Rangers vs. Capitals 3.4.16: Pregame Notes
NEW YORK RANGERS at WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Friday, Mar. 4, 2016, 7:00 p.m. ET
Verizon Center – Washington, DC
Rangers: 37-21-6 (80 pts)
Capitals: 47-12-4 (98 pts)
TONIGHT'S GAME
The
Rangers play their 65th game of the 2015-16 season and conclude a
back-to-back set tonight, Mar. 4, against the Washington Capitals in a
Metropolitan Division matchup at Verizon Center (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG
2; Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). The Blueshirts are in second place in the
Metropolitan Division. New York has won five of its last seven games
(5-2-0), 10 of its last 14 games (10-3-1), 11 of its last 16 games
(11-4-1), and 13 of its last 19 games (13-5-1). The Rangers have earned
at least one point in 20 of their last 29 games (18-9-2), including 19
of their last 27 games (17-8-2) and 18 of their last 25 games (16-7-2).
The Blueshirts enter the contest with a 37-21-6 record this season (80
points).
RANGERS VS. CAPITALS
- All-Time: 93-91-18-7 (51-41-9-4 at home; 42-50-9-3 on the road)
- 2015-16: Tonight's game is the fifth of five meetings between the Rangers and Capitals, and the second of two meetings between the two teams in Washington. The Rangers have posted a 1-2-1 record (1-1-1 at home; 0-1-0 on the road) against Washington. The Blueshirts were defeated by the Capitals, 5-2, in the last meeting between the two teams on Jan. 17 at Washington. Kevin Hayes (two goals, two assists) and Ryan McDonagh (four assists) are tied for the team-lead with four points in the season series. Chris Kreider leads all Rangers with three goals.
- The Rangers have earned at least one point in 15 of their last 22 games against Washington (13-7-2), including six of their last nine contests against the Capitals (5-3-1).
- The Blueshirts have won seven of their last 10 road games against the Capitals (7-3-0), including four of their last six road games (4-2-0) against Washington.
RANGERS-CAPITALS CONNECTIONS
- Jim Schoenfeld served as the Capitals Head Coach for parts of four seasons (1993-94 – 1996-97). Schoenfeld ranks fifth in Capitals history in wins and games coached.
- J.T. Miller and Tom Wilson were teammates with the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for one season (2011-12).
- Kevin Klein's first head coach in the NHL was Barry Trotz (2005-06 – 2013-14 with Nashville).
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. CAPITALS
- Henrik Lundqvist - 32 GP, 19-9-4, 2.65 GAA, .906 SV%, 4 SO - Lundqvist has posted a 10-3-2 record, along with a 2.17 GAA, a .922 SV%, and 3 SO in his last 15 appearances against the Capitals (dating back to Dec. 12, 2010).
- Eric Staal - 71 GP, 27-44-71 - Staal has played in more games and has registered more assists and points against Washington than against any other NHL opponent. He has tallied 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) in his last 20 games against the Capitals.
- Kevin Hayes - 8 GP, 4-5-9 - Hayes has posted four multi-point games in eight career contests against the Capitals, including three in his last five games against Washington.
- Ryan McDonagh - 21 GP, 1-13-14 - McDonagh enters the contest with a three-game assist/point streak against Washington (four assists) and he has tallied six assists in his last six games against the Capitals.
- Keith Yandle - 15 GP, 0-10-10 - Yandle has notched an assist/point in eight of 15 career games against the Capitals, including three of his last four contests against Washington (three assists).
BOUNCE BACK
The
Rangers have earned nine straight wins in the game immediately
following a regulation loss (as well as 11 straight wins in the game
immediately following either a regulation loss or an overtime loss),
dating back to Dec. 22, 2015 vs. Anaheim. According to the Elias Sports
Bureau, the Blueshirts’ nine-game winning streak in games immediately
following a regulation loss is the longest within one season in
franchise history. The Blueshirts have not lost two consecutive games
(regulation and OT losses included) since Dec. 17 - Dec. 20, 2015.
WINNING WAYS
The
Rangers are tied for second in the NHL in wins (14) and points (29)
since Jan. 16 (14-6-1 record in their last 21 games). The Rangers are
also tied for first among Eastern Conference teams in wins and points
over the span.
BACK-TO-BACK
The
Rangers have posted a 7-4-1 record in the second game of back-to-back
sets this season. The Blueshirts have posted a 17-5-2 record in the
second contest of their last 24 back-to-back sets. In addition, the
Rangers have posted a 26-11-2 record in the second game of back-to-back
sets since the start of the 2013-14 season and a 51-22-4 record in the
second game of back-to-back sets since the start of the 2010-11 season.
HIGH FIVE
The Rangers rank second in the NHL in goal differential at 5-on-5 in 2015-16 (plus-35; 127-92).
ROAD WARRIORS
The
Blueshirts have won five of their last seven road games (5-2-0),
including two of their last three road contests. New York leads the NHL
in road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season (67).
ROAD WINS IN A THREE-SEASON SPAN IN RANGERS HISTORY
| |
SEASONS
|
WINS
|
1. 2009-10 - 2011-12
|
68
|
2. 2013-14 - 2015-16
|
67
|
TWO GOOD
The
Blueshirts have allowed two goals or fewer in 10 of the last 14 games,
in 17 of the last 29 games, and in 37 games this season. New York has
posted a 32-3-2 record when allowing two goals or fewer in 2015-16.
THIRD PERIOD IS THE CHARM
The
Rangers have tallied at least one goal in the third period in 13 of
their last 16 games, including two or more goals in the third period in
eight of those contests (23 goals in the third period over the span).
New York ranks third in the NHL in third period goals this season (74).
ON POINT
At
least one Rangers defenseman has registered a point on nine of the
team's last 11 goals, dating back to Feb. 21 vs. Detroit. Blueshirts
defensemen have registered 127 points (30 goals, 97 assists) in 2015-16
and have tallied 70 points (18 goals, 52 assists) over the last 35
games.
TAKING THE METRO
The Rangers have earned at least one point in 16 of 23 games against Metropolitan Division opponents this season (12-7-4).
KING HENRIK
Henrik
Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in 17 of his last 25
appearances, including 15 of his last 21 appearances and 14 of his last
19 appearances. He has posted a 14-6-1 record, along with a 2.01 GAA, a
.929 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 21 appearances, including a 13-6-0
record, along with a 1.91 GAA, a .933 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 19
appearances. Lundqvist leads the NHL in even strength SV% this season
(.940).
STAAL ABOARD
The
Rangers acquired Eric Staal from the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 28, and
he made his debut with the Blueshirts on Feb. 29 vs. Columbus. Staal is
one of only two NHL players who registered at least 30 assists and 50
points in 10 consecutive seasons from 2005-06 - 2014-15 (along with
Martin St. Louis). The four-time NHL All-Star is a member of the "Triple
Gold Club", as he has won a Stanley Cup (2005-06), a gold medal at the
Olympics (2010), and a gold medal at the IIHF World Championship (2007)
in his career. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Staal is the first
player in NHL history who has played at least one game with three
different brothers in his career (Jordan and Jared during his tenure in
Carolina; Marc with the Rangers).
TOO HOT TO YANDLE
Keith
Yandle is the first Rangers defenseman to register at least 30 assists
and 20 even strength assists in one season since Brian Leetch in
2000-01. He is tied for sixth among NHL defensemen in even strength
assists (20) and is tied for 11th in assists (31) in 2015-16. Yandle has
notched a point in 12 of the last 19 games (two goals, 10 assists),
including seven of the last 11 games (seven assists).
KREID-ING HIGH
Chris
Kreider has tallied a goal in three of the last four games (three
goals) and he has recorded a point in eight of the last 14 contests
(five goals, three assists).
CAPTAIN MAC
Ryan
McDonagh is one of two NHL defensemen who have registered at least
eight goals, 29 points, and a plus-16 rating this season (along with
Drew Doughty). He enters the contest with a three-game point streak (one
goal, two assists).
STEP-AN UP
Derek
Stepan has tallied nine points (five goals, four assists) in the last
11 games. The Rangers have posted a 34-16-4 record in games which Stepan
has played this season, including a 21-2-2 record in games which he has
notched a point in 2015-16.
WELCOME MATS
Mats
Zuccarello has registered all of his 21 goals and 44 of his 48 points
this season when the Rangers have either led by one goal, trailed by one
goal, or were tied in the contest. In addition, 43 of Zuccarello's
team-leading 48 points in 2015-16 have either been a goal or the primary
assist on a goal.
IT'S MILLER TIME
J.T. Miller leads the Rangers in goals (11), points (22), and plus/minus rating (plus-six) on the road this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play:
- The Rangers were 0-for-2 (3:09) tonight at Pittsburgh.
- The Blueshirts have recorded a PPG in five of the last 10 games (6-for-22; 27.3%).
Penalty Kill:
- The Rangers were 2-for-3 (3:52) tonight at Pittsburgh.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
- Dan Boyle - 1 point away from 600 in his NHL career
- Viktor Stalberg - 4 games away from 400 in his NHL career
INJURIES (68 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
· Rick Nash (bone bruise; injury suffered on Jan. 22) - week-to-week
· Marc Staal (flu)
· Henrik Lundqvist (neck spasms)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
· Feb.
28 - Acquired Eric Staal from Carolina in exchange for Aleksi Saarela, a
second round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, and a second round pick
in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft; Assigned Marek Hrivik to Hartford (AHL);
Acquired Chris Brown from Washington in exchange for Ryan Bourque
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
· Mar.
4, 1961 – Jean Ratelle registered his first career NHL goal and first
career NHL assist while making his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple
Leafs.
Mar 4 - 9:53am by MattCalamia
W2W4: Rangers vs. Capitals 3.4.16
Who: New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals
Where: Verizon Center
When: Friday night at 7:00 PM
Watch: MSG-2 beginning at 6:30 PM
Listen: ESPN 1050-AM and NewYorkRangers.com
*******************************************
The Skinny:
Things do not get any easier for the Rangers (37-21-6, 80 pts) Friday night. 24 hours after losing to the Penguins, 4-1, in Pittsburgh, the Rangers are right back at it on the road against the league-leading Washington Capitals (47-12-4, 98 pts) at the Verizon Center. Not only do the Caps have an NHL-high 98 points already this season, and an 18-point lead on second-place New York in the Metropolitan Division, but Washington is on a historic pace right now. Washington’s 47 victories are the most in NHL history for any team through its first 63 games, and its 98 points are the most for any team through 63 games since the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings. Incredibly the Capitals have already passed last year’s impressive win total (47 to 45) and still have 19 games remaining on their regular season schedule. So it’s not an understatement that the Rangers have their work cut out for them Friday. The night before New York came unglued late in the second period against the Penguins, surrendering three goals in a span of 1:39 and losing for the first time in four games. Team captain Ryan McDonagh was most concerned by the lack of push back from the Rangers in the third period, while teammate Derek Stepan lamented the club’s inability to get to the inside against the Penguins and make plays in the dirty areas. A full 60-minute effort is a must Friday against the Caps, and the Rangers will need to make life difficult for goaltender Braden Holtby, who has already reached the 40-win plateau faster than any goalie previously in NHL history (52 appearances). Meanwhile between the pipes for New York Henrik Lundqvist suffered neck spasms and played only two periods in Pittsburgh Thursday, so the Rangers recalled Magnus Hellberg on an emergency basis from Hartford, meaning Antti Raanta likely gets the start against the Capitals. Raanta has won his last two starts and is 6-4-2 in 16 appearances this season to go along with a 2.32 GAA and .913 save percentage. Also in question is the availability of defenseman Marc Staal, who sat out the loss in Pittsburgh due to the flu. Washington is just 3-2-0 in its last five games, but has recorded at least one point in 38 of its last 45 contests, a whopping 35-7-3 record. The Capitals own the NHL’s top-ranked power play and fourth-best penalty kill and are 29-2-0 when scoring the first goal of the game. Holtby and the team defense has been rock solid this year under head coach Barry Trotz, and on the other side of the puck the Capitals have scored 208 goals—second most in the league. Alex Ovechkin leads the way with a league-high 41 goals, though teammates Evgeny Kuznetsov (66 points) and Nicklas Backstrom (60 points) both are ahead of Ovechkin (59 points) on the team’s overall scoring list. Puck possession, defending in front of their own net, and winning the transition battle will be huge keys for the Rangers Friday against this multi-faceted Capitals team.
Head To Head:
Friday’s contest is the fifth and final game to be played between the Rangers and Capitals this season. The Rangers are 1-2-1 overall against the Caps in 2015-16 and are winless in their last three head-to-head meetings since grabbing the season series opener, 5-2, on November 3 at Madison Square Garden. Chris Kreider leads the Rangers with three goals this season against Washington, while Kevin Hayes (2-2-4) and Ryan McDonagh (0-4-4) both have a team-best four points in the season series. Oscar Lindberg has also scored twice against the Caps and added an assist in the four games. Washington has scored 18 goals against the Rangers this season, including seven in a 7-3 win at MSG back on December 20 and five in a 5-2 victory over New York in the only game so far played at the Verizon Center in mid January. The Capitals are 5-for-12 on the power play against the Rangers, with Alex Ovechkin scoring three of his five goals in this season series on the man advantage. Justin Williams, who had a hat trick in the most recent meeting between these two rivals on January 17, leads Washington with six goals and nine points.
Players To Watch:
Rangers-Kevin Hayes: The move back to right wing since Eric Staal’s arrival earlier this week has clearly been a work in progress for Kevin Hayes. Shifted to the wing, but with the chance to play with Staal as his center, Hayes has helped generate a handful of solid shifts on the forecheck and cycle in the offensive zone—in particular with Hayes trying to get the puck to Staal down low where the veteran center can often be found near the opponent’s net. However the net result for Hayes in the two games he has largely—yet not exclusively—played on a line with Staal is zero points and only three shots on goal. Vigneault has often said that Hayes looks most comfortable playing center, though he has also said this week that it’s going to take some time to figure out where Staal best fits and how all of the Ranger lines will shake out, especially when Rick Nash returns from injury, as well. So patience right now is important, both with Hayes and the entire team. The bottom line, though, for Hayes remains the same as it has all season: the Rangers need more offensive production from him. In 62 games played this year Hayes has 30 points (11-19-30), though in a positive bent eight of those points have come since February 10, a span of 11 games in which he has scored four times and added four assists. He is without a point in his last three games overall entering play Friday against a Capitals team he has recorded nine points (4-5-9) in eight career games, including four points in four matches this season.
Capitals-Justin Williams: As if it weren’t enough that Justin Williams scorched the Rangers during the 2014 Stanley Cup Final and went on to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP that same spring, he has come to Washington as a free agent signee this season and continued to torment the Blueshirts. Williams has scored 19 goals this season and six of those have come against New York, including a hat trick on January 17 at the Verizon Center. The veteran three-time Stanley Cup winner has produced for his new club out on the ice and has provided much leadership in the dressing room where he is extremely well respected by a team looking to get over the hump and move to the next level in its quest for the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Williams ranks third on the team in goals and is on the verge of reaching 20 for the first time since 2011-12 when he was a Los Angeles King. His 44 points place him fourth on the Capitals scoring list. The 34 year-old Williams has been somewhat quiet as of late, though, without a goal in seven games.
Where: Verizon Center
When: Friday night at 7:00 PM
Watch: MSG-2 beginning at 6:30 PM
Listen: ESPN 1050-AM and NewYorkRangers.com
*******************************************
The Skinny:
Things do not get any easier for the Rangers (37-21-6, 80 pts) Friday night. 24 hours after losing to the Penguins, 4-1, in Pittsburgh, the Rangers are right back at it on the road against the league-leading Washington Capitals (47-12-4, 98 pts) at the Verizon Center. Not only do the Caps have an NHL-high 98 points already this season, and an 18-point lead on second-place New York in the Metropolitan Division, but Washington is on a historic pace right now. Washington’s 47 victories are the most in NHL history for any team through its first 63 games, and its 98 points are the most for any team through 63 games since the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings. Incredibly the Capitals have already passed last year’s impressive win total (47 to 45) and still have 19 games remaining on their regular season schedule. So it’s not an understatement that the Rangers have their work cut out for them Friday. The night before New York came unglued late in the second period against the Penguins, surrendering three goals in a span of 1:39 and losing for the first time in four games. Team captain Ryan McDonagh was most concerned by the lack of push back from the Rangers in the third period, while teammate Derek Stepan lamented the club’s inability to get to the inside against the Penguins and make plays in the dirty areas. A full 60-minute effort is a must Friday against the Caps, and the Rangers will need to make life difficult for goaltender Braden Holtby, who has already reached the 40-win plateau faster than any goalie previously in NHL history (52 appearances). Meanwhile between the pipes for New York Henrik Lundqvist suffered neck spasms and played only two periods in Pittsburgh Thursday, so the Rangers recalled Magnus Hellberg on an emergency basis from Hartford, meaning Antti Raanta likely gets the start against the Capitals. Raanta has won his last two starts and is 6-4-2 in 16 appearances this season to go along with a 2.32 GAA and .913 save percentage. Also in question is the availability of defenseman Marc Staal, who sat out the loss in Pittsburgh due to the flu. Washington is just 3-2-0 in its last five games, but has recorded at least one point in 38 of its last 45 contests, a whopping 35-7-3 record. The Capitals own the NHL’s top-ranked power play and fourth-best penalty kill and are 29-2-0 when scoring the first goal of the game. Holtby and the team defense has been rock solid this year under head coach Barry Trotz, and on the other side of the puck the Capitals have scored 208 goals—second most in the league. Alex Ovechkin leads the way with a league-high 41 goals, though teammates Evgeny Kuznetsov (66 points) and Nicklas Backstrom (60 points) both are ahead of Ovechkin (59 points) on the team’s overall scoring list. Puck possession, defending in front of their own net, and winning the transition battle will be huge keys for the Rangers Friday against this multi-faceted Capitals team.
Head To Head:
Friday’s contest is the fifth and final game to be played between the Rangers and Capitals this season. The Rangers are 1-2-1 overall against the Caps in 2015-16 and are winless in their last three head-to-head meetings since grabbing the season series opener, 5-2, on November 3 at Madison Square Garden. Chris Kreider leads the Rangers with three goals this season against Washington, while Kevin Hayes (2-2-4) and Ryan McDonagh (0-4-4) both have a team-best four points in the season series. Oscar Lindberg has also scored twice against the Caps and added an assist in the four games. Washington has scored 18 goals against the Rangers this season, including seven in a 7-3 win at MSG back on December 20 and five in a 5-2 victory over New York in the only game so far played at the Verizon Center in mid January. The Capitals are 5-for-12 on the power play against the Rangers, with Alex Ovechkin scoring three of his five goals in this season series on the man advantage. Justin Williams, who had a hat trick in the most recent meeting between these two rivals on January 17, leads Washington with six goals and nine points.
Players To Watch:
Rangers-Kevin Hayes: The move back to right wing since Eric Staal’s arrival earlier this week has clearly been a work in progress for Kevin Hayes. Shifted to the wing, but with the chance to play with Staal as his center, Hayes has helped generate a handful of solid shifts on the forecheck and cycle in the offensive zone—in particular with Hayes trying to get the puck to Staal down low where the veteran center can often be found near the opponent’s net. However the net result for Hayes in the two games he has largely—yet not exclusively—played on a line with Staal is zero points and only three shots on goal. Vigneault has often said that Hayes looks most comfortable playing center, though he has also said this week that it’s going to take some time to figure out where Staal best fits and how all of the Ranger lines will shake out, especially when Rick Nash returns from injury, as well. So patience right now is important, both with Hayes and the entire team. The bottom line, though, for Hayes remains the same as it has all season: the Rangers need more offensive production from him. In 62 games played this year Hayes has 30 points (11-19-30), though in a positive bent eight of those points have come since February 10, a span of 11 games in which he has scored four times and added four assists. He is without a point in his last three games overall entering play Friday against a Capitals team he has recorded nine points (4-5-9) in eight career games, including four points in four matches this season.
Capitals-Justin Williams: As if it weren’t enough that Justin Williams scorched the Rangers during the 2014 Stanley Cup Final and went on to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP that same spring, he has come to Washington as a free agent signee this season and continued to torment the Blueshirts. Williams has scored 19 goals this season and six of those have come against New York, including a hat trick on January 17 at the Verizon Center. The veteran three-time Stanley Cup winner has produced for his new club out on the ice and has provided much leadership in the dressing room where he is extremely well respected by a team looking to get over the hump and move to the next level in its quest for the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Williams ranks third on the team in goals and is on the verge of reaching 20 for the first time since 2011-12 when he was a Los Angeles King. His 44 points place him fourth on the Capitals scoring list. The 34 year-old Williams has been somewhat quiet as of late, though, without a goal in seven games.
Mar 4 - 10:18am by MattCalamia
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