Photo by Gerry Thomas/ National Hockey League
NEW YORK RANGERS at CALGARY FLAMES
Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, 10:00 p.m. ET
Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary, AB
Rangers: 18-9-3 (39 pts)
Flames: 12-14-2 (26 pts)
TONIGHT'S GAME
The
Rangers play their 31st game of the 2015-16 season and conclude a
back-to-back set tonight, Dec. 12, against the Calgary Flames at
Scotiabank Saddledome (10:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG+; Radio: ESPN 1050 AM).
New York has posted a 15-7-3 record in its last 25 games, including a
13-7-1 record in its last 21 games. In addition, the Rangers have won 15
of their last 24 games (15-7-2). The Blueshirts enter the contest with
an 18-9-3 record this season, following a 7-5 loss against the Edmonton
Oilers last night in Edmonton.
RANGERS VS. FLAMES
· All-Time*: 43-54-15-0 (29-24-5-0 at home; 14-30-10-0 on the road) *Note: record includes games against the Atlanta Flames from 1972-73 - 1979-80
· 2015-16:
Tonight's game is the second of two meetings between the Rangers and
Flames, and the only meeting between the two teams in Calgary. The
Rangers have posted a 1-0-0 record (1-0-0 at home; 0-0-0 on the road),
following a 4-1 win on Oct. 25 at Madison Square Garden. Four different
Blueshirts tallied a goal and 10 different Rangers registered a point in
the contest. Dan Girardi tallied the game-winning goal in the contest
and Antti Raanta stopped 22 of 23 shots he faced to earn the win.
· The
Rangers enter the contest with a three-game winning streak against the
Flames, dating back to Dec. 16, 2014. The Blueshirts' three-game winning
streak against Calgary is tied for their longest winning streak against
the Flames in franchise history.
· New York has won six of its last seven games against Calgary, dating back to Nov. 22, 2010 (6-1-0 record over the span).
· Since
Dec. 6, 1999, 13 of 17 meetings between the Rangers and Flames have
been decided by two or fewer goals, while 10 of those meetings have been
decided by one goal.
RANGERS-FLAMES CONNECTIONS
· Kevin
Hayes and Johnny Gaudreau were teammates at Boston College for three
seasons (2011-12 – 2013-14). In addition, Hayes, Gaudreau, and Chris
Kreider were all teammates for one season at Boston College (2011-12)
and helped the Eagles capture the National Championship that season.
Hayes and Gaudreau were both First Team All-Americans and Hobey Baker
Award finalists as the top player in collegiate hockey in 2013-14
(Gaudreau won the award).
· J.T. Miller and Johnny Gaudreau helped Team USA capture a gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.
· Jarret
Stoll was originally selected by Calgary in the second round (46th
overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Stoll re-entered the Draft in 2002
and was selected by Edmonton.
· Rick
Nash, Derick Brassard, and Kris Russell were teammates with the Blue
Jackets for parts of five seasons (2007-08 – 2011-12). All three were
coached by Scott Arniel, who was the Blue Jackets Head Coach for parts
of two seasons (2010-11 – 2011-12).
· Rick
Nash and Dennis Wideman were teammates with the London Knights of the
Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for parts of two seasons (2000-01 –
2001-02).
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. FLAMES
· Antti
Raanta - 4 GP, 3-0-0, 2.28 GAA, .905 SV% - In his last two appearances
against Calgary (including one this season on Oct. 25 at MSG), Raanta
has posted a 2-0-0 record, along with a 1.00 GAA and a .957 SV%.
· Rick Nash - 38 GP, 11-15-26 - Nash has tallied 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in his last 21 games against Calgary.
· Derick
Brassard - 17 GP, 5-6-11 - Brassard has notched a point in each of his
last two games against Calgary and in 10 of 17 career games against the
Flames.
BACK-TO-BACK
The
Rangers have posted a 5-2-0 record in the second game of back-to-back
sets this season, and they have outscored their opponent, 22-12, in
those contests. The Blueshirts have posted a 15-3-1 record in the second
contest of their last 19 back-to-back sets. In addition, the Blueshirts
have posted a .721 points percentage (24-9-1 record) in the second game
of back-to-back sets since the start of the 2013-14 season and a .701
points percentage (49-20-3 record) in the second game of back-to-back
sets since the start of the 2010-11 season.
ROAD WARRIORS
The
Rangers lead the NHL in road wins (59) and road points (124) since the
start of the 2013-14 season. The Blueshirts have posted a 17-3-1 record
in games which have been part of a three-game or longer road trip since
the start of last season. The Rangers have also registered a 15-4-0
record in 19 road games against Western Conference opponents since the
start of last season.
MAKING NOISE ON THE WESTERN FRONT
The
Blueshirts have posted an 8-4-0 record against Western Conference
opponents this season, including a 4-2-0 record against teams in the
Pacific Division. The Rangers have outscored Pacific Division opponents,
22-12, in 2015-16. New York has registered a 15-4-1 record against
Pacific Division opponents since the start of last season, including an
8-2-0 record against Pacific Division opponents on the road over the
span.
POINT TAKEN
In their last
87 regular season games, (since Dec. 8, 2014), the Rangers have posted a
60-21-6 record (126 points; .724 points percentage). In addition, the
Rangers have posted a .701 points percentage since Jan. 1, 2015 (51-20-6
record). New York has posted the best record in the NHL since Jan. 1,
2014 (96-43-14 in 153 games; .673 points percentage).
GOALS GALORE
The
Rangers tallied five goals in last night's game against Edmonton. New
York has recorded at least five goals in five games this season. In
addition, the Blueshirts have registered three or more goals in 18 of 30
games in 2015-16, including four or more goals in 13 of those games.
HOT AT THE DOT
Four
Rangers have posted a faceoff win percentage of 50.0% or better (min.
100 faceoffs taken) this season (Jarret Stoll, Dominic Moore, Derick
Brassard, and Oscar Lindberg). The Blueshirts have posted a faceoff win
percentage of 50.0% or better in each of the last three games, in
eight of the last 10 games, and in 10 of the last 13 contests.
CLOSE CALL
Nine
of the Rangers' last 14 games, including five of the last eight games
and four of the last six contests, have been decided by one goal. In
addition, six of the Rangers' last seven road games and eight of the
team's last 10 road contests have been decided by one goal. Four of the
Blueshirts' last 10 road games, including three of the team's last
seven road games, have been decided in either overtime or a shootout.
TOO HOT TO YANDLE
Keith
Yandle enters tonight's contest with 499 consecutive games
played. Yandle’s consecutive games played streak dates back to Mar. 26,
2009, when he was a member of the Phoenix Coyotes. He has recorded a
point in 21 of his last 42 games, recording 25 points (two goals, 23
assists) in those contests. Yandle leads the Rangers in assists (14),
power play assists (seven), and power play points (eight) this season,
and he also leads team defensemen in points in 2015-16 (15).
KREID-ING HIGH
Chris
Kreider is expected to skate in his 200th career NHL game in tonight's
contest. He notched two points (one goal, one assist), including his
100th career NHL point, last night at Edmonton. Kreider has recorded
three points (one goal, two assists) in the last three games, four
points (two goals, two assists) in the last six contests, and nine
points (four goals, five assists) in the last 17 games.
BRASS BONANZA
Derick
Brassard has posted a multi-goal/point game in two of the last three
contests, recording four goals over the span. He has also tallied seven
points (five goals, two assists) in the last six games. Brassard has
registered 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) and has posted a plus-nine
rating in the last 24 games. Brassard ranks second on the Rangers in
goals (11) and points (22) this season, and 21 of his 22 points have
either been a goal or the primary assist on a goal.
RICK ROLLING
Rick
Nash tallied three points (one goal, two assists) last night at
Edmonton. He has tallied an assist/point in three of the last four
games, recording five points (one goal, four assists) in those contests.
Nash has registered 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in his last 18
games. He is tied for second on the Rangers in assists (12) and ranks
third in points (21) in 2015-16.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play:
· The Rangers were 1-for-2 (2:07) last night at Edmonton.
· The Blueshirts rank sixth in the NHL on the power play in 2015-16 (21.8%; 17-for-78).
· New
York has tallied a PPG in seven of the last 11 games (9-for-33; 27.3%),
in nine of the last 15 games (11-for-41; 26.8%), in 11 of the last 18
games (13-for-49; 26.5%), and in 14 of the last 24 games (16-for-62;
25.8%).
· Over the last 24 games, the Rangers rank second in the NHL on the power play.
Penalty Kill:
· The Rangers were 2-for-3 (5:12) last night at Edmonton.
· New York ranks eighth in the NHL in penalty kill efficiency in 2015-16 (83.5%; 81-for-97).
· The Blueshirts have not allowed a PPG in 16 of the last 26 games (69-for-81; 85.2%).
UPCOMING MILESTONES
· Chris Kreider - 1 game away from 200 in his NHL career
· Jesper Fast - 3 games away from 100 in his NHL career
· Derick Brassard - 4 assists away from 200 in his NHL career
INJURIES (18 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
· Derek Stepan (broken ribs; suffered on Nov. 27) - 4-to-6 weeks
· Kevin Klein (strained oblique; suffered on Nov. 30) - 2-to-3 weeks
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
· None
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
· Dec.
12, 1971 – Brad Park became the first Rangers defenseman in franchise
history to record a hat trick, tallying three goals in a 6-1 Rangers win
against the Pittsburgh Penguins at MSG.
· Dec.
12, 1976 – Rod Gilbert became the second Ranger in franchise history to
skate in 1,000 career games with the Blueshirts. Gilbert registered
three assists in a 5-2 Rangers win over the Montreal Canadiens at MSG.
W2W4: Rangers vs. Flames 12.12.15
Who: New York Rangers vs. Calgary Flames
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome
When: Saturday night at 10:00 PM
Watch: MSG Plus beginning at 9:30 PM
Listen: ESPN-1050 AM and NewYorkRangers.com
*****************************************************
The Skinny:
With
little time to lick their wounds following Friday's 7-5 loss in
Edmonton, the Rangers (18-9-3, 39 pts) face off in Calgary against the
Flames (12-14-2, 26 pts) on Saturday night. What type of performance the
Rangers put forth Saturday will show a lot about this battle-tested
team and where they are at 30 games into the 2015-16 season and in a
current 2-6-1 stretch. New York entered play Friday with the lowest
goals against average of any team in the NHL, but after an ugly and
confounding defensive performance against the Oilers it is fair to
questions the overall confidence of the club. Perhaps most concerning is
how the Rangers rallied from a 5-3 third-period deficit to tie things
up on a Rick Nash power play goal late only to surrender the
game-deciding goal 13 seconds later on the next shift of the game. Nash
had put the Rangers just 1:46 away from securing at least one point in
the standings, and instead they skated away with none. Team captain Ryan
McDonagh had a minus-four plus/minus rating Friday and defense partner
Dan Girardi was a minus three. Four other players were minus two, this
despite the fact that the Rangers scored five goals in a game for the
first time since November 21. Henrik Lundqvist, who entered the game
Friday with a sterling 1.99 GAA, surrendered five goals on 33 shots
before being lifted in favor of Antti Raanta early in the third period.
Which netminder starts in Calgary will not be known until shortly before
game time. Among the positives to carry into Saturday's game are the
fact that New York erased a pair of two-goal deficits, that Nash scored
for the first time in seven games and finished with three points, that
Derick Brassard continued his recent hot play with a pair of goals, that
Chris Kreider had a goal and an assist, and that Mats Zuccarello came
alive with an energetic two-point performance. Also rookie defenseman
Dylan McIlrath picked up his first NHL point by assisting on
Zuccarello's goal and he played an all-around solid 18:15. For the
second straight night the Rangers will be playing a Pacific Division
team which enters plays riding a season-high four-game winning streak.
In addition to their current good run, the Flames have also won eight
straight on home ice as they conclude a five-game homestand Saturday
against the Rangers. Like Edmonton, Calgary started out slowly this
season, just 2-8-1 through 11 games and 6-12-1 through 19; but the
Flames are on a 6-2-1 run since and are currently are in the mix to
battle for a playoff spot in the Western Conference despite being under
.500 overall. The Flames are coming off Thursday's 4-3 win over the
Buffalo Sabres, a game in which Johnny Gaudreau scored late in the third
to win it and Sean Monahan scored two goals and added one assist.
Perhaps the one thing that could derail Calgary's recent run of success
is the current health of the team. The flu is running through the
Flames, reaching such bad proportions that head coach Bob Hartley
canceled practice on Friday. Both goaltenders were stricken with the
flu, and as a result backup Jonas Hiller started on Thursday because he
was a bit less ill than the team's No. 1 goalie Kari Ramo, who had
started 15 of the previous 16 games. Like the Rangers goaltending
situation, it will not be known who starts in the Flames net until
sometime on Saturday.
Head To Head:
This
is the second and final meeting this season between the Rangers and
Flames. The Blueshirts skated to a 4-1 victory over the Flames back on
October 25 at Madison Square Garden, one that started a season-high
nine-game winning streak for New York. Trailing 1-0 after one period of
play, the Rangers scored twice in the second and twice more in the third
period, and goaltender Antti Raanta made it stand up by stopping 22 of
23 shots. Oscar Lindberg and Dan Girardi scored second-period goals for
the Rangers, while Kevin Klein and Derick Brassard found the back of the
net in the third. Ten different Rangers recorded a point in the win. In
their last appearance in Calgary the Rangers skated to a 5-2 victory
over the Flames on December 16, 2014. Rick Nash scored twice in that
game and Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves.
Players To Watch:
Rangers-Derick Brassard:
After scoring twice Friday night in Edmonton Derick Brassard is
officially the Rangers hottest offensive player right now. Brassard has
scored four goals in the past three games, with a pair of two-goal
efforts against the Senators and the Oilers. He also now has five goals
and seven points in his last six games upping his overall totals on the
season to 11 goals, 11 assists and 22 points. Brassard, who was second
on the team in scoring last year with a career-high 60 points, is now
second on the team in scoring this season, and is second on the team in
goals, as well. His usual linemate, Mats Zuccarello, was shifted off of
his line during Friday's game and was replaced by Rick Nash, who
assisted on both of Brassard's goals and later added one of his own.
J.T. Miller played on Brassard's left wing Friday; but which wingers
flank him in Calgary is still to be determined. All the juggling of
lines recently has not slowed Brassard down any, which was evidenced
again on Friday, and the Rangers hope his recent stretch of strong play
offensively continues on Saturday. In 17 career games against the
Flames, Brassard has recorded 11 points.
Flames-Johnny Gaudreau:
Calgary's leading scorer this season comes into Saturday's action with
seven points (5-2-7) in his last four games, including the game-winning
goal late in the third period of the Flames 4-3 win over Buffalo on
Thursday. Included in that scoring spree was a career-best four-point
effort against the Boston Bruins eight days ago in which he netted three
goals for the second Hat Trick of his young NHL career. Gaudreau has a
team-high 28 points in 28 games played, tying him for tenth place in the
league's scoring race. His 18 assists also lead the team, while his ten
goals are tied with Sean Monahan for most on the Flames. Last year
Gaudreau was a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie,
tying for the league rookie lead with 64 points and leading all freshman
with 40 assists. He led the Flames with nine points in 11 post-season
contests, as well. Earlier this season against the Rangers back on
October 25, Gaudreau, a good friend and former college teammate of New
York's Kevin Hayes, assisted on Calgary's lone goal in a 4-1 defeat.
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