NYR TODAY Sunday 1/22: Game Day Preview, Alumni Birthdays, Today in Rangers History

NEW YORK RANGERS GAME DAY PREVIEW

NEW YORK RANGERS (29-16-1) DETROIT RED WINGS (20-19-7)
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI 12:30 PM TV: NBC RADIO: WEPN 98.7 FM NY

Rangerstown invades Hockeytown
The Rangers travel to Detroit today to visit the Red Wings for a Sunday Matinee Game. This will be the second of three meetings between the Rangers and Red Wings, and the first of two at Joe Louis Arena. The Rangers lost, 2-1, against Detroit on Oct. 19 at MSG.

Henrik Lundqvist will get the start for the Rangers and according to Head Coach Alain Vigneault he will most likely go with the same lineup as the previous game against Toronto.

The Rangers have earned at least one point in nine of their last 11 games against the Red Wings (7-2-2-) dating back to March 21, 2012.

Injured defenseman Marc Staal (concussion) and forward Jesper Fast (upper body) are still not eligible to return but Matt Puempel (concussion) did practice again Saturday afternoon with the team.

This is the first of back-to-back games as the Rangers return home to the Garden tomorrow to face the Los Angeles Kings at MSG.

NYR GAME DAY STATS:

NYR TEAM LEADERS:
GOALS: MICHAEL GRABNER 21
ASSISTS: MATS ZUCCARELLO 28
POINTS: DEREK STEPAN, MATS ZUCCARELLO 36
+/-: NICK HOLDEN, MICHAEL GRABNER +23
GWG: J.T. MILLER 4
PPG: BRANDON PIRRI, CHRIS KREIDER 5
PPP: RYAN McDONAGH, DEREK STEPAN 10
SHG: J.T. MILLER 3

GOALIE STATS:
WINS: HENRIK LUNDQVIST 19
GAA: ANTTI RAANTA 2.23
SO: ANTTI RANTA 2
SV%: ANTTI RAANTA .923
HENRIK LUNDQVIST  19-12-1 GAA: 2.86 SV%: .902 SO: 1
ANTTI RAANTA 10-4-0 GAA: 2.89 SV%: .902 SO: 2

NYR TEAM STATS
29-16-1
10th Overall NHL
4th Metropolitan Division
WINS: 29 (Rank #4)
POINTS: 59 (Rank #10)
WIN%: 0.648 (Rank #7)
GOALS FOR: 161 (Rank #2)
GOALS AGAINST: 124 (Rank #13)
POWER PLAY GOALS: 31 (Rank #12)
POWER PLAY %: 22.14 (Rank #8)
POWER PLAY GOALS AGAINST: 23 (Rank #12)
PENALTY KILL: 81.89 (Rank #14)
SHORT HANDED GOALS: 7 (Rank #2)
SHUTOUTS: 4 (Rank #5)
EMPTY NET GOALS: 9
SHOOTOUTS: 2/3

NYR Alumni Birthdays January 22:

Greg Gilbert LW (1993-1994) John Mitchell C (2011-2012) Tim Younghans RW (1981-1982)

Today in NYR History January 22:

1980: Ron Duguay ties a franchise record with two short-handed goals in a 5-4 win over the Kings.

1994: The Rangers host the 1994 NHL All-Star Game. Mike Richter is named MVP after stopping 19 of 21 shots he faced.

1998: Pat LaFontaine records the 1,000th point of his NHL career.