assists) in the
last nine games and 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in the last 24
contests. The Rangers captain has led the team in ice time in each of
the last six games and in 21 of 36 games this season. McDonagh is one of
five NHL players who are averaging at least 22:00 of ice time, 3:00 of
shorthanded ice time, and 2:00 of power play ice time in 2015-16.
MOORE STATS
Dominic
Moore leads the NHL in faceoff win percentage (min. 200 faceoffs taken)
since Nov. 15 (59.7%; 129-for-216 in 19 games over the span). In
addition, Moore has won 194 of 339 faceoffs he has taken over his last
32 games (57.2%), and he ranks 14th
in the NHL (min. 300 faceoffs taken) in faceoff win percentage this
season (56.0%; 201-for-359). He has tallied a point in three of the last
six games, registering four points (one goal, three assists) over the
span.
SPECIAL TEAMS
· The Rangers have posted a 6-1-2 record when outscoring opponents on special teams this season.
· New York has posted a 23-2-3 record when outscoring opponents on special teams since the start of the 2014-15 season.
Power Play:
· The Rangers were 1-for-5 (9:30) on Dec. 22 vs. Anaheim.
· The Blueshirts are tied for fourth in the NHL on the power play in 2015-16 (21.6%; 22-for-102).
· New
York has tallied a power play goal in each of the last three games
(3-for-12; 25.0%), in six of the last seven games (6-for-26; 23.1%), in
14 of the last 21 games (16-for-65; 24.6%), and in 19 of the last 30
games (21-for-86; 24.4%).
· Over the last 30 games, the Rangers rank second in the NHL on the power play.
Penalty Kill:
· The Rangers were 4-for-4 (8:00) on Dec. 22 vs. Anaheim.
· New York ranks eighth in the NHL on the penalty kill this season (82.4%; 98-for-119).
UPCOMING MILESTONES
· Rick Nash - 1 goal away from 100 as a Ranger; 4 games away from 900 in his NHL career
· Derek Stepan - 5 goals away from 100 in his NHL career
· Dan Boyle - 7 points away from 600 in his NHL career
INJURIES (35 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
· None
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
· Dec. 23 - Assigned Magnus Hellberg and Chris Summers to Hartford (AHL)
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
· Dec. 27, 1996 – Brian Leetch registered his 611th
career point, passing Ron Greschner to become the franchise’s all-time
leader in points by a defenseman. Leetch tallied two assists as the
Rangers defeated the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, 3-2, at MSG.
· Dec. 28, 1932 – Harry Howell was born in Hamilton, Ontario.
· Dec.
28, 1958 – The Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 5-3, at MSG,
ending Montreal’s six-game winning streak and 13-game unbeaten streak.
Gump Worsley made 20 saves for the Blueshirts, while Red Sullivan
registered three points (one goal, two assists) and Camille Henry
notched two points (one goal, one assist).
· Dec.
28, 2005 – Martin Straka, Michael Nylander, and Jaromir Jagr each
tallied four points, and the Rangers registered six unanswered goals in a
6-2 win against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.
No comments:
Post a Comment