NEW YORK RANGERS @ CAROLINA HURRICANES POST GAME RECAP

Rangers Edged By Hurricanes, 4-3

With a chance to clinch a playoff berth with a victory in Carolina Thursday night, the Rangers instead let a third-period lead slip away en-route to a 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes. It was the first time the Rangers had been defeated by the Hurricanes in their last ten head-to-head meetings.
The Rangers carried a 3-2 lead into the third period, and had a 27-1-2 record when leading after two periods of play this season, but before the period was even half over that lead was gone with the Hurricanes having scored twice.
Jeff Skinner was left all alone in front to net his team-high 27th goal at the 4:22 mark of the third period, tying the score, 3-3. Then at 9:06, with J.T. Miller serving a high-sticking minor penalty, Carolina's Viktor Rask buried a power play rebound to put the Rangers down one.
Alain Vigneault used his coach's challenge at that point, believing that the play was off-sides. However the play--in which Carolina's Justin Faulk reached high with his glove to corral a clearing attempt at the blue line--was ruled inconclusive, and the go-ahead goal counted for the Hurricanes.
Despite several great scoring chances the Rangers were unable to net the tying goal; and the loss dropped them into third place in the Metropolitan Division behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won their game on Thursday night. The Rangers are two points ahead of the fourth-place Islanders, who have a game in hand and who also won on Thursday.
After a dreary first period in which they were outshot 13-4, outscored 1-0, and, without the stellar play of Henrik Lundqvist, could have been a far deeper hole then the one they were in, the Rangers came alive in the second period. Mats Zuccarello, Rick Nash and Chris Kreider all scored goals in the middle twenty minutes as New York carried a 3-2 lead into the second intermission.
Zuccarello tied things up at 1-1 just 1:36 into the second period. Dan Boyle won a puck battle along the left-wing boards and Derek Stepan followed with a quick cross-crease pass to Zuccarello, who was stationed at the bottom of the right circle. Zuccarello easily snapped a shot past a lunging Cam Ward for his 25th goal of the season, and 200th career point in the National Hockey League.
Less than four minutes later an outstanding individual effort by Nash gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead. After taking a pass from Miller, Nash motored up left wing, carrying Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce on his back before finally shedding him just as he snapped a wicked shot that eluded Ward to the far side.
Nash's goal, at 5:03 of the middle stanza, was his third in the past five games, and 15th of the season.
The Rangers recorded the first nine shots of the second period, but Carolina was able to tie the game on only its second shot on goal at the 13:27 mark of the period. Faulk snapped a shot from inside the blue line that seemed to deflect off Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh in front of a screened Lundqvist and high into the net, tying the score, 2-2.
However before the period was over the Rangers regained the lead by scoring on their third power play of the night. On a set play, Stepan sent a long pass off the boards deep in the Carolina zone. Kreider not only beat his man to the puck to negate an icing call, but he followed by zipping a left-wing shot into the net for his 19th goal with 2:42 to play in the second period.
Their play in the second was a 180 degree turnaround with how they came out in the opening 20 minutes when Lundqvist was forced to make six saves before the game was even four minutes old. By time rookie Patrick Brown hustled his way to his first NHL goal at the 11:05 mark of the opening period, Carolina was outshooting New York 11-1.
The Rangers first shot on goal came 6:14 into play, and, fittingly, it was off the stick of Eric Staal. In his much-anticipated return to PNC Arena to face to the Hurricanes for the first time since being traded to New York on February 28, Staal found himself one on one against his good friend Ward and very nearly beat him with a slick backhand shot that somehow was stopped by Ward's skate.
That was one of three shots on goal recorded by Staal, who was also credited with three hits, and five attempted shots in 16 minutes worth of ice time.
The Rangers return to action Saturday night when they host the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden.

Jim Cerny
BlueshirtsUnited.com


POST GAME WRAP UP: FINAL STATS

 
NY RANGERS 3 CAROLINA HURRICANES 4 FINAL REGULATION
SOG: NYR 27 CAR 28
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Period
11:05    CAR    Patrick Brown (1) Wrist shot - ASST: Jeff Skinner (22), Ron Hainsey (14)     1 - 0 CAR
2nd Period
01:36    NYR    Mats Zuccarello (25) Wrist shot - ASST: Derek Stepan (27), Dan Boyle (14)     1 - 1 Tie
05:03    NYR    Rick Nash (15) Wrist shot - ASST: J.T. Miller (21), Ryan McDonagh (24)     2 - 1 NYR
13:27    CAR    Justin Faulk (16) Wrist shot - ASST: Sergey Tolchinsky (1), Ryan Murphy (9)     2 - 2 Tie
17:18    NYR    PPG - Chris Kreider (19) Wrist shot - ASST: Derek Stepan (28), Keith Yandle (40)     3 - 2 NYR
3rd Period
04:22    CAR    Jeff Skinner (27) Tip-in - ASST: Ryan Murphy (10), Patrick Brown (1)     3 - 3 Tie   
09:06    CAR    PPG - Victor Rask (21) Snap shot - ASST: NONE     4 - 3 CAR

PENALTY SUMMARY
1st Period
08:26    NYR    Dominic Moore  Tripping  - 2 min against  Nathan Gerbe
12:03    CAR    Sergey Tolchinsky  Too many men/ice - bench  - 2 min
2nd Period
09:01    CAR    Ryan Murphy  Holding the stick  - 2 min against  Mats Zuccarello
16:54    CAR    Ron Hainsey  Hooking  - 2 min against  J.T. Miller
3rd Period
08:12    NYR    J.T. Miller  Hi-sticking  - 2 min against  Elias Lindholm

FINAL TEAM STATS
POWER PLAYS: NYR 1/3 CAR 1/2
HITS: NYR 32 CAR 20
FACEOFF WINS: NYR 23 CAR 31
GIVEAWAYS: NYR 6 CAR 7
TAKEAWAYS: NYR 3 CAR 7
BLOCKED SHOTS: NYR 10 CAR 12
PENALTY MINUTES: NYR 4 CAR 6

RANGERS FACEOFF %: E Staal 17%, Hayes 43%, Brassard 31%, Stepan 50%, Moore 86%, Miller 20%, Glass 50%

THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. CAR Patrick Brown
2. CAR Jeff Skinner
3. CAR Justin Faulk

NEXT GAME
The Rangers return home to start April on Saturday the 2nd as they host the Buffalo Sabres

NYR TODAY THURSDAY MARCH 31: RANGERS GAME DAY PREVIEW

NEW YORK RANGERS (43-24-9) @ CAROLINA HURRICANES (33-28-16)

TONIGHT 7:00 PM TV: MSG, NHL.TV
Season series: Henrik Lundqvist made 33 saves for his first shutout of the season and the 56th of his NHL career to help the New York Rangers defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 on Nov. 10. Goals from Mats Zuccarello, Oscar Lindberg, Chris Kreider and Derick Brassard paced the Rangers to a 4-3 victory on Nov. 30. Two goals from J.T. Miller and Lundqvist's 30 saves sparked New York to a 4-1 win on Jan. 22. The Rangers have won 14 of their past 15 games against the Hurricanes.

Rangers team scope: New York can clinch a Stanley Cup Playoff berth with a regulation or overtime win against Carolina. "You want to clinch as quickly as you can," defenseman Marc Staal told BlueshirtsUnited. "It's a great feeling to have. We've been building on this the last month to get where we wanted to be." Forward Eric Staal, who spent parts of 12 seasons with the Hurricanes, will play his first game in Carolina since the Rangers acquired him on Feb. 28. "I think it'll be a lot of unique, different emotions just in general because of being there," Staal said Tuesday, "and being there so long playing in that building for the home team and now being on the opposing side." Staal, who scored twice in the Rangers' 3-2 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, did not practice Wednesday because he traveled to Carolina to be with his family. Defenseman Dylan McIlrath (knee) rotated in the defensive pairs and has been medically cleared to play but will likely be a healthy scratch.

Team Leaders

Goals

Brassard 27

Skinner 26

Shots

Stepan 176

Skinner 239

Hits

Glass 210

Staal 156

Assists

Yandle 39

Lindholm 27

NYR Alumni Birthdays 3/31 

Brendan Bell D (2011-2012) Pavel Bure RW (2002-2003) Bill Hicke RW (1964-1967) Fern Perreault LW (1947-1950)

TODAY IN NYR HISTORY MARCH 31
2004: Mark Messier scores his 694th and final NHL goal in his last game, a 4-3 win over Buffalo at Madison Square Garden.

NYR TODAY WEDNESDAY MARCH 30: OFFICIAL: FOGARTY SIGNS, ALUMNI, NYR HISTORY

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:
 NY Rangers have agreed to terms with forward Steven Fogarty on an entry-level contract.

Fogarty: "Dream Come True" Signing With Rangers

When one door closes, another opens.
Steven Fogarty is learning that this week. Just three days after his collegiate career at Notre Dame came to an end, the 22-year-old inked his first professional contract with the New York Rangers.
"It's been kind of a whirlwind the last couple of days," Fogarty told BlueshirtsUnited.com in a phone interview on Tuesday, a day before the center was heading to Hartford to join the Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League. "With my [college] career coming to an end, then having a high like this — I'm sure tomorrow once I get to Hartford it'll start to kick in."
After four seasons with the Fighting Irish — the final two spent as team captain — Fogarty is ready for the next chapter of his hockey career to begin. The 2011 third-rounder knows a big adjustment is waiting for him in the AHL, with bigger, faster and more experienced players, but feels comfortable in his ability to tackle it head-on.
"It's definitely going to be a huge adjustment," said Fogarty, who finished his college career with 27 goals and 38 assists for 65 points, 44 of which came over the final two seasons. "I've had many friends make that jump and they said the speed surprises everyone."
Some of those friends are current Rangers prospects Brady Skjei and Adam Tambellini, among others, who Fogarty has gotten to know over the years at the Rangers' annual prospect development camp in July.
Another friend is Cristoval 'Boo' Nieves, who signed with the Rangers yesterday. In fact, the two met last week when Michigan defeated Notre Dame in the opening-round of the NCAA tournament.
"He gets the bragging rights that he ended my [college] career," Fogarty said, with a laugh. 
With that aside, Fogarty said having a familiar face in Nieves will only make the adjustment that much easier.
"Any time you're in a new situation it can be uncomfortable," Fogarty said. "I think it helps to have Boo coming in. We're both going to be in the same situation. To be able to go through this process with Boo is pretty special."
Fogarty said his goal early in his college career was to improve statistically year-over-year, which he was able to accomplish. Outside of his freshman to sophomore goal total, Fogarty improved year-over-year in every offensive category during his time at Notre Dame.
He added he would have liked to contribute more offensively than he did, but that he was pleased he was able to round out his game during his stay in South Bend.
Gordie Clark, the Rangers' director of player personnel, agreed with Fogarty's assessment of growing as a player over the five years since he was drafted, which included a year in the British Columbia Hockey League.
"Steven's game has really evolved since we drafted him five years ago," Clark said in an email. "At Notre Dame, over four years he became one of the most reliable defensive players for the coach and was the Fighting Irish's captain [the past two seasons]."
Fogarty said the decision to return to Notre Dame for his senior season was the right one for him, as it allowed him to further his development before turning pro.
"I thought it wouldn't hurt," he said. "I got to grow as a player and a person. That one more year of being here in the summer and skating ... I was able to further my hockey another year.
'I'm one more year closer to being ready to be a pro."
Fogarty will report to Hartford on Wednesday on an Amateur Tryout for the remainder of the season, though he said he was unsure if he'd be playing this week.
By Matt Calamia

NYR Alumni Birthdays 3/30 
Michael Haley C (2012-2013) Pierre Jarry RW (1971-1972) Sandy McGregor RW (1963-1964) Corey Millen C (1990-1991)

TODAY IN NYR HISTORY MARCH 30
1969: Harry Howell plays his final game as a Ranger, a 4-0 win over Toronto. The game is Howell's 1,160 as a Ranger, which remains a record.

1975: Rod Gilbert ties a franchise record with five assists in one game in an 8-2 win over Kansas City.

Rangers agree to terms with forward Steven Fogarty

Statement from the Rangers website.

New York Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton announced today that the team has agreed to terms with forward Steven Fogarty on an entry-level contract.

Fogarty, 22, skated in 37 games with the University of Notre Dame this season, registering 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points, along with a plus-seven rating and 26 penalty minutes. Fogarty, who was serving as Notre Dame’s captain for the second consecutive season in 2015-16, established career-highs in goals, assists, and points this season. He tied for fifth on the team in goals and ranked sixth on the team in assists this season. Fogarty tallied a hat trick and recorded four points in Notre Dame’s regular season opener on Oct. 16 at Penn State.

The 6-3, 215-pounder skated in 150 career collegiate games over four seasons with the University of Notre Dame, registering 27 goals and 38 assists for 65 points, along with a plus-17 rating and 46 penalty minutes. Fogarty averaged 0.58 points per game over his final two seasons of collegiate hockey, registering 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) and posting a plus-15 rating in 76 games. Fogarty’s assists and points totals increased in each season from his freshman year through his senior year. He posted a plus/minus rating of plus-one or better in each of his four seasons with Notre Dame.

The Chambersburg, Pennsylvania native was selected by the Rangers in the third round, 72nd overall, of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

NYR TODAY TUESDAY 3/29, NIEVES SIGNS, ALUMNI, TODAY IN NYR HISTORY

"I Feel That I'm Ready"-Boo Nieves Signs With Rangers

The collegiate hockey career of Cristoval "Boo" Nieves ended two days ago when his University of Michigan Wolverines were defeated by North Dakota, 5-2, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. His pro career in the New York Rangers organization officially began on Monday when Nieves agreed to a two-year entry-level contract. He will join the Hartford Wolf Pack on an amateur tryout contract for the remainder of this season before his entry-level contract begins next season.
"I definitely feel that I'm ready," Nieves told BlueshirtsUnited.com Monday afternoon. "That's one of the reasons why I came back to school for my last year because I knew there were some fine-tunings I could do in my game, and physically I got a little bigger and a little stronger. Now I think I'm ready for this because I got all the tools I needed from Michigan andA I'm definitely ready for what's to come in the next step."
A 2012 second-round draft pick of the Rangers, Nieves enjoyed his most successful season as a Wolverine this past year as a senior. Nieves established career-highs with ten goals and 31 points in 35 games, while equaling his career-best with 21 assists.
"His senior season was the one we were waiting for," stated Gordie Clark, the Rangers DirectgAMor Player Personnel. "He had a real good first year, gave them what they needed, but it was a little up and down in between the next two years; but in the end Boo didn't give up on himself and he had to earn his position, and he had the year we were waiting for this year."
An alternate captain as a senior, Nieves helped lead Michigan to a 25-8-5 record this season, as well as a Big Ten Championship. The final point of his collegiate career came on a third-period game-tying assist against Notre Dame in Michigan's thrilling 3-2 overtime victory in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last week.
"It's definitely been a very chaotic past month you could say, starting with Senior Night a few weeks ago, a real emotional night, then going to Big Tens and winning, and taking out the two teams who had ended our seasons the prior two years--Penn State and Minnesota," explained Nieves. "Then the NCAA's, and that wild game against Notre Dame and seeing (Rangers prospect Steven Fogarty of Notre Dame) and talking to him on the ice. It's pretty cool and pretty surreal that it's all coming together now and it's starting to sink in that I'm not a collegiate athlete any more and my dream of becoming a professional is coming true."
The 22 year-old Nieves stands 6-feet-3 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. He has filled out considerably since being drafted as an 18 year-old fresh out of the Kent School back in 2012, though his speed and skating ability are still what stand out the most from Boo's game.
"He wowed us at prospects camp (this past July)," explained Clark. "I could tell he was going to have a really good year. He was just a different person, just in a really good place mentally, and my gosh he was just flying around that ice, effortlessly making plays. I mean 6'3" with the way he can skate, and he's getting stronger and is a real fitness guy, he's becoming the player we hoped he would get to."
Clark was extremely impressed with how much Boo improved his work on face offs this past season, winning them at nearly a 60 percent clip; while Nieves was pleased with his own improved defensive game.
"I definitely have the offensive ability to score and make plays, but at the same time you have to make sure you're playing defense, too, and that's something I learned and worked hard on in college," offered Nieves.
His first taste of the pro game will be with a Wolf Pack team that is currently fighting to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League. Hartford is tied with Utica for the eighth and final playoff spot, though just ahead of tenth-place Syracuse which is only two points behind in the standings.
In Hartford Nieves will join a pair of fellow 2012 Rangers draft picks--first rounder Brady Skjei and fourth rounder Calle Andersson.
"I'm excited to get to Hartford," said Nieves. "Then after the season I want to train hard and come to training camp ready to go and see what happens from there. It's one step at a time, but I want embrace it every step of the way."

Jim Cerny
BlueshirtsUnited.com

NYR Alumni Birthdays 3/29 
Hardy Astrom G (1977-1978) Jerry Byers LW (1977-1978) Dunc McCallum D (1965-1966) Hartland Monahan RW (1974-1975) Duane Rupp D (1962-1963)

TODAY IN NYR HISTORY MARCH 29
1999: Wayne Gretzky scores the final goal of his NHL career, the game-winner in a 3-1 victory over the Islanders. The goal is the 1,072nd of his professional career (WHA and NHL, regular season and playoffs) putting him ahead of Gordie Howe for the most goals ever scored by a player.

2006: Jaromir Jagr records four assists to pass Jean Ratelle for most points by a Ranger in a single season with 110.

Ranges sign Boo Nieves

"The Neutral Zone" Staff Report

The New York Rangers on Monday signed forward Boo Nieves to a two-year, entry level contract.

Nieves was the Rangers' 59th overall pick in the second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

NYR TODAY MONDAY MARCH 28

RANGERS VS PENGUINS POST GAME MORNING REVIEW

Rangers fall in Overtime to Pens
@RNYRF Staff Report
Despite Eric Staal's 2 goal night and a 6 point effort by him and his 3rd line mates the Rangers couldn't hold off the Penguins in Overtime.
The Rangers broke the ice first just under 5 minutes into the opening period when on a beautiful feed by Kevin Hayes, Eric Staal put one past Penguins' Marc Andre Fleury giving the home team the 1-0 lead. The Penguins knotted up the score on a goal by former NY Ranger Matt Cullen 10 minutes later to end the period tied at 1. The Rangers as they did in the first period opened and sustained pressure in the Pittsburgh zone early on resulting in Eric Staal's 2nd of the game at 2:07 of the Period. The Rangers held the 2-1 advantage until 8:36 of the period when a failed clearing attempt by Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was thwarted by another former Ranger Carl Hagelin when he stopped the puck along the boards sending a shot at Lundqvist. Lundqvist scrambled back and stopped Hagelin's shot but the rebound was picked up by Pens Phil Kessel who sent one over the sprawled out Rangers Netminder. Through the remainder of the second and the full third period both teams remained scoreless sending the game into 3 on 3 overtime tied at 2. With just 1.4 seconds remaining The Rangers Derick Brassard took his 2nd hi-sticking penalty of the night giving the Pens a 4 on 3 advantage to start overtime for almost the full opening 2 minutes. The Rangers were able to stave off Pittsburgh's man advantage but with just 30 seconds remaining in the period Pens' leading scorer Sidney Crosby deflected a shot past Lundqvist for the win to collect their 3rd win over the Rangers this season series. The Rangers picked up 1 point for the tie keeping them in 2nd place in the Metro Division 3 points ahead of Pittsburgh. The Rangers have 6 games remaining on the season while Pens have a game in hand over New York with 7 remaining.

The Rangers return to action on Wednesday to close out March's calendar when they travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes in Eric Staal's first return to his old stomping grounds since the trade deadline.


NYR Alumni Birthdays 3/28 
Mike Allison C (1980-1986) Jeff Beukeboom D (1991-1999)

TODAY IN NYR HISTORY MARCH 28
1930: The Rangers play the longest overtime game in franchise history, losing to the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1, in Game 1 of the Semifinals. The game ends 8:52 into the fourth overtime period.

Penguins Edge The Rangers In Overtime, 3-2

Penguins Edge The Rangers In Overtime, 3-2

Sidney Crosby's deflection past Henrik Lundqvist with 29.5 seconds remaining in overtime ended a terrific back and forth battle between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference Sunday night at Madison Square Garden as the Rangers lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2.
Eric Staal scored a pair of goals for his first two-goal performance as a Ranger since being acquired from Carolina on February 28. Both of his linemates, Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast, contributed a pair of assists to the Blueshirts effort.
The Rangers and Penguins traded a goal apiece in each of the first two periods and reached the second intermission tied 2-2, and with New York holding a slight 22-21 advantage in shots.
Staal started the Rangers off on the right foot by scoring just 4:19 into the game on a terrific effort on his part and off a beautiful lead pass from Hayes. Staal scooted down the middle towards the net and with only one hand on his stick was able to redirect Hayes' perfectly-placed pass up and over Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
Pittsburgh answered back at 15:49 of the first when Matt Cullen tipped a Derrick Pouliot left wing shot off Lundqvist and just over the goal line. Even though the Rangers had slightly the better of the play in the first period, with a few more scoring chances and shots, they skated into the dressing room tied 1-1.
However like they did in the opening period the Rangers started the second period with a bang, grabbing a 2-1 lead on Staal's second of the night, third as a Ranger, and 13th of the season at the 2:07 mark. This time Fast knocked the puck off a Penguins stick 20-feet from Pittsburgh's net. The puck slid to Staal at the bottom of the right circle and he wired a shot past Fleury as New York regained the lead.
Energized by his two goals, Staal confidently set about generating scoring chances with his linemate,ates the rest of the period. He came close to recording a Hat Trick at 13:05 of the second, but was denied one on one down low as Fleury made a clutch pad save.
The scoring opportunity was set up on a neat passing sequence in which Hayes swung a behind the back pass to Marc Staal just inside the Penguins blue line and Staal found big brother Eric alone by the Penguins crease.
While Staal was the Rangers best player in the second, Phil Kessel was in the midst of an impressive period for Pittsburgh. Coming off a career-best five-point effort in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, Kessel tied the score, 2-2, at 8:36 of the second burying the rebound of a Carl Hagelin bad-angle shot after Lundqvist came out of his net to play the puck and mistakenly put it on to the stick of his former teammate in the left-wing corner.
A minute after tying the game, Kessel nearly gave the Penguins their first lead when he stripped Rick Nash of the puck in the Rangers defensive zone and proceeded to rip a right wing shot short side off the post. Later in the period Kessel turned on the jets and flew past Ryan McDonagh on right wing forcing Lundqvist into a difficult save.
In the third period Lundqvist and Fleury traded some big saves to keep the score tied. At 6:49 Pittsburgh's Patric Hornqvist found himself alone and whisked an in-close backhand shot on net which Lundqvist denied with his pads; and two minutes later Staal generated another great scoring chance for New York with a crushing hit in the corner which caused a turnover, and then followed with a slick dish to Fast whose one-timer was stopped by a sharp Fleury.
The Penguins outshot New York 9-5 in the third period, and Lundqvist made two solid saves on separate excellent scoring chances for Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang in the latter half of the period.

Jim Cerny
BlueshirtsUnited.com
FINAL STATS

NY RANGERS 2 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 3 FINAL OVERTIME
SOG: NYR 27 PIT 32
Scoring Summary
1st Period
04:19    NYR    Eric Staal (12) Backhand shot - ASST: Kevin Hayes (21), Jesper Fast (17)     1 - 0 NYR
15:49    PIT    Matt Cullen (13) Tip-in - ASST: Derrick Pouliot (7), Trevor Daley (20)     1 - 1 Tie
2nd Period
02:07    NYR    Eric Staal (13) Snap shot - ASST: Jesper Fast (18), Kevin Hayes (22)     2 - 1 NYR
08:36    PIT    Phil Kessel (23) Backhand shot - ASST: Carl Hagelin (22)     2 - 2 Tie
3rd Period
NONE
Overtime
04:30    PIT    Sidney Crosby (32) Tip-in - ASST: Kris Letang (43), Phil Kessel (31)     3 - 2 PIT

Penalty Summary
1st Period
11:19    PIT    Kris Letang  Slashing  - 2 min against  Rick Nash
2nd Period
NONE
3rd Period
01:52    PIT    Nick Bonino  Tripping  - 2 min against  Derick Brassard
08:54    NYR    Derick Brassard  Hi-sticking  - 2 min against  Conor Sheary

Final Team Stats
Power Plays PIT 0/2 NYR 0/2
Hits PIT 23 NYR 26
Faceoff Wins PIT 36 NYR 31
Giveaways PIT 12 NYR 19
Takeaways PIT 13 NYR 5
Blocked Shots PIT 24 NYR 26
Penalty Minutes PIT 4 NYR 4

FINAL NYR FACEOFF%: MILLER 100%, HAYES 0%, E STAAL 38%, BRASSARD 42%, STEPAN 61%, MOORE 50%

Three Stars of the Game
1st
Phil Kessel
G: 1    Shots: 5
A: 1    Hits: 0
PTS: 2    PIM: 0
+/-: 2    TOI: 17:45
Pittsburgh Penguins

2nd
Eric Staal
G: 2    Shots: 4
A: 0    Hits: 2
PTS: 2    PIM: 0
+/-: 1    TOI: 16:28
New York Rangers

3rd
Sidney Crosby
G: 1    Shots: 4
A: 0    Hits: 0
PTS: 1    PIM: 0
+/-: 1    TOI: 23:05
Pittsburgh Penguins


NEXT GAME
Rangers return to action on the road to close out March as Eric Staal makes his first return to Carolina on Wednesday vs the Hurricanes, 7:00 PM

RANGERS VS PENGUINS PREGAME NOTES, WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Rangers vs. Penguins 3.27.16: Pregame Notes

NEW YORK RANGERS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Sunday, Mar. 27, 2016, 7:30 p.m. ET

Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

Rangers: 43-24-8 (94 pts)

Penguins: 41-25-8 (90 pts) 

TONIGHT'S GAME

The Rangers play their 76th game of the 2015-16 season and conclude a back-to-back set tonight, Mar. 27, against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Metropolitan Division matchup at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET - TV: NBCSN; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). The Blueshirts enter the contest with a three-game winning streak. New York has earned at least one point in 11 of its last 15 games (9-4-2), including five of its last six contests (4-1-1). The Blueshirts have won 11 of their last 18 games (11-5-2), 16 of their last 25 games (16-6-3), and 19 of their last 30 games (19-8-3). The Rangers have also earned at least one point in 28 of their last 40 games (24-12-4), including 27 of their last 38 games (23-11-4) and 26 of their last 36 games (22-10-4). The Blueshirts enter the contest with a 43-24-8 record this season (94 points).

RANGERS VS. PENGUINS

• All-Time: 124-107-23-11 (69-51-9-4 at home; 55-56-14-7 on the road)
• 2015-16: Tonight's game is the fourth of four meetings between the Rangers and Penguins, and the second of two meetings between the two teams at MSG. The Rangers have posted a 1-2-0 record (0-1-0 at home; 1-1-0 on the road) against Pittsburgh. The Blueshirts were defeated by the Penguins, 5-3, in the last meeting between the two teams on Mar. 13 at MSG. Derek Stepan leads all skaters with three assists and is tied for first among all skaters with three points in the season series.
• The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 10 of their last 13 contests against the Penguins, dating back to Apr. 3, 2013 (7-3-3).

RANGERS-PENGUINS CONNECTIONS

• Glen Sather played parts of two seasons with the Penguins (1969-70 - 1970-71).
• Mike Sullivan served as an Assistant Coach with the Rangers for four seasons (2009-10 - 2012-13). Sullivan was also selected by the Rangers in the fourth round (69th overall) of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft.
• Ulf Samuelsson played parts of five seasons with the Penguins (1990-91 - 1994-95) and won the Stanley Cup twice with Pittsburgh (1990-91 and 1991-92).
• Tanner Glass played two seasons with Pittsburgh (2012-13 - 2013-14).
• Dominic Moore played part of one season with the Penguins (2006-07).
• The Penguins list two former Rangers on their roster: Matt Cullen (2006-07) and Carl Hagelin (2011-12 - 2014-15).

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. PENGUINS

• Henrik Lundqvist - 58 GP, 29-21-8, 2.41 GAA, .916 SV%, 4 SO - Lundqvist's 58 career appearances against the Penguins are the most he has made against one opponent in his career. He has posted a 7-3-3 record, along with a 2.15 GAA, a .930 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 13 appearances against Pittsburgh.
• Eric Staal - 48 GP, 19-27-46 - Staal has tallied a point in 10 of his last 17 games against the Penguins, recording 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in those contests.
• Rick Nash - 23 GP, 11-8-19 - Nash has recorded a point in four of his last five games against Pittsburgh (four goals, three assists).

FINAL COUNTDOWN

Including tonight's game, the Rangers have seven games remaining in the regular season in 2015-16. All seven games are against Eastern Conference teams, and five of the seven contests will be played at MSG.

WINNING WAYS

The Rangers have earned at least 40 wins and 90 points in nine of the last 11 seasons (2005-06 - 2008-09; 2010-11 - 2011-12; 2013-14 - 2015-16).

BACK-TO-BACK

The Blueshirts conclude their 16th back-to-back set of the 2015-16 season tonight. The Rangers have posted an 8-5-2 record in the second game of back-to-back sets this season. The Blueshirts have posted an 18-6-3 record in the second contest of their last 27 back-to-back sets. In addition, the Rangers have posted a 27-12-3 record in the second game of back-to-back sets since the start of the 2013-14 season and a 52-23-5 record in the second game of back-to-back sets since the start of the 2010-11 season.

HOME COOKING

The Rangers have registered at least 25 home wins in two consecutive seasons for the first time since 2007-08 and 2008-09. The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 16 of their last 20 home games (14-4-2), including 14 of their last 17 home games (12-3-2). The Rangers have earned at least one point in 28 of 36 home games in 2015-16 (25-8-3). The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in wins (25) and points (53) at home this season. The Rangers lead the NHL in goals per game at home this season (3.28).

ON POINT

At least one Blueshirts defenseman has registered a point on 33 of the team's last 47 goals. Rangers defensemen have recorded 153 points (36 goals, 117 assists) in 2015-16 and have tallied 96 points (24 goals, 72 assists) in the last 46 games.

GOALS GALORE

The Rangers have tallied four or more goals in each of the last three games (14 goals), and eight different Blueshirts have recorded at least one goal in those contests. New York ranks fifth in the NHL in goals per game this season (2.85).

HIGH FIVE

The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in goal differential at 5-on-5 in 2015-16 (plus-34; 149 goals for, 115 goals against - Washington leads the NHL; plus-36).

TWO GOOD

The Rangers have won each of the last 24 games in which they have allowed two goals or fewer, dating back to Dec. 15, 2015 vs. Edmonton. The Blueshirts have allowed two goals or fewer in regulation and the five-minute overtime period in 16 of the last 25 games, in 23 of the last 40 games, and in 44 games this season. New York has posted a 38-3-3 record when allowing two goals or fewer in regulation/the five-minute overtime period in 2015-16. The Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in at least half of their games in every season since 2005-06.

AV SQUAD

Alain Vigneault enters tonight's contest with 141 regular season wins as the Rangers’ Head Coach. He is one win away from passing Roger Neilson for sixth place on the franchise’s all-time wins list among head coaches.

KING HENRIK

Henrik Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in 19 of his last 31 appearances, including 16 of his last 25 appearances. He has posted a 15-8-2 record, along with a 2.23 GAA, a .928 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 25 appearances. Lundqvist has been selected as one of the game's Three Stars (27 times), as well as the game's First Star (14 times), more times than any other NHL player this season. Lundqvist enters the contest with 372 career NHL wins and is tied with Andy Moog for 15th place on the league's all-time wins list.

FINE KLEIN

Kevin Klein enters the contest with a three-game assist/point streak (four assists). He has recorded a point in seven of the last nine games (two goals, seven assists), including six of the last seven games (two goals, six assists). He is tied for first among NHL defensemen in points (nine), is tied for second among NHL defensemen in assists (seven), and is tied for third among NHL defensemen in plus/minus rating (plus-eight) since Mar. 8.

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello has notched 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in the last 25 games, including nine points (three goals, six assists) in the last nine games. He has tallied all of his career-high 24 goals and 51 of his 57 points this season when the Rangers have either led by one goal, trailed by one goal, or were tied in the contest. In addition, 49 of Zuccarello's 57 points in 2015-16 have been a goal or a primary assist.

STEP-AN UP

Derek Stepan enters the contest with a three-game point streak (two goals, four assists). Since he returned to the Rangers' lineup on Dec. 18, Stepan ranks second on the team in points (32) and is tied for second in assists (20). He has notched a point in eight of the last 11 games (four goals, nine assists), as well as 10 of the last 14 games (five goals, 10 assists). Stepan has tallied 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in the last 22 games, as well as 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in the last 32 contests. The Rangers have posted a 40-19-6 record in games which Stepan has played this season, including a 26-4-3 record in games which he has notched a point in 2015-16.

BRASS BONANZA

Derick Brassard enters the contest with a four-game point streak (two goals, four assists). Brassard ranks second in the NHL (min. 10 games played) in P/60 (3.82) and is tied for fourth in G/60 (1.91) at home this season. He has tallied a point in 26 of 35 games at MSG this season, recording 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists).

TOO HOT TO YANDLE

Keith Yandle is the first Rangers defenseman to tally at least 38 assists in one season since Brian Leetch in 2001-02. He ranks third among NHL defensemen in primary assists this season (24). Yandle has registered a point in 40 games in 2015-16, and he leads the Rangers in games with a point this season.

CAPTAIN MAC

Ryan McDonagh is one of two NHL defensemen who have recorded at least 30 points and a plus-25 rating in 2015-16 (along with Colton Parayko). He has posted a plus/minus rating of even or better in each of the 15 games he has played since returning from injury on Feb. 25, registering a plus-15 rating over the span, and he leads NHL defensemen in plus/minus rating in 2015-16 (plus-28).

KREID-ING HIGH

Chris Kreider tallied three points (two goals, one assist) in the Rangers’ win tonight against Montreal, and he has recorded six points (four goals, two assists) in the last eight contests.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play:

• The Rangers were 2-for-3 (2:46) tonight at Montreal.
• New York has notched a PPG in each of the last three games (5-for-11; 45.5%), eight of the last 11 games (10-for-31; 32.3%), and in 13 of the last 21 games (16-for-53; 30.2%).

Penalty Kill:

• The Rangers were 6-for-6 (11:54) tonight at Montreal.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• Mats Zuccarello - 1 point away from 200 in his NHL career; 3 games away from 300 in his NHL career
• Derek Stepan - 4 points away from 300 in his NHL career 

INJURIES (87 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

·         Dylan McIlrath (knee; injury suffered on Mar. 6) - day-to-day 

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

·         None

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

·         Mar. 27, 2006 – The Rangers rallied from a 4-2 deficit at the start of the third period to defeat the Buffalo Sabres, 5-4, in a shootout. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all eight shots he faced in relief to earn the win, and Jaromir Jagr registered his 52nd goal of the 2005-06 season in the third period, tying Adam Graves’ single-season franchise record for goals.

Rangers Vs Penguins March 27th 2016

Mar 27 - 8:51am by MattCalamia

W2W4: Rangers vs. Penguins 3.27.16

Who: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Where: Madison Square Garden
When: Sunday night at 7:30 PM
Watch: NBCSN
Listen: ESPN-98.7 FM and NewYorkRangers.com

The Skinny:
The battle for second place in the Metropolitan Division kicks into high gear Sunday night at Madison Square Garden as the second-place Rangers (43-24-8, 94 pts) host the surging third-place Pittsburgh Penguins (41-25-8, 90 pts). New York's lead is four points and Pittsburgh owns one game in hand, making this an extremely important late-season match up, especially considering that the Penguins are at the same time trying to hold off the fourth-place Islanders who are only a point out of third. Both teams come in after holding serve and winning convincingly on the road Saturday--the Rangers beat the Canadiens 5-2 up in Montreal while the Penguins skated past the Red Wings 7-2 in Detroit. The Rangers have now won three in a row, outscoring the opposition 14-6, and are 16-6-2 since February 4. Their defensive work and goaltending has been solid this past week, their power play has scored five times in 11 opportunities in the three victories, and the Rangers top offensive players are producing. Derick Brassard has points in four straight games (2-4-6) and both Derek Stepan (2-4-6), Rick Nash (2-1-3) and Mats Zuccarello (2-2-4) have points in three straight. Keith Yandle has notched four assists in the past two games, and now has a team-high 39 on the season; and Chris Kreider scored twice and added an assist in Saturday's win. Henrik Lundqvist, who watched Antti Raanta backstop the win in Montreal, starts in goal Sunday for the Rangers, likely against Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury. Both No. 1 goalies have 33 wins on the season, while Lundqvist has a slightly better save percentage and Fleury an edge in GAA. The Penguins have won seven of their last eight games, getting back on the winning track Saturday after being shutout by Devils rookie Scott Wedgewood, 3-0, on Thursday. A season-best six-game winning streak preceded that loss to New Jersey. The Penguins hope to off set New York's strong home play, where they are 25-8-3 at MSG this season, with their current four-game road winning streak that has upped their road mark to 18-14-4 this year. Pittsburgh will be without injured star forward Evgeni Malkin and one of its top defenseman in Olli Maata, though Sidney Crosby is healthy and playing terrific hockey with points in 13 of his last 14 games and averaging better than a point per game this season (77 points in 73 games) to lead the Penguins. Crosby, who played in his 700th career game Saturday, is currently the NHL's third leading scorer, and his 31 goals are ninth most in the league.
Head To Head:
For the third time this month, and fourth and final time this regular season, the Rangers will face off with the Penguins on Sunday night. The Rangers have lost two of the three games played so far in this season series, including two straight after shutting out the Penguins 3-0 back on February 10 at the CONSOL Energy Center. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 34 shots he faced in that contest, while Kevin Hayes, Dominic Moore and Jesper Fast (empty net) all scored for New York. Pittsburgh skated to a home ice victory in the next meeting on March 3, beating the Rangers 4-1 in a game that will be remembered for Lundqvist suffering neck spasms and also for his shoving the net into the back boards to show his displeasure with the officials.  Chris Kreider scored New York’s only goal in that contest, while Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists. Two weeks ago in a Sunday matinee at Madison Square Garden Pittsburgh scored twice late in the third period to come away with a 5-3 victory. The Rangers battled back three times from one-goal deficits to tie the contest—the last time coming on a Ryan McDonagh goal 5:04 into the third period—but never were able to hold a lead in the game. Matt Cullen’s goal off the skate of New York’s Marc Staal at 11:09 of the third proved to be the game winner. Kreider and Derick Brassard also scored for the Blueshirts. Derek Stepan had two assists in the game and he leads the Rangers with three points (0-3-3) in this season series, while Sidney Crosby also has three points (2-1-3) for the Penguins.
Players to Watch:
Rangers-Chris Kreider: He hadn't scored a goal or recorded a single point in the previous five games, but Chris Kreider broke out in a big way Saturday night, producing a season-high three points, which included the second two-goal game of his season, in a 5-2 road win in Montreal. His offensive skill set was on full view as he showcased his shot with a wicked one timer from the right circle for a second-period power play goal, and then displayed his tremendous speed and power with a highlight-reel breakaway goal a couple of minutes later. Kreider now has 18 goals, three shy of his career-best set a year ago, though not quite at the level foreseen by head coach Alain Vigneault who believed 2015-16 would be Kreider's breakout season offensively. Still, Kreider has been more consistent with his scoring in the season's second half, and has largely shaken off his rough start where he scored only three goals through the first 24 games of the season. Seven of his goals have come in the past 15 games, and 12 of his 18 have been scored since January 16, meaning his production is heating up heading into the playoffs where he typically plays his strongest and best hockey. Saturday Kreider played on a line with Derick Brassard and Rick Nash as Vigneault continued to tweak his lines, and after such a productive performance by Kreider--and Brassard, who also had three points--it would reason that's where Kreider will be again Sunday against the Penguins.
Penguins-Phil Kessel: After being traded from Toronto to Pittsburgh last summer, 5-time 30-goal scorer Phil Kessel had to believe this season had the makings to be one of his best ever, given the opportunity to play with world-class talent in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Things have not quite worked out that way for Kessel, who has not exactly ingratiated himself with Penguin fans with his uneven play this year. However Kessel is still a tremendous offensive talent, and he proved that Saturday with a career-high five-point performance against the Detroit Red Wings. This should give opposing teams pause because a hot Phil Kessel, especially here in the stretch run and into the playoffs, could very well be a game changer for the Penguins. Kessel now has 22 goals, 30 assists and 52 points in 74 games, certainly respectable numbers, but not what was expected from a 28 year-old elite scorer in his prime, just liberated from a grim situation in Toronto. Kessel can score in bunches, however, and when he’s on he poses major problems for the opposition. He now has ten multiple-point games on the season; and his four assists on Saturday pushed his career total over 300, to 303. He now has 572 points in 742 career games; and Kessel will likely have the chance—perhaps against the Rangers—to play some big post-season games for the first time since 2012-13 and for only the fourth time in his career. Though he has only 22 games of playoff experience, Kessel does have 13 goals and 21 points in those 22 career games, not to mention six goals and ten points spread out over 12 games in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics while playing for Team USA. Pittsburgh may soon be seeing the true value of having acquired Phil Kessel prior to this season.

Rangers Vs Penguins March 27th 2016

Mar 27 - 8:52am by MattCalamia

NYR TODAY SUNDAY MARCH 27: POST GAME REVIEW, GAME DAY PREVIEW

RANGERS @ PENGUINS POST GAME MORNING REVIEW
New Lines Boost Rangers Past Habs
@RNYRF Staff Report
Alain Vigneault changed up his lines at practice on Friday and came up with a dandy. The new combination of Chris Kreider, Derick Brassard and Rick Nash combined for a total of 6 points on the night, Kreider 2 goals and an assist and Brassard with a goal and 2 assists in the defeat of Montreal.

The Rangers opened the scoring in the first period when J.T. Miller scored his 21st of the season on a beautiful rush into the Montreal Zone beating Habs goalie Mike Condon on the backhand just 3:04 into the game. The Canadiens added a goal of their own to tie the game at 12:26 when Lars Eller put one past Annti Raanta. Derick Brassard put the Rangers back in the lead 2-1 when he put in a rebound of a Chris Kreider shot that went wide just 1:32 into the second period. The Rangers power play paid off 8:19 in when Kreider put one past Condon for the 3-1 lead. Just over 2 minutes later Kreider again scored on a rush from the blueline after intercepting a Montreal pass in the neutral zone tucking one past the pads of Condon. Montreal pulled within 2 goals when Phillip Danault scored at 15:38. Again on the power play the Rangers added to the lead when Derek Stepan scored the 5th Rangers goal of the night with just 41 seconds remaining in the period. The Rangers held on in the 3rd period despite taking 3 bad penalties in a row at the begining of the closing period. Rangers special teams were the story of the night with 2 power play goals on 3 attempts and a 6 for 6 night on the penalty kill as the Rangers collected their 43rd win and first win vs Montreal of the season.

RANGERS GAME DAY PREVIEW

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (41-25-8) at RANGERS (43-24-8)
TONIGHT 7:30 PM, TV: NBCSN
Season series: The Pittsburgh Penguins have won two of three games against the New York Rangers. New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist made 34 saves in a 3-0 victory Feb. 10. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists, and Phil Kessel had a goal and an assist in Pittsburgh's 4-1 win March 3. Conor Sheary scored twice, Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist, and Tom Kuhnhackl had two assists in a 5-3 win on March 13.

Rangers team scope: Coach Alain Vigneault shuffled lines during practice Friday, and the combination of forwards Chris Kreider, Derick Brassard and Rick Nash had a strong performance in a 5-2 victory at the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. New York scored four second-period goals, including two on the power play. Kreider had two goals (one on the power play) and an assist, and Brassard had a goal and two assists. "We're trying to find the right chemistry between lines right now and Chris is a big part of our team, and to see him score two goals like that and be involved in the game, that's something that, our team, we're pretty excited about, and hopefully it's going to give him some confidence," Brassard said. Lundqvist will start after Antti Raanta made 24 saves against Montreal. The Rangers have scored 10 power-play goals in the past 11 games. New York has won three in a row after losing four of five (1-2-2).

 Team Leaders

Goals

Crosby 31

Brassard 27

Shots

Kessel 242

Stepan 175

Hits

Kunitz 252

Glass 205

Assists

Crosby 46

Yandle 39

NYR Alumni Birthday 3/27 
Curt Bennett C (1972-1973)

TODAY IN NYR HISTORY MARCH 27
2008: The Rangers defeat the New Jersey Devils for the seventh time during the 2007-08 season.

RANGERS @ CANADIENS POST GAME RECAP

Kreider's Two Goals Pace Rangers To 5-2 Victory In Montreal

Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal the Rangers did not look past a struggling opponent or ahead to Sunday's crucial divisional showdown against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden. Instead they took care of business, beating the Canadiens 5-2, to pick up another two points in the standings  and remain four points clear of the Penguins in the battle for second place in the Metropolitan Division.
The win was the third in a row for the Rangers following last week's 1-1-1 road trip to California. It was also their first this season in three tries against the Canadiens, who had outscored New York 8-1 in winning the first two games of this season series.
However the Canadiens of March are not the same team as the one which beat the Rangers back in October and November. Playing without injured star goaltender Carey Price and former Norris Trophy-winning defenseman P.K. Subban, among other notables, the Canadiens had trouble most of the game Saturday simply keeping up with the Rangers, who never trailed in this contest.
Chris Kreider scored twice and added an assist, while Derick Brassard notched a goal and two assists and Derek Stepan (1-1-2) registered two points in the win. J.T. Miller also scored for the second straight game, and the team netted two power play goals for the second consecutive match.
It took only 3:04 for Miller to record New York's first even strength goal in six-plus periods this season against Montreal. After Stepan was leveled by an Alexei Emelin check, he dusted himself off, returned to the play, and eventually sent Miller off on a dash the other way with as quick pass. Miller did the rest, making a terrific fake before beating Canadiens goalie Mike Condon between the pads with a backhand shot while cutting across the crease for his 21st of the season.
Montreal did manage to tie the game at 12:26 when Lars Eller picked up a puck in the slot and rifled it past Antti Raanta after Ryan McDonagh had blocked a shot from the blue line by Montreal's Greg Pateryn.
However the Rangers exploded for four goals in the second period to comfortably pull away from the Canadiens. Kreider had a hand in New York's first three goals of the period, notching three points in a game and in a single period for the first time in exactly one year--having also done so during the first period of a March 26, 2015 contest against the Ottawa Senators.
Just 1:32 into the second Brassard buried his team-leading 27th goal of the season, collecting a rebound off the back boards after Kreider's redirect went high and wide of the net, though still earning him an assist. .
Kreider made it 3-1 at 8:19 by sniping a right-circle one-timer off a gorgeous cross-ice pass from Brassard. The goal came during New York's first power play of the game. Keith Yandle also assisted on the goal, his second of the night, fourth in the past two games, and team-best 39th of the season.
Two minutes later Kreider stole the puck at center ice and took off on a breakaway, speeding away from everyone, before closing with a pretty finish for his second goal of the period and 18th of the season at 10:42.
After a Phillip Danault goal pulled Montreal back to within 4-2 at 15:38, Stepan roofed a power play backhand shot into the cage with 41 seconds remaining in the period to make it 5-2. Stepan's 18th goal was assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Brassard, who picked up his third point of the night.
New York went 2-for-3 on the power play Saturday and is now 5 for its last 11 with the man advantage the last three games. The Rangers were also a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill, with four of those successful kills coming in the third period.
Raanta started in goal and won for the sixth time in his last seven starts for the Rangers dating to February 18. He made 24 saves Saturday in winning his third consecutive start.
Henrik Lundqvist will get the start on Sunday when the rangers host the Penguins at MSG. Pittsburgh, which has won seven of their last eight games overall, hammered the Red Wings 7-2 in Detroit on Saturday.

Derek StepanChris KreiderDerick BrassardJ.T. MillerKeith YandleAntti Raanta

Rangers Vs Canadiens March 26th 2016

Mar 26 - 9:37pm by JimCerny 

 FINAL STATS

NY RANGERS 5 MONTREAL CANADIENS 2
SOG: NYR 23 MTL 26
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Period
03:04 NYR J.T. Miller (21) Backhand shot - ASST: Derek Stepan (26), Keith Yandle (38) 1-0 NYR
12:26    MTL Lars Eller (12) Wrist shot - ASST: Greg Pateryn (5), Nathan Beaulieu (17)     1-1 Tie
2nd Period
01:32    NYR Derick Brassard (27) Wrist shot - ASST: Chris Kreider (19), Rick Nash (22)     2-1 NYR
08:19    NYR PPG - Chris Kreider (17) Wrist shot - ASST: Derick Brassard (29), Keith Yandle (39) 3-1 NYR
10:42    NYR Chris Kreider (18) Backhand shot - ASST: NONE     4-1 NYR
15:38    MTL Phillip Danault (3) Wrist shot - ASST: David Desharnais (18), Sven Andrighetto (8)     4-2 NYR
3rd Period
NONE

PENALTY SUMMARY
1st Period
17:10    NYR    Chris Kreider  Hooking  - 2 min against  Lars Eller
2nd Period
02:44    NYR    Jesper Fast  Holding  - 2 min against  David Desharnais
07:37    MTL    Andrei Markov  Holding  - 2 min against  Rick Nash
19:10    MTL    Alexei Emelin  Cross checking  - 2 min against  Tanner Glass
3rd Period
03:07    NYR    Dan Girardi  Tripping  - 2 min against  Mike Brown
05:08    NYR    Viktor Stalberg  Tripping  - 2 min against  Max Pacioretty
08:07    NYR    Kevin Klein  Tripping  - 2 min against  Lars Eller
10:02    MTL    David Desharnais  Tripping  - 2 min against  Marc Staal
12:49    MTL    Torrey Mitchell  Holding  - 2 min against  Chris Kreider
12:49    NYR    Chris Kreider  Embellishment  - 2 min against  Torrey Mitchell
15:15    NYR    Keith Yandle  Cross checking  - 2 min against  Mike Brown

FINAL TEAM STATS
PENALTY MINUTES: NYR 14  MTL 8
POWER PLAY: NYR 2/3 MTL 0/7
FACEOFF WINS: NYR 22 MTL 29
HITS: NYR 25 MTL 32
GIVEAWAYS: NYR 9 MTL 20
TAKEAWAYS: NYR 6 MTL 5
BLOCKED SHOTS: NYR 14 MTL 17


NYR FINAL FACEOFF %: BRASSARD  36%, E STAAL  75%, STEPAN  44%, MOORE  40%, MILLER  100%, HAYES  33%

THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. DERICK BRASSARD
2. CHRIS KREIDER
3. DEREK STEPAN

NEXT GAME
The Rangers return Home to MSG Tomorrow Night to take on Division Rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins 7:30 PM