NY RANGERS VS CAROLINA HURRICANES RECAP

FINAL - NY RANGERS 4 CAROLINA HURRICANES 3

RECAP:
Rangers Snap Skid With 4-3 Victory Over Hurricanes
It wasn't perfect Monday night at Madison Square Garden, but it was a win, and two points, and the end to a three-game losing streak, as the Rangers skated to a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Facing the prospects of their first four-game losing streak since the 2013-14 season, the Rangers instead beat Carolina for the 11th consecutive time on Garden ice. It was also New York's 18th victory in their last 19 games overall against the Hurricanes.
The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period despite being outshot 10-6. Handed a power play just 64 seconds into the game, the Rangers struck five seconds into the man advantage when Mats Zuccarello zipped his team-leading 11th goal past Carolina goalie Cam Ward at 1:09, just the start New York had hoped for coming off a 3-0 home-ice loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
New York scored its second power play goal of the period--and fifth in the past five games--at 18:23 of the first when Oscar Lindberg buried a shot from the slot off a Dan Boyle feed. The goal was Lindberg's ninth of the season, and the assist was Boyle's second in the opening period, a nice boost for the veteran defenseman after being a healthy scratch the previous two games.
The two power play goals represented the first time this season that the Rangers had scored more than one on the power play in any game.
Carolina cut the Blueshirts lead in half just 1:40 into the second on a Jordan Staal goal; but only 44 seconds later the Rangers answered back when Chris Kreider caught Ward napping with a quick shot from right wing that beat the Hurricanes netminder through the pads. Kreider's fourth goal of the season was his first in eight games.
At that point in the game New York had scored three goals on only seven shots against Ward. It became four goals on 12 shots when Kevin Hayes and Derick Brassard teamed up on a Rangers goal at the 15:49 mark of the second period.
As the Rangers finished killing off a penalty to Hayes, Ward collected a loose puck in his own end and threw it towards his own blue line. Hayes, though, charged out of the penalty box, intercepted the attempted clear right before it reached the blue line, and proceeded to skate in at Ward before dishing the puck to a wide-open Brassard to Ward's left. Brassard rifled his seventh goal into the back of the cage giving the Blueshirts a 4-1 lead.
New York was outshot 14-8 in the second period and Henrik Lundqvist was exceptionally sharp between the pipes. However with 2:01 to play in the period Carolina's Victor Rask managed to beat Lundqvist through the five-hole, cutting the Rangers lead to 4-2.
That lead became a bit more precarious when the Hurricanes pulled to within 4-3 on a Chris Terry breakaway goal 8:23 into the third period. Moments later Rick Nash missed on a breakaway of his own, leaving the home team to sweat out a one-goal lead.
For much of the night the Rangers were forced to play with five defensemen as Kevin Klein suffered a strained muscle, according to the team, early in the first period and did not return to action after his fourth and final shift of the game ended 6:31 into play.

FINAL BOXSCORE:
 FINAL NY RANGERS 4 CAROLINA HURRICANES 3
Scoring Summary
1st Period
01:09 NYR PPG - Mats Zuccarello (11) Wrist shot - ASST: Derick Brassard (10) 1 - 0 NYR
18:23 NYR PPG - Oscar Lindberg (9) Slapshot - ASST: Dan Boyle (5), Keith Yandle (12) 2 - 0 NYR
2nd Period
01:40 CAR Jordan Staal (5) Snap shot - ASST: Andrej Nestrasil (2), Joakim Nordstrom (3) 2 - 1 NYR
02:24 NYR Chris Kreider (4) Wrist shot - ASST: Jesper Fast (4) 3 - 1 NYR
15:49 NYR Derick Brassard (7) Snap shot - ASST: Kevin Hayes (9) 4 - 1 NYR
17:59 CAR Victor Rask (8) Snap shot - ASST: Elias Lindholm (4), Jaccob Slavin (1) 4 - 2 NYR
3rd Period
08:23 CAR Chris Terry (3) Backhand shot - ASST: Jeff Skinner (2), Ron Hainsey (4) 4 - 3 NYR
Penalty Summary
1st Period
01:04 CAR Brett Pesce Tripping - 2 min against Rick Nash
06:54 NYR Dan Boyle Delaying Game-Puck over glass - 2 min against Jaccob Slavin
12:04 NYR Oscar Lindberg Interference - 2 min against Riley Nash
12:44 CAR Eric Staal Hooking - 2 min against Jesper Fast
18:11 CAR John-Michael Liles Interference - 2 min against Dominic Moore
2nd Period
11:25 CAR Kris Versteeg Tripping - 2 min against Oscar Lindberg
13:43 NYR Kevin Hayes Tripping - 2 min against Justin Faulk
3rd Period
16:11 CAR John-Michael Liles Cross checking - 2 min against Mats Zuccarello
16:11 NYR Mats Zuccarello Tripping - 2 min against John-Michael Liles
shots by period
Period CAR NYR
1st 10 6
2nd 14 8
3rd 12 8
Total 36 22
Team Stats
Category CAR NYR
Power Plays 0/3 2/4
Hits 12 26
Faceoff Wins 29 25
Giveaways 13 18
Takeaways 5 9
Blocked Shots 9 25
Penalty Minutes 10 8
Three Stars of the Game
1st
Derick Brassard
C
G: 1 Shots: 4
A: 1 Hits: 2
PTS: 2 PIM: 0
+/-: 0 TOI: 18:35
New York Rangers
2nd
Elias Lindholm
C
G: 0 Shots: 6
A: 1 Hits: 1
PTS: 1 PIM: 0
+/-: 1 TOI: 21:14
Carolina Hurricanes
3rd
Mats Zuccarello
RW
G: 1 Shots: 1
A: 0 Hits: 0
PTS: 1 PIM: 2
+/-: 0 TOI: 16:59

 YOUR NY RANGERS STARS OF THE GAME
1. DERICK BRASSARD

2. MATS ZUCCARELLO

BROADWAY HAT GOES TO #20 CHRIS KREIDER!

NEXT GAME: Wednesday December 2. The NY Rangers head to Brooklyn to take on the Islanders 8:00 PM NBCSN.

WOLF PAK REPORT 11/30

Good Afternoon RNYRF's,
I hope you all had a very safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend. For the Wolf Pack it wasn't really a happy weekend as the team has dropped 3 straight dating back to last Sunday vs the Utica Comets in Hartford. A new feature this week will be something I call Recent Pack Call Up's where a Current member of the Wolf Pack gets called up by the NY Rangers. I will give you all some stats and a preview of what to expect with the Player that has been called up.
Game Recaps - 11/27/15 - 11/29/15
11/27/15 vs Springfield Falcons (ARI) - After the Thanksgiving break and coming off a 3 to 2 loss vs the Utica Comets at home the Wolf Pack looked to bounce back against the Springfield Falcons on Friday Night at the XL Center in Hartford. Despite out shooting the Falcons by 36 to 21 count the Wolf Pack could not figure out Falcons starting Goalie Nicklas Tretule who stopped all 36 Wolf Pack shots en route to a 2 to 0 Falcons Win.
11/28/15 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI) - It was once again time for the two In State Rivals to duke it out in Bridgeport as the Wolf Pack looked to avenge their 1 to 0 loss at Bridgeport eariler in the month. Although the Wolf Pack were able to get 2 goals in this game the Sound Tigers got a Hat Trick from Joe Whitney and cruised to a 5 to 2 win at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport.
Recent Pack Call Ups - This past weekend the NY Rangers called up Wolf Pack forward Tanner Glass. Due to an injury to Derek Stepan the Rangers Called up Glass to fill an open hole in their roster. Just a few weeks ago the Rangers sent down Glass to Hartford to give him some more playing time. In his time with Hartford Glass has scored a Power Play Goal and has brought veteren leadership to the Wolf Pack.
Week Ahead 11/30/15 - 12/6/15:
11/4/15 vs Hershey Bears (WSH) at 7:15 pm
11/5/15 at WBS Penguins (PIT) at 7:05 pm
11/6/15 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 5:00 pm
Just for your infomation I will be at the Wolf Pack vs BPT Sound Tigers Game this Sunday with a couple of friends of mine.
I Hope you all have a Great Week!!!!!!
and
LETS GO WOLF PACK!!!!!!
‪#‎RUNWITHTHEPACK‬

GAME DAY NEWS & NOTES 2

Rangers call up Jayson Megna from Wolf Pack

A little under an hour after news broke on Derek Stepan's official injury timeline/diagnosis, the New York Rangers made a move to bring in another forward.

rnyrf.blogspot.com|By Real NY Rangers Fans

Rangers lineup vs Carolina
Forwards:
Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello
Chris Kreider, Oscar Lindberg, Jesper Fast
JT Miller, Kevin Hayes, Viktor Stalberg
Dominic Moore, Jarret Stoll, Emerson Etem
Defense Pairs:
Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Klein
Marc Staal, Dan Boyle
Keith Yandle, Dan Girardi
Goal:
Henrik Lundqvist
Backup: Annti Raanta
Scratches: Dylan McIlrath, Jayson Megna
Injured: Derek Stepan (Broken Ribs 4-6 Weeks)

 #‎NYR‬ Injury Update: Derek Stepan will miss 4-6 weeks due to broken ribs
Injured Rangers center Derek Stepan met with the doctors over the weekend and on Monday head coach Alain Vigneault announced that Stepan would miss the next 4-6 weeks of action. Stepan broke two ribs during Friday's game in Boston against the Bruins, and the Rangers previously had stated only that he would be sidelined indefinitely.
It is the second straight season that Stepan will miss significant playing time. Last season sat out 14 games due to injury, including the entire month of October due to a fractured leg. Over the first four seasons of his NHL career Stepan did not miss a single regular season game, and only one in the post-season when he suffered a broken jaw in the 2014 Eastern Conference Final.

Vigneault said that for the time being no other player will be called up from Hartford and added to the Rangers roster to take Stepan's place. Currently the team has 12 healthy forwards and seven healthy defensemen. He added that if a player is needed this week it will be easy to make a recall from Hartford since the Rangers are in New York all week, with three games at home at MSG and one game in Brooklyn on Wednesday against the Islanders.
In 23 games played this season Stepan has scored six goals, added six assists and totaled 12 points. He is tied for 6th among all Blueshirts in scoring.

New Look Lines for Tonight's Match With 'Canes
A combination of losing Derek Stepan and three losses in a row has led to some new lines for Alain Vigneault and the Rangers ahead of tonight's match with the Carolina Hurricanes at The Garden.
While the Derick Brassard unit will remain in tact, Kevin Hayes will center J.T. Miller and Viktor Stalberg, while Emerson Etem will slide down to the fourth line alongside Jarret Stoll and Dominic Moore. One completely new line is Oscar Lindberg between Chris Kreider and Jesper Fast.
"[I'm] just trying to see what the lines we have this morning if we can be very responsible defensively and maybe [make] better decisions with the puck to give us a good chance to play a good game tonight," Vigneault told reporters.
The head coach said the team's "execution is off right now," starting in the defensive zone. He said that there were too many turnovers in their own end and in the neutral zone in Saturday's 3-0 loss to the Flyers.
While Lindberg and Fast have played together this season, the addition of Kreider to the line could give it a new dimension.
"Adding Kreids to our line obviously adds a lot of speed and a lot of power," Lindberg told BlueshirtsUntied.com after the team's morning skate. "I think that's going to be good for us. Just try and keep playing and use his speed. He's a fast player. He can create a lot of chances."
Lindberg said he and Kreider played together briefly in Hartford at the start of the 2013-14 season before Kreider was recalled to New York. Lindberg said he does not expect any carryover chemistry between the two, but said that he knows Kreider's game well enough to know what to expect.
According to stats.hockeyanalysis.com, Lindberg has played just 5:17 of even strength with Kreider this season. He made the most of it, though, scoring a goal with three shots on net.
Fast, meanwhile, has experience playing with both players, most recently this weekend alongside Lindberg and Miller. Vigneault has also used Fast with Kreider and Stepan earlier this year and even during last year's postseason.
Fast has a goal and two assists in 88:33 of five-on-five with Kreider, as well as an assist in 40:44 of five-on-five with Lindberg this season.
The one personnel change for tonight's game is the insertion of defenseman Dan Boyle for Dylan McIlrath, who will be a healthy scratch after playing back-to-back games in Boston Friday and at home Saturday.
McIlrath, who has appeared in six games this season, has played well, especially physically, in his chances this season. On Friday he rocked Boston's Landon Ferraro and fought Matt Belesky after his unpenalized hit on Stepan, which left the center with two broken ribs that will sideline him for four-to-six weeks.
He followed that up with a big hit on the Flyers' Nick Schultz, which led to a fight with Luke Schenn.
Vigneault said the opponent was a big deciding factor in dressing Boyle, who has four assists in 16 games.
"Oppositin, power play, a couple things went into my thinking there, and that's what we're going to do tonight," Vigneault said.
In goal it will be Henrik Lundqvist agaisnt Cam Ward.
By Matt Calamia

W2W4: Rangers vs. Hurricanes 11.30.15
Who: New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Where: Madison Square Garden
When: Monday night at 7:00 PM
Watch: MSG Network beginning at 6:30 PM
Listen: ESPN-98.7 FM and NewYorkRangers.com
*************************************
The Skinny:
Monday night at The Garden the Rangers (16-6-2, 34 pts) close out the month of November by hosting a division rival, the Carolina Hurricanes (8-11-4, 20 pts). By and large it has been a very successful month for the Blueshirts, as their 9-4-0 record attests, but New York enters play Monday having lost three consecutive games in regulation, something that the team had not done previously since early October of last season. In their three straight defeats, which includes a pair on home ice, the Rangers--who still lead all NHL teams with a 2.04 GAA--have surrendered 12 goals. Of those 12 goals, seven have been surrendered in the third period of play, a major surprise because the Blueshirts have owned the third period this season, and really did most of last year, as well. In their most recent outing the Rangers were blanked 3-0 by the Flyers at MSG on Saturday, 24 hours after a painful 4-3 loss up in Boston in which New York gave up two goals late in the third to wipe out a 3-2 lead. The Rangers looked weary Saturday, managing just 24 shots on goal--only 14 of which came over the final 40 minutes of play. Currently two-thirds of the way through a nine-games-in-15-days stretch, the Rangers kick off the final leg of that run Monday by beginning three-games-in-four nights, with a road game against the Islanders and a home tilt against the Avalanche waiting on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. Henrik Lundqvist is back in goal against the Hurricanes Monday after a day off on Saturday. Though he has allowed nine goals in his last two starts, Lundqvist still owns the NHL's second best save percentage (.936), is second in wins (12), and sixth in GAA (2.05). In front of Lundqvist head coach Alain Vigneault must decide if rookie Dylan McIlrath remains in the lineup on defense after two impressively physical performances on Friday and Saturday or if veteran Dan Boyle opts back in after serving as a healthy scratch. Up front Vigneault must find the right line combinations with Derek Stepan out with broken ribs and many of the other forwards struggling to find their rhythm. Saturday the fourth line of Dom Moore, Jarret Stoll, and Viktor Stalberg was New York's most effective. Carolina comes in tied for last place in the Metropolitan Division following a 4-1 loss Friday night up in Buffalo. The Hurricanes are 2-3-4 in their last nine games and have won consecutive games only once this season when they won three straight a month ago at the end of October. The second-lowest scoring team in the NHL, Carolina has scored only nine first-period goals all season and as a result has led after one period only five times in 23 games. It's not much prettier at the other end of the ice where the Hurricanes own a 2.83 team GAA, ranking them 24th out of 30 teams in the NHL. Yet there are better vibes around Bill Peters' team this season than in recent years. It is a hard-working group that comes to compete every night and finds itself in nearly every game Carolina plays, making them a dangerous foe for a recently-struggling Rangers squad on Monday.
Head To Head:
This is the second meeting between the Rangers and Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden this month. Twenty days ago the Rangers shut out the Hurricanes 3-0 as Henrik Lundqvist recorded his first shutout of the season, and second ever against Carolina. Lundqvist made 33 saves in the win, including 14 in the second period. New York took only three shots against Cam Ward in the first period, but scored on two of them as Jesper Fast and Rick Nash scored 11 seconds apart midway through the opening stanza. Ryan McDonagh finished things off with his first goal of the season 13 seconds into the the third period, with Nash earning his second point of the contest with the lone assist. The Rangers have now won each of their last ten home games against the Hurricanes dating to January 5, 2011; and in those ten games the Rangers have allowed only nine goals. Overall the Rangers have won 17 of their last 18 games against Carolina, outscoring the 'Canes 61-29 in that stretch. New York and Carolina will meet twice more this season, both times down in Raleigh, on January 22 and March 31.
Players To Watch:
Rangers-Chris Kreider: Off to a painfully slow start offensively, and now playing without his usual center--the injured Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider must find a way to become a difference maker again for the Rangers. No one can doubt how much he cares or how much responsibility he is taking for scoring just three goals in the first 24 games this season, but with the club mired in its worst losing skid of the year it is imperative that Kreider begin to turn things around offensively. Head coach Alain Vigneault said at the beginning of training camp that he envisioned a breakout season for Kreider, who scored 21 goals last year; and he has not wavered in his support of the 24 year-old winger, nor has removed him from a top-six role or spot on the power play during his struggles. The coach and his teammates believe in Kreider, and see how hard he works every day to be the best player he can possibly be. All that is needed are results. Kreider has not scored a goal in seven games nor recorded a point in six, even with a pair of penalty shot attempts included, and Saturday against the Flyers he was held without a shot on goal despite nearly 17 minutes of ice time.That most definitely is not trending upwards, but Kreider is well aware that now is the time to begin to break out, just when his team needs him most.
Hurricanes-Justin Faulk: Though held without a point in Friday's loss in Buffalo, Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk is off to an outstanding start offensively this season. The 23 year-old Faulk, who scored 15 goals and totaled 49 points a year ago, has already scored eight goals this season and amassed 18 points in 23 games. He leads the Hurricanes in goals and points, and is tied for second with ten assists. Among NHL defensemen he ranks second in goals and tied for seventh in points. Faulk also is tied for the overall league lead with eight power play goals this season, meaning all eight of his tallies have come with the man advantage and not one has come at even strength. He has already topped his previous career-high of seven power play goals, set last season when he also added a pair of shorties. Quite simply, the Rangers need to limit how often they put Carolina on the power play Monday, and when they do, they will need to focus on Faulk and make sure he does not have space to operate and let loose his lethal shot. Though scoreless on Friday, Faulk had a seven-game point-scoring streak right before, totaling nine points (3-6-9) in that span, so he is in the midst of a hot run. However at the other end of the ice, Faulk owns a -11 plus/minus rating, due in part to how many goals Carolina surrenders and how much ice time Faulk logs every night.

Rangers call up Jayson Megna from Wolf Pack

A little under an hour after news broke on Derek Stepan's official injury timeline/diagnosis, the New York Rangers made a move to bring in another forward. According to the team's Twitter account, the Rangers have recalled forward Jayson Megna from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.

OFFICIAL: #NYR have recalled forward Jayson Megna (@Jayson_Megna) from @WolfPackAHL. pic.twitter.com/dseeme0uUn

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 30, 2015

Megna was extremely impressive during the preseason earlier on in September, and as a result, he made it all the way up until the final roster cut. Since being sent down, Megna has appeared in 21 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack, where he has totaled 5 goals, 7 assists, and 12 points.

GAME DAY NEWS & NOTES 11/30 / Team Leaders / Alumni Birthdays / Today in NYR History

Rangers aim to get back on track against Hurricanes
HURRICANES (8-11-4) at RANGERS (16-6-2)

TV: FS-CR, MSG

Season series: Henrik Lundqvist made 33 saves and Rick Nash had a goal and an assist to lead the New York Rangers to a 3-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 10 at Madison Square Garden. Jesper Fast and Ryan McDonagh scored for the Rangers. Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward made 20 saves.

Hurricanes team scope: Carolina has found its offense in a top line that features Victor Rask between left wing Eric Staal and right wing Elias Lindholm; in the past four games, they have combined for four goals and nine points. The Hurricanes have scored 11 goals in those four games, an average of 2.75 per game; in their first 19 games they averaged 1.89 goals per game. They're 2-1-1 in that stretch. But the Hurricanes still need to be better defensively; they've allowed 11 goals in the past four games, including a 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday that saw Ward get pulled after allowing three goals on 14 shots in two periods. The Hurricanes practiced in New York on Sunday, but there was no indication if Ward or Eddie Lack, who made six saves in relief of Ward on Friday, would start.

Rangers team scope: New York has lost three straight games and is one point behind the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division. One problem has been a lack of consistent scoring; the Rangers have four goals in the past three games. Forward Chris Kreider was expected to be a big part of the offense this season, but he's gone seven games without a goal and didn't have a shot on goal in the past two games. He has three goals and 10 points in 24 games. "It has been about as bad as it can be, and it is nobody's fault but my own," Kreider told the New York Post. Coach Alain Vigneault wouldn't point the finger at any individual, saying, "At the end of the day, right now, we all have to man up here." The Rangers did not practice Sunday. Lundqvist is expected to start Monday.

Carolina @ New York Rangers Team Leaders:
Goals: CAR Faulk 8 --- NYR Zuccarello 11
Shots: CAR Faulk 76 --- NYR Nash 69
Hits: CAR Staal 45 --- NYR Girardi 51
Assist: CAR Faulk 10 --- NYR Zuccarello 11/Yandle 11

NYR Alumni Birthday 11/30; Dave Barr, RW (1983-1984), Curt Giles, D (1986-1987), Sean Pronger, C (1998-1999), Ronnie Rowe, LW (1947-1948)

TODAY IN NYR HISTORY November 30:
1926: In the first ever meeting between the Rangers and the Chicago Blackhawks, the Rangers skate away with a 4-3 victory at MSG.

NYR NEWS AND NOTES 11/29

Why the NHL didn't suspend Matt Beleskey;
According to Damien Cox, the NHL didn't suspend Matt Beleskey for his hit on Derek Stepan yesterday because the hit occurred .7 seconds after Stepan passed the puck. (Sportsnet)
The NHL threshold for a late hit is .8 seconds.

On MSG today, they showed video that indicated Beleskey's hit occurred 1 second after Stepan moved the puck, .2 seconds past the threshold.
After the game against Boston, Alain Vigneault said "in our opinion, it was a late hit. More than a second, and he was a couple of feet away from the boards. So we'll have to wait and see. I remember Aaron Rome in this building, 0.6 seconds late, getting suspended four games in the Stanley Cup Final, so [it will] be interesting to see." (via the Bruins)
Stepan is out indefinitely with two broken ribs.

 Chris Kreider said that his season so far is "as bad as it can be" and that it's "nobody's fault but my own." (NY Post)
He said that everyone has been supportive of him and his opportunities but "it's on me." (NY Post)

Larry Brooks said that on Saturday Kreider took "about forever" to change out of his hockey pants and that "one by one" teammates walked by and tapped him to show encouragement. (NY Post)
Kreider said that he starts every game with a clean slate but as the game starts little things happen that cause him to second guess himself. (NY Post)
He added, "up until now, I don't think things could have gone any more poorly." (NY Post)
Kreider notes that outside expectations don't bother him and that his own expectations are very high. (NY Post)
Adam Rotter: This was supposed to be, and it still can be, "the year" for Kreider who has had expectations almost as big as him since the moment he joined the Rangers. He joined the Rangers as a raw player with loads of talent and after last season looked like he was ready to put his talent, his physical attributes and his his mind together to become an All-Star caliber player. So far it hasn't happened and you can definitely make the case that he has been the most disappointing Ranger so far.
But with Kreider, as was with Rick Nash when he wasn't scoring, so far is the key. There is a lot of time left for Kreider to start working towards being an All-Star caliber player and the matchup nightmare he would be for the other 29 teams. He can't just turn it on though. He needs to get back to chasing after pucks, going to the front of the net and doing the things that made him effective in the past. Once he gets those things straight he can start to build on it. All-Star Chris Kreider won't just appear on Monday night but seeing Chris Kreider of last year would give the Rangers a big boost. That player was up and down the ice in a flash, in front of the net and causing havoc all over. That is the player the Rangers need right now and hopefully if that guy can come through, maybe All-Star Chris Kreider will be waiting when the playoffs start.

Alain Vigneault spoke with reporters following the Rangers shutout loss to the Flyers (via the Rangers & MSG)
On today's game…"I felt we played a good first period and then in the second and the third Philly was the much better team on the ice. Give them credit, they played a strong game. For whatever reason, our puck management from our end to the other end was having some difficulties. At the end of the day, right now we all need to man up here. I need to get this group to play better and I am very confident that this group knows the right way to play. I am very confident that we have the right leadership in that dressing room. I am very confident that they know we can execute and play a lot better than we are right now, and we are going to have an opportunity to show that on Monday. We are in a sequence of playing five games in a short time and we don't have to dwell a lot on this, we need to move past and focus on the next game."
On the challenges of a season…"During every season, individually and collectively you are challenged mentally, sometimes through your play and sometimes through the demands of the schedule. I feel that this group knows how to respond. Obviously it would be hard to tell by the way we are paying now, but I know they're a very strong group and will have an opportunity to prove that Monday."
On moving forward…"Right now, my only concern is to find the areas that this group needs to be better, find ways to make our players understand that. That's what coaches do - we try to improve areas that need improving and try to continue the right things you're doing. Now there is obviously room for improvement in a few categories."
On Dylan McIlrath, "I mean, I'm not quite sure how to answer that after how we played in the second and the third, how to focus on one player when this is a team game. A lot of our team needs to be better right now."
On the team's recent play…"I would say the honest answer is that for some parts of some games we haven't been as good as we can be. We've probably gotten some of those wins because of extraordinary goaltending. I thought we had another extraordinary goaltending performance today, but the rest of our game was absent in the second and the third. So we all learn lessons as individuals and teams. I think we got one today and hopefully we'll be good next game."
Any update on Stepan, "didn't ask."

Happy Birthday/Alumni Birthdays/Today In NYR History

Happy Birthday Hartford Wolf Pack/NY Rangers LW Tanner Glass

NYR Alumni Birthday 11/29; Bill Baker, D (1982-83), Ian Cushenan, D (1959-60), Alex Kaleta, LW (1948-1951)

 TODAY IN NYR HISTORY November 29;
1998: The Rangers play the Nashville Predators for the first time, and defeat them, 5-1, at MSG behind Wayne Gretzky’s goal and two assists.

RANGERS LOSE THIRD STRAIGHT

POST GAME RECAP:
Rangers Blanked By Flyers 3-0

Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden the Rangers failed to generate much offense against a long-time rival and ended up falling to the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. It was New York's third consecutive loss, the first time this season that the Rangers have lost three straight in regulation, and the first time they have done so since October of last season.

Playing without the injured Derek Stepan, who suffered broken ribs in Friday's 4-3 loss in Boston, the Rangers managed only 24 shots on goal and were shut out for the second time this season. New York registered only 14 shots over the final two periods of play, and have now lost four of their last six games.

Goaltender Antti Raanta was extremely sharp for the Rangers, making 31 saves, but he suffered his first defeat in five decisions this season.

After a scoreless first period in which the Rangers had the better of the play, New York was outshot 18-7 in the second and was on its collective heels for much of the middle twenty minutes. If not for the solid play of Raanta, the Rangers easily could have hit the second intermission in far worse shape then they actually did, trailing just 1-0.

Several times in the second period Raanta was forced into making successive saves as the Flyers beat the Rangers to rebounds for a strong of second chance opportunities. Raanta showed excellent focus as the Flyers crashed his net, and time and again he made the big save to keep an outplayed Rangers team in the game.

Philly broke the scoreless deadlock at 12:24 of the second when Wayne Simmonds scored on a breakaway. Simmonds slipped behind Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein and was fed a perfect head-man saucer pass by Matt Read at the blue line. From there Simmonds skated in and beat Raanta on a forehand finish, only his fourth goal of the season, and first in seven games.

New York generated nothing of significance in the second after outshooting the Flyers 10-4 in the opening period and taking the play to the visitors. Dominic Moore was sent in alone after a pretty passing sequence with linemates Viktor Stalberg and Jarret Stoll, but Flyers goalie Steve Mason made a clutch stick save at 13:49 of the first to keep New York off the scoreboard.

The early highlight of the game for the Rangers took place 10:58 into the first period when rugged rookie defenseman Dylan McIlrath delivered a bone-jarring hit on Philly defenseman Nick Schultz, who had the puck caught up in his skates. McIlrath sent Schultz careening to the ice, and immediately afterwards Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn engaged McIlrath in a fight.

It was the second straight game in which McIlrath got into a fight, and more importantly the second consecutive game he laid out an opponent with a clean, thunderous hit. Unfortunately Schultz was forced out of the remainder of Saturday's contest with an upper body injury.

The third period did not start any better for the Rangers as the Flyers doubled their lead at the 3:06 mark of the period. Sean Couturier banged in the rebound of a Simmonds shot for his first goal in 13 games after Raanta had made two saves while on his knees.

Less than two minutes later Marc Staal came within inches of scoring for New York, but his left wing shot hit the far post after whistling between the legs of Mason.

The Rangers avoided further damage a few minutes later when the Flyers were awarded a 5-on-3 power for 63 seconds at the 7:43 mark of the period. Raanta made three saves during the two-man disadvantage and then another while killing off the second penalty, and the saves and two kills brought the crowd back to life at The Garden.

Simmonds hit the empty net with Raanta pulled for an extra attacker with 49.3 seconds remaining in regulation to close out the scoring.

FINAL BOXSCORE
NYR 0 PHI 3

Scoring Summary
1st Period
NONE
2nd Period
12:24 PHI Wayne Simmonds (4) Wrist shot - ASST: Matt Read (3), Michael Del Zotto (4) 1 - 0 PHI
3rd Period
03:06 PHI Sean Couturier (2) Wrist shot - ASST: Wayne Simmonds (7), Scott Laughton (5) 2 - 0 PHI
19:10 PHI EN - Wayne Simmonds (5) Wrist shot - ASST: NONE 3 - 0 PHI


Penalty Summary
1st Period
10:58 PHI Luke Schenn Fighting (maj) - 5 min against Dylan McIlrath
10:58 NYR Dylan McIlrath Fighting (maj) - 5 min against Luke Schenn
10:58 PHI Luke Schenn served by Brayden Schenn Instigator - 2 min against Dylan McIlrath
10:58 PHI Luke Schenn Misconduct (10 min) - 10 min against Dylan McIlrath
18:57 PHI Radko Gudas Unsportsmanlike conduct - 2 min against Viktor Stalberg
2nd Period
NONE
3rd Period
06:46 NYR Dylan McIlrath Hooking - 2 min against Wayne Simmonds
07:43 NYR Jarret Stoll Slashing - 2 min against Steve Mason


shots by period
Period PHI NYR
1st 4 10
2nd 18 7
3rd 12 7
Total 34 24


Team Stats
Category PHI NYR
Power Plays 0/2 0/2
Hits 26 31
Faceoff Wins 22 23
Giveaways 8 9
Takeaways 9 13
Blocked Shots 17 13
Penalty Minutes 19 9

UPCOMING GAMES

Rangers Game Day / Team Leaders / Alumni Birthdays

RANGERS GAME DAY!! Philadelphia Flyers @ New York Rangers Today 1:30 PM on MSG. Let's Go Rangers!!!

RANGERS VS FLYERS TEAM LEADERS
Goals: PHI: Giroux 8 --- NYR Zuccarello 10
Shots: PHI Voracek 68 --- NYR Nash 63
Hits: PHI: Gudas 105 --- NYR Girardi 49
Assists: PHI Voracek --- NYR Zuccarello/Yandle 11

 Alain Vigneault announced after yesterday's loss to Boston that Derek Stepan has suffered broken ribs as a result of the hit from Matt Beleskey. (NYR)
Vigneault said that Stepan is out indefinitely. (NYR)

NYR Alumni Birthday 11/28; Michael Kostka, D (2014-2015), "The Chief" Jim Neilson, D (1962-1974), Art Strobel, LW (1943-44)

Rangers Fall 4-3 In Boston Matinee

 In an intense back-and-forth battle Friday afternoon at TD Garden, the Rangers showed plenty of grit and resolve, but allowed a pair of goals late in the third period to ultimately fall to the Boston Bruins 4-3. It was New York's second consecutive defeat, only the second time this season the Rangers have dropped successive games.
With the score tied 2-2 and nearing the midway point of the third period, the Rangers were awarded a power play when Boston's Brad Marchand skated by Henrik Lundqvist's crease, making contact with Lundqvist's head with his knee, sending the Rangers netminder sprawling on the ice. New York then scored on the ensuing power play to grab a one-goal lead.
J.T. Miller camped in front of the Boston net and deflected a Keith Yandle shot off the post, off Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, and over the goal line at 9:28. Miller's fourth goal was also his first power play point of the season, and couldn't have come at a better time.
However the resilient Bruins and their NHL-best power play pulled even at 16:14 with New York's Jesper Fast sitting in the penalty box. Ryan Spooner scored his fifth goal, scoring on a rebound, tying the game with the Bruins' second power play goal of the afternoon.
Two minutes later a David Krejci slap shot hit a Rangers' stick and redirected past Lundqvist with 1:43 to play in regulation, a stunning turn of events which went decidedly against New York.
The two teams had reached the third period tied 2-2, a somewhat unfortunate turn of events for the Rangers leading to Boston scoring the equalizer midway through the second period.
After falling behind 1-0 in the first, the Rangers scored twice early in the middle period to grab a 2-1 lead. Then at 8:06 Boston's Matt Beleskey delivered a hard--and arguably late--hit which lifted Derek Stepan off his skates and sent him flying into the boards. While a dazed Stepan collected himself, rookie defenseman Dylan McIlrath jumped to his defense, pummeling Beleskey in a one-sided fight near the penalty boxes.
When the dust settled McIlrath was penalized 17 minutes--two minutes for instigating, five for fighting, and a ten minute misconduct--and Beleskey was only assessed the five minute fighting major. Handed a two-minute man advantage the Bruins power play scored the tying goal, Brett Connolly scoring his fifth goal at 9:34, tying the score 2-2.
That score held up into the second intermission only because Lundqvist made a sharp save as the buzzer sounded after his teammates seemingly had slowed down on the play.
Lundqvist had opened the game with a pair of highlight-reel saves--one at 1:58 when he stoned Jonas Kemppainen's breakaway and another at 3:30 when he robbed a wide-open Loui Eriksson from point-blank range.
As for Stepan, he was able to take his regular shifts--including on the PK before Connolly scored--to close out the second period, but he did not come out for the third and did not play the rest of the afternoon.
After spotting Boston a 1-0 lead, on a Patrice Bergeron goal 14:45 into the game, the Rangers got going early in the second. Oscar Lindberg scored his first goal in ten games, coming out of the corner with the puck, dancing around a pair of attempted checks, and then proceeding to wrist a shot past Rask at 2:10 of the second. The game-tying score was Lindberg's eighth goal of the season and was assisted by Miller and Fast.
The red-hot Rick Nash gave New York the lead at 5:15, scoring his eighth goal--and sixth in the past four games. Ryan McDonagh kept the puck in at the Bruins blue line and whipped a pass to the open Nash above Rask's crease. Nash settled the puck, make a pair of dekes, and then deposited the puck into the back of the net just as Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg crushed him from behind and on top of Rask.
The Rangers are right back at it Saturday afternoon when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden.

FINAL BOXSCORE:
 FINAL NYR 3 BOS 4
Scoring Summary
1st Period
14:15 BOS Patrice Bergeron (8) Wrist shot - ASST: Torey Krug (12) 1 - 0 BOS
2nd Period
02:10 NYR Oscar Lindberg (8) Wrist shot - ASST: J.T. Miller (8), Jesper Fast (3) 1 - 1 Tie
05:15 NYR Rick Nash (8) Wrist shot - ASST: Ryan McDonagh (7) 2 - 1 NYR
09:34 BOS PPG - Brett Connolly (5) Wrist shot - ASST: Colin Miller (8), Jimmy Hayes (8) 2 - 2 Tie
3rd Period
09:28 NYR PPG - J.T. Miller (4) Wrist shot - ASST: Keith Yandle (11), Kevin Klein (3) 3 - 2 NYR
16:14 BOS PPG - Ryan Spooner (5) ASST: Loui Eriksson (11), Torey Krug (13) 3 - 3 Tie
18:17 BOS David Krejci (9) Slapshot - ASST: NONE 4 - 3 BOS
Penalty Summary
1st Period
10:18 BOS Colin Miller Hooking - 2 min against Derick Brassard
2nd Period
08:06 NYR Dylan McIlrath Misconduct (10 min) - 10 min against Matt Beleskey
08:06 NYR Dylan McIlrath Fighting (maj) - 5 min against Matt Beleskey
08:06 BOS Matt Beleskey Fighting (maj) - 5 min against Dylan McIlrath
08:06 NYR Dylan McIlrath served by Chris Kreider Instigator - 2 min against Matt Beleskey
17:02 BOS Brett Connolly Too many men/ice - bench - 2 min
3rd Period
03:22 NYR Derick Brassard Tripping - 2 min against Dennis Seidenberg
07:59 BOS Brad Marchand Interference on goalkeeper - 2 min against Henrik Lundqvist
14:54 NYR Jesper Fast Holding - 2 min against Colin Miller
shots by period
Period NYR BOS
1st 7 12
2nd 10 11
3rd 10 11
Total 27 34
Team Stats
Category NYR BOS
Power Plays 1/3 2/3
Hits 23 24
Faceoff Wins 30 30
Giveaways 9 6
Takeaways 11 1
Blocked Shots 15 13
Penalty Minutes 21 11

NEXT GAME: TOMORROW 1:30 PM FLYERS @ RANGERS

W2W4: Rangers vs. Bruins 11.28.15

Who: New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins
Where: TD Garden
When: Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM
Watch: NBC-TV
Listen: ESPN-98.7 FM and NewYorkRangers.com
************************
The Skinny:
Friday afternoon up in Boston the Rangers (16-4-2, 34 pts) look to bounce back from their worst defeat of the season when they face off with the Bruins (12-8-1, 25 pts) in a nationally televised matinee pitting a pair of Original Six teams. Though they have won 11 of their last 13 games, the Rangers have lost twice in the past week. Included in there is the 5-1 loss at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday night which snapped a nine-game home-ice winning streak for New York. Veteran defenseman Dan Girardi admitted that the wheels came off for the Blueshirts in that one, especially during Montreal's quick-strike three-goal third period which kayoed goaltender Henrik Lundqvist from the game in favor of back up Antti Raanta. It will be a highly-motivated Lundqvist who starts Friday in Boston; and past history shows that he almost always follows up a sub-par outing with a quality performance. The rest of the team will need to follow suit, as well. As of late some cracks have emerged in the Rangers game, notably with some sloppy puck management in their own end and failures to create a consistent offensive zone presence. Some recent line juggling by head coach Alain Vigneault failed to provide the desired results against a very good Canadiens team on Wednesday, so there's a good chance AV will make changes to the actual lineup itself on Friday. During practice on Thursday Emerson Etem replaced Viktor Stalberg on the fourth line while Dylan McIlrath skated in Dan Boyle's spot on a defense pairing with Keith Yandle. Neither Etem nor McIlrath has appeared in a game in nearly two weeks. One Ranger who certainly has his game going heading into Friday's matinee is Rick Nash, who has scored five goals in the past three games and who has notched four multiple-point games in his last ten outings, while recording 12 points in that span. A key to Friday's game will be how the Rangers' third-ranked penalty kill can handle the Bruins' NHL-best power play, which has converted at better than a 30 percent success rate this season. Interesting to note, however, is that during Boston's current four-game winning streak--which has equaled the team's season-high--the Bruins have scored only one power play goal, and have been shut out with the man advantage the last three contests. Another interesting stat is that the Rangers own a team goals against average--1.91--which is a full goal less than that of the Bruins---2.91. Banged up at the start of the season, the Bruins are getting healthier; and defenseman Kevan Miller, who has missed four straight games, is likely to return against the Rangers.
Head To Head:
The Rangers and Bruins are meeting for the first of three times this season on Friday. The next two games will be played at Madison Square Garden on January 11 and March 23. In the last 30 head-to-head meetings between the Rangers and Bruins, 27 of the games have been decided by two goals or less, with 22 of those decided by one goal or fewer and eight ending in either overtime of a shootout. Last season the Rangers dropped two of three to the Bruins, losing both games played at TD Garden. Tuukka Rask shut out New York 3-0 on January 15 up in Boston and then the Bruins also skated to a 4-2 home-ice win on March 28. The Rangers have lost three straight at TD Garden, last winning 4-3 in a shootout on February 12, 2013. In three games against the Bruins last season Rick Nash led the Rangers with two goals and three points. Henrik Lundqvist faced the Bruins only once a year ago, the March 28 defeat, but holds an impressive 1.91 GAA, .935 save percentage and six shutouts all time against the Bruins. Up in Boston the numbers are even slightly better as Lundqvist has a career 1.67 GAA and .947 save percentage in 17 career appearances at TD Garden.
Players To Watch:
Rangers-Keith Yandle: Although he has not had a "Wow!" season to date, defenseman Keith Yandle recently was praised by head coach Alain Vigneault for his underrated two-way play so far. Through 22 games the Boston-native leads Rangers defensemen and ranks seventh on the team with 11 points, while his ten assists are second only to Mats Zuccarello, who has 11. Those ten helpers also place Yandle tied for 12th most among NHL defensemen. His stats are good, but both Yandle and the team believe they there is room for a fairly significant uptick. Three times in his career Yandle has notched more than 50 points, including 52 and 53 in the past two seasons and a career-high 59 in 2010-11. He also two other 40+ point seasons on his resume and totaled 30 points in the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign. That body of work more than shows what Yandle is capable of, and why his own expectations--as well as those of the team--are so high. Whether paired with Dan Boyle, Dylan McIlrath or Kevin Klein, Yandle must continue to work within the parameters of not being the top minute-crunching defenseman he was in Arizona, but still producing at a high level, most importantly on the power play where so far he has recorded five points this season. In ten career games against the Bruins Yandle has notched seven points (1-6-7), and enters play with points in four straight against Boston.
Bruins-David Krejci: One of the true underrated players in the National Hockey League, Boston center David Krejci is off to a fast start through the first quarter of this season. Krejci has recorded 23 points in 21 games, tied for ninth-most in the NHL and two points more that his more high-profile teammate Patrice Bergeron for the Bruins team lead. The 29 year-old native of the Czech Republic also leads his team with 15 assists, which is tied for 12th among all NHL players. Quietly effective--to the tune of 432 points in 572 career games, all with Boston--the four-time 60+-point performer was missed terribly by the Bruins last season when injury wiped out nearly half the year for him and Boston ended up failing to reach the playoffs. Healthy again and performing at his best, Krejci has six multiple-point games already this season, including three-point efforts against both Tampa Bay and Arizona back in October.

Rangers vs. Bruins 11.27.15: Pregame Notes

NEW YORK RANGERS at BOSTON BRUINS
Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, 1:00 p.m. ET
TD Garden – Boston, MA
Rangers: 16-4-2 (34 pts)
Bruins: 12-8-1 (25 pts)
TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their 23rd game of the 2015-16 season and begin a back-to-back set tonight, Nov. 27, against the Boston Bruins in an Original Six matchup at TD Garden (1:00 p.m. ET - TV: NBC Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). New York has posted a 13-2-2 record in its last 17 games, including an 11-2-0 record in its last 13 games. In addition, the Rangers have won 13 of their last 16 games (13-2-1). The Blueshirts enter the contest with a 16-4-2 record this season, following a 5-1 loss against the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 25 at Madison Square Garden.
RANGERS VS. BRUINS
· All-Time: 250-288-97-2 (144-121-55-0 at home; 106-167-42-2 on the road)
· 2015-16: Tonight's game is the first of three meetings between the Rangers and Bruins, and the only meeting between the two teams in Boston. Following tonight's game, the Rangers and Bruins will play against each other on the following dates: Jan. 11 (at MSG), Mar. 23 (at MSG).
· 2014-15: The Rangers posted a 1-2-0 record (1-0-0 at home; 0-2-0 on the road) against Boston. Rick Nash tied for first among all skaters - and led the Rangers - with three points (two goals, one assist) in the season series. Derek Stepan (one goal, one assist) and Chris Kreider (two assists) each registered two points.
· Since Mar. 24, 2007, 22 of the 30 meetings between the Rangers and Bruins have been decided by one goal, and eight of those contests have been decided in either overtime or a shootout. In addition, 27 of the 30 games over the span have been decided by two or fewer goals.
RANGERS-BRUINS CONNECTIONS
· Glen Sather began his NHL career with the Bruins and played in parts of three seasons with Boston (1966-67 - 1968-69).
· Jeff Gorton spent 15 seasons in the Bruins organization and served as Boston's Interim General Manager in 2006. During Gorton's tenure as Interim General Manager, Boston selected Phil Kessel, Milan Lucic, and Brad Marchand in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, acquired Tuukka Rask in a trade, and signed Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard as free agents.
· Kevin Hayes and Jimmy Hayes are brothers. The two have played against each other in three NHL games, and Kevin's team has won all three contests. Kevin and Jimmy have each tallied one goal in their three head-to-head matchups.
· The Rangers have three Massachusetts natives on their roster: Kevin Hayes (Dorchester, MA), Chris Kreider (Boxford, MA), and Keith Yandle (Boston, MA).
· Henrik Lundqvist and Loui Eriksson were teammates with Frolunda in Sweden for five seasons (2000-01 - 2004-05). During the five-year stretch Lundqvist and Eriksson were teammates with Frolunda in the Swedish Elite League (now Swedish Hockey League), as well as with Frolunda's junior team and U-18 team.
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. BRUINS
· Henrik Lundqvist - 34 GP, 21-11-2, 1.91 GAA, .935 SV%, 6 SO - In 17 career appearances against the Bruins in Boston, Lundqvist has posted a 9-6-2 record, along with a 1.67 GAA, a .947 SV%, and 3 SO.
· Derek Stepan - 16 GP, 5-6-11 - Stepan enters the contest with a three-game point streak against the Bruins (one goal, three assists) and he has notched six points (two goals, four assists) in his last seven contests against Boston.
· Keith Yandle - 10 GP, 1-6-7 - Yandle enters the contest with a four-game assist/point streak against Boston (four assists).
FAST START
The Rangers' 16 wins are the most recorded through the first 22 games of one season in franchise history. In addition, the Rangers' 34 points are tied for the most recorded through the first 22 games of one season in franchise history. The Blueshirts also recorded 34 points in the first 22 games of the 1971-72 season (15-3-4).
POINT TAKEN
Entering tonight's contest, the Rangers are tied for second in the NHL in points percentage (.773) this season. The Blueshirts lead the NHL in points percentage (.707) since the start of last season.
In addition:
· The Rangers have posted a .746 points percentage since Jan. 1, 2015 (49-15-5 record).
· Since Dec. 8, 2014, the Rangers have posted a 58-16-5 record in 79 games (121 points; .766 points percentage).
· New York has posted the best record in the NHL since Jan. 1, 2014 (94-38-13 in 145 games; .693 points percentage).
ROAD WARRIORS
The Rangers lead the NHL in road wins (59) and road points (123) since 2013-14. Dating back to 2014-15, the Blueshirts have won 21 of their last 27 road games (21-4-2), including 16 of their last 20 road games (16-3-1).
WHAT A LINE
In the 10 games Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, and Mats Zuccarello have all played since their line was reunited on Oct. 30, the trio has registered 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists). Zuccarello has tallied 14 points (six goals, eight assists), Nash has recorded 12 points (six goals, six assists), and Brassard has notched 10 points (three goals, seven assists) over the span.
MAKING THE DIFFERENCE
New York enters tonight's contest ranked second in the NHL in goal differential in 2015-16 (plus-24; 66-42 - Note: doesn't include team goals awarded for shootout wins). The Rangers also lead the NHL in goal differential during 5-on-5 play (plus-28). The Blueshirts lead the NHL in both goals for at 5-on-5 (51) and goals against at 5-on-5 (23) this season.
SHUTTING THE DOOR
The Blueshirts have allowed two goals or fewer in 12 of their last 17 games (30 goals allowed over the span; 29 goals allowed in regulation and the five-minute overtime period) and in 15 of 22 games this season. In addition, the Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in regulation in 13 of the last 17 games and have allowed one goal or fewer in nine of the last 16 games. The Rangers lead the NHL in goals against per game (1.91) in 2015-16.
GOALS GALORE
The Blueshirts have recorded three or more goals in six of the last nine games, in nine of the last 13 games, and in 11 of the last 16 contests. New York ranks sixth in the NHL in goals per game (3.00) this season. The Rangers have posted an 11.5 or better shooting percentage in 11 of the last 16 games and have posted a 13.0 shooting percentage or better in 10 of those contests. The Blueshirts are tied for fifth in the NHL in shooting percentage (10.7%) this season.
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist leads the NHL in GAA (1.94), even strength SV% (.951), and saves (542), is tied for the NHL lead in SV% (.939), ranks second in wins (12), and is tied for fifth in SO (two) this season. Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in 14 of 18 appearances this season. Lundqvist enters the contest with 351 career NHL wins, all of which have been as a member of the Rangers. Lundqvist is tied with Hall of Famer Terry Sawchuk for the third-most wins with one franchise in NHL history. In addition, Lundqvist has recorded 300 career wins in either regulation or the five-minute overtime period, which is one win shy of Mike Richter's franchise record. Lundqvist has started 148 regular season games against a goaltender who has also won the Vezina Trophy in his career. In the 148 contests, Lundqvist has posted an 89-46-13 record, along with a 2.20 GAA, a .922 SV%, and 14 SO.
CAREER WINS WITH ONE NHL FRANCHISE
1. Martin Brodeur (NJD) – 688
2. Tony Esposito (CHI) – 418
T-3. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) – 351
T-3. Terry Sawchuk (DET) – 351
MOST CAREER WINS BY A RANGERS GOALTENDER IN REGULATION/OVERTIME
(EXCLUDING SHOOTOUT WINS)
1. Mike Richter – 301
2. Henrik Lundqvist – 300

HENRIK LUNDQVIST CAREER STATISTICS VS. VEZINA TROPHY WINNERS
(GAMES IN WHICH BOTH LUNDQVIST AND ANOTHER VEZINA TROPHY-WINNING GOALTENDER STARTED)
Opposing Goaltender

Lundqvist’s Statistics
Ed Belfour

3 GP, 2-1-0 record, 2.93 GAA, .893 SV%, 0 SO
Sergei Bobrovsky*

11 GP, 9-1-1 record, 1.96 GAA, .939 SV%, 1 SO
Martin Brodeur

41 GP, 26-9-6 record, 1.72 GAA, .936 SV%, 6 SO
Dominik Hasek

2 GP, 1-1-0 record, 2.53 GAA, .902 SV%, 0 SO
Miikka Kiprusoff

3 GP, 1-2-0 record, 3.02 GAA, .857 SV%, 0 SO
Olaf Kolzig

11 GP, 8-2-1 record, 2.38 GAA, .915 SV%, 1 SO
Ryan Miller*

23 GP, 13-8-2 record, 2.25 GAA, .921 SV%, 2 SO
Carey Price*

13 GP, 5-7-1 record, 2.95 GAA, .896 SV%, 0 SO
Tuukka Rask*

13 GP, 6-7-0 record, 2.52 GAA, .917 SV%, 1 SO
Tim Thomas

19 GP, 14-4-1 record, 1.72 GAA, .938 SV%, 3 SO
Jose Theodore

9 GP, 4-4-1 record, 3.21 GAA, .894 SV%, 0 SO
* = Active goaltender
RICK ROLLING
Rick Nash enters the contest with a three-game goal/point streak (five goals over the span). He has posted four multi-point games in his last 10 contests, registering 12 points (six goals, six assists) over the span. Nash has also tallied 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) and has posted a plus-eight rating in his last 14 games. Nash has registered a three-game goal streak or longer eight times since he joined the Rangers prior to the start of the 2012-13 season.
WELCOME MATS
Mats Zuccarello has posted three three-point games in his last seven contests, recording nine points (three goals, six assists) in those games. Zuccarello has notched 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in the last 21 games, including 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in the last 16 games and 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in the last 12 contests. He leads the Rangers in goals (10), assists (11), and points (21) this season.
BRASS BONANZA
Derick Brassard has tallied 13 points (five goals, eight assists) and has posted a plus-11 rating in the last 16 games, including 12 points (five goals, seven assists) and a plus-nine rating in the last 14 games. Brassard has won at least 10 faceoffs in four of the last five games and has won 16 or more faceoffs in two of the last four contests.
AV SQUAD
Alain Vigneault leads all Rangers head coaches in points percentage (min. 100 games coached - .653; 114-57-15) in franchise history. Vigneault leads all NHL head coaches in wins (427) since the start of the 2006-07 season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play:
· The Rangers were 1-for-5 (8:32) on Nov. 25 vs. Montreal.
· New York has tallied a PPG in each of the last three games (3-for-11; 27.3%), in five of the last seven games (5-for-19; 26.3%), in seven of the last 10 games (7-for-27; 25.9%), and in 10 of the last 16 games (10-for-40; 25.0%).
· Over the last 16 games, the Rangers are tied for fifth in the NHL in power play efficiency.
Penalty Kill:
· The Rangers were 3-for-4 (6:08) on Nov. 25 vs. Montreal.
· New York ranks third in the NHL in penalty kill efficiency in 2015-16 (85.5%; 65-for-76).
· The Blueshirts have not allowed a PPG in 12 of the last 18 games (53-for-60; 88.3%).
INJURIES (4 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
· None
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
· None

UPCOMING NYR MILESTONES
· Chris Kreider - 4 points away from 100 in his NHL career
· Alain Vigneault - 8 games away from 1,000 games coached in his NHL career

Rangers Game Day / Alumni Birthdays / Today In NYR History

RANGERS GAME DAY!!!! New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins 1:00 PM NBC
Let's Go Rangers!!!!

NYR Alumni Birthday 11/27; Bob Jones, LW (1968-1969) Chris Kotsopoulos, D (1980-1981) Ken Schinkel, RW (1959-1964, 1966-1967)

 

TODAY IN NYR HISTORY November 27
1926: The Rangers play the Montreal Canadiens for the first time, and defeat them, 2-0, in Montreal.

1960: Rod Gilbert makes his NHL debut in a 3-3 tie against the Chicago Blackhawks at MSG.

Pre-Game Notes - Rangers @ Bruins / Team Leaders

RANGERS (16-4-2) at BRUINS (12-8-1)

TV: NBC, SN

Season series: The Boston Bruins won two of three games against the New York Rangers last season. Torey Krug, Loui Eriksson and Patrice Bergeron each had three points to lead Boston. Rick Nash led New York with three points (two goals).

Rangers team scope: Nash scored his fifth goal in three games in a 5-1 loss against the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday; he had two in his first 17 games. New York has won three of its past five and is first in the Metropolitan Division with 34 points, three ahead of the Washington Capitals. But the Rangers aren't pleased with their play of late. "Over the last little bit we haven't been playing our best, but we've been getting the wins," defenseman Dan Girardi told the Daily News. "(But) it's never been like this, where we are a step behind, a little in between, indecisive, and it was like that all over the ice. We have to figure out how we can correct that, and we get right back at it. We have a lot of hockey coming up in the next week and we have to get our 'A' game back here and get it going." The Rangers lead the NHL in wins (59) and points (123) on the road since 2013-14, and have won 21 of their past 27 road games (21-4-2) dating to last season. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist is 21-11-2 with a 1.91 goals-against average in 34 career games against the Bruins, including 9-6-2 with a 1.67 GAA in 17 games in Boston.

Bruins team scope: Defenseman Kevan Miller, who has missed the past four games because of an upper-body injury, was among 11 players who participated in a brief practice at TD Garden on Thursday. Forward Zac Rinaldo said much of the credit for Boston's four-game winning streak should go to goalies Tuukka Rask and Jonas Gustavsson. "I'm happy for my teammates and the positon that our goalies put us in," Rinaldo said. "They did a great job this week, and I'm thankful for my goalies." The Bruins have allowed seven goals during the win streak, with each goalie earning two victories. Rookies Colin Miller and Frank Vatrano were instrumental in a 3-2 overtime win at the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. Vatrano scored two goals, including the overtime winner, and Miller tied it with a goal late in the third period.

TEAM LEADERS
Goals: NYR Zuccarello 10 --- BOS Marchand 10
Shots: NYR Nash 63 --- BOS Bergeron 68
Hits: NYR Girardi 49 --- BOS Beleskey 77
Assists: NYR Zuccarello 11 --- BOS Krejci 15

HAPPY THANKSGIVING / Alumni Birthdays / Today in NYR History

NYR Alumni Birthday 11/26; Rich Brennan, D (1998-1999)

TODAY IN NYR HISTORY November 26
1967: Gilles Villemure makes 35 saves and shuts out the St. Louis Blues, 1-0, in the Rangers first meeting with St. Louis.

1970: The Rangers play for the first time in Buffalo and tie the Sabres 2-2.

2005: The Rangers and Washington Capitals participate in the longest shootout in NHL history (15 rounds). The Rangers’ Marek Malik tallies the winner with a between-the-legs shot in the 15th round.

Next NYR Game

NEXT GAME: FRIDAY 1:00 PM ON NBC
NEW YORK RANGERS VS BOSTON BRUINS
THANKSGIVING SHOWDOWN

POST GAME RECAP & FINAL BOXSCORE

Rangers Fall 5-1 To The Canadiens
In a clash between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden the Rangers fell behind early and could not mount enough of a comeback, eventually falling to the Montreal Canadiens 5-1. The loss was only the second in the last 13 games for New York, which still leads the Metropolitan Division with 34 points.

Montreal carried a 2-1 lead into the third period, and then scored twice in a span of one minute 12 seconds to open up the final period. Devante Smith-Pelly scored his second goal of the game just 17 seconds into the third. Alex Galchenyuk followed with a bad-angle goal at 1:29 to put the Rangers in a 4-1 hole.
The expected duel between two of the top goalies in the NHL--Henrik Lundqvist and Carey Price--dissolved in the final period of play. Price left the game after 40 minutes and was replaced by Mike Condon, for unspecified reasons. Then Lundqvist was lifted after the Canadiens made it 5-1 on a Max Pacorietty power play goal at 9:06, replaced by Antti Raanta.
Lundqvist surrendered a season-high five goals on 24 shots, while Price allowed one goal on 23 shots.
After spotting the Canadiens a 2-0 lead, the Rangers began to come alive offensively midway through the second period with longer sustained shifts in Montreal's end of the ice. Not only did the pressure applied by the Rangers lead to more shots on goal and more scoring chances, but the Canadiens began a parade to the penalty box trying to keep up with the home team.
Montreal took three minors in a row beginning at 9:33 of the second, and the Rangers finally cashed in on the third penalty as Ryan McDonagh hammered a slap shot past Price at 17:42 with Galchenyuk sitting in the penalty box. Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello assisted on McDonagh's fourth goal of the season, though Rick Nash's screen played a big part in the score, as well.
That goal was the first Price had allowed New York this season, a span of 97 minutes 42 seconds, coming off his 3-0 shutout of the Rangers at the Bell Centre on October 15.
Still the Rangers trailed 2-1 after two periods of play, with Price stopping 22 of 23 shots and Montreal having scored once in each of the first two stanzas. Sven Andrighetto opened the scoring with his first of the season off a scramble in front just 4:45 into play; and Smith-Pelly scored from in front 2:25 into the second.
Shortly after Montreal grabbed a 1-0 lead Lundqvist came out of his net to deny a wide-open Dale Weise and followed with a scrambling stop on David Desharnais. In the second period Lundqvist stoned Jeff Petry from point-blank range shortly after the Canadiens had secured a 2-0 lead.
Those would end up being the few highlights on the night for the Rangers, who will next face the Bruins up in Boston Friday afternoon before returning to MSG to face off with the Philadelphia Flyers in a Saturday matinee.

 NYR 1 MTL 5
Scoring Summary
1st Period
04:45 MTL Sven Andrighetto (1) Backhand shot - ASST: Lars Eller (2), P.K. Subban (19) 1 - 0 MTL
2nd Period
02:25 MTL Devante Smith-Pelly (2) Snap shot - ASST: Max Pacioretty (10), Tomas Plekanec (14) 2 - 0 MTL
17:42 NYR PPG - Rick Nash (7) Tip-in - ASST: Ryan McDonagh (6), Derick Brassard (9) 2 - 1 MTL
3rd Period
00:17 MTL Devante Smith-Pelly (3) Backhand shot - ASST: Tomas Plekanec (15) 3 - 1 MTL
01:29 MTL Alex Galchenyuk (4) Wrist shot - ASST: NONE 4 - 1 MTL
09:06 MTL PPG - Max Pacioretty (12) Slapshot - ASST: Alex Galchenyuk (11), Tomas Plekanec (16) 5 - 1 MTL
Penalty Summary
1st Period
15:19 NYR Dan Boyle Tripping - 2 min against David Desharnais
17:09 MTL Dale Weise Interference - 2 min against Jesper Fast
2nd Period
03:46 NYR Oscar Lindberg Slashing - 2 min against Alex Galchenyuk
09:33 MTL Tomas Plekanec Tripping - 2 min against Derick Brassard
13:10 MTL Andrei Markov Hooking - 2 min against Rick Nash
17:00 MTL Alex Galchenyuk Interference - 2 min against Oscar Lindberg
3rd Period
08:48 NYR Mats Zuccarello Tripping - 2 min against P.K. Subban
10:02 NYR Oscar Lindberg Interference - 2 min against David Desharnais
16:20 MTL Nathan Beaulieu Cross checking - 2 min against J.T. Miller
shots by period
Period MTL NYR
1st 10 11
2nd 8 12
3rd 7 11
Total 25 34
Team Stats
Category MTL NYR
Power Plays 1/4 1/5
Hits 15 24
Faceoff Wins 22 37
Giveaways 3 18
Takeaways 5 7
Blocked Shots 13 12
Penalty Minutes 10 8

NEWS AND NOTES FROM AROUND THE WEB

Canadiens, without Gallagher, visit Rangers
by: Colin Stephenson - NHL.com Correspondent
CANADIENS (16-4-2) at RANGERS (16-3-2)

TV: SNE, SNO, RDS, MSG 2
Season series: The Montreal Canadiens defeated the New York Rangers 3-0 in Montreal's home opener on Oct. 15 and set a franchise record for most consecutive wins (five) to start a season. Carey Price made 25 saves and Tomas Fleischmann, Dale Weise and Tomas Plekanec each scored. David Desharnais had two assists.
Canadiens team scope: Right wing Brendan Gallagher, who sustained two broken fingers blocking a shot Sunday in a 4-2 win against the New York Islanders, had surgery Monday and will miss at least six weeks. Devante Smith-Pelly, who missed the game Sunday with a lower-body injury, took Gallagher's spot on the No. 1 line with Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty at practice Tuesday. "It's a big loss. He’s a big part of the success of this hockey team," coach Michel Therrien told the Montreal Gazette, But like I said, we lost [Carey Price] for [a long time] and for me it's not an excuse to keep not having success." The Canadiens also said forward Torrey Mitchell, who sustained a lower-body injury Nov. 19 against the Arizona Coyotes, will be out at least another 7-10 days. Defenseman Alexei Emelin, who missed the past five games with a lower body injury, practiced Tuesday and is ready to return but is not expected to play Wednesday.
Rangers team scope: New York is tied with Montreal atop the Eastern Conference; each team has 34 points but the Rangers have played one fewer game. The Rangers did not practice on Tuesday. They have won nine straight home games and have scored three or more goals in each of those games. Rick Nash has four goals in his past two games. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist leads the League in goals against average (1.74) and save percentage (.946) and is tied for the lead in wins (12). "Our goalie, Hank, was unbelievable again," Nash told the Rangers website after a 3-0 victory against the Nashville Predators on Monday. "It seems to be a trend every single night that he's our best player."