Monday, January 11, 2016

Rangers vs. Bruins 1.11.16: Pregame Notes

NEW YORK RANGERS vs. BOSTON BRUINS
Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, 7:00 p.m. ET
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Rangers: 22-14-5 (49 pts)
Bruins: 21-14-5 (47 pts) 
TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their 42nd game of the 2015-16 season and conclude a three-game homestand tonight, Jan. 11, against the Boston Bruins in an Original Six matchup at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). New York has earned at least one point in four of its last six games (3-2-1 record), including three of its last four contests (2-1-1). The Blueshirts enter the contest with a 22-14-5 record this season (49 points).
RANGERS VS. BRUINS
·         All-Time: 250-289-97-2 (144-121-55-0 at home; 106-168-42-2 on the road)
·         2015-16: Tonight's game is the second of three meetings between the Rangers and Bruins, and the first of two meetings between the two teams at MSG. The Rangers have posted a 0-1-0 record (0-0-0 at home; 0-1-0 on the road) against Boston. The Rangers were defeated by the Bruins, 4-3, on Nov. 27 in Boston. Seven different Rangers recorded a point in the contest. J.T. Miller notched two points (one goal, one assist) in the game. Following tonight's game, the Rangers and Bruins will face each other on the following date: Mar. 23 (at MSG).
·         Since Mar. 24, 2007, 23 of the 31 regular season 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, 28 of the 31 regular season games over the span have been decided by two or fewer goals.
·         The Rangers have posted a 13-5-0 record in their last 18 regular season home games against Boston, dating back to Nov. 20, 2005.
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 four NHL games, and the Rangers have won three of the four contests.
·         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 Hockey League, as well as with Frolunda's junior team and U-18 team. 
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. BRUINS
·         Henrik Lundqvist - 35 GP, 21-12-2, 1.97 GAA, .933 SV%, 6 SO - Lundqvist has posted a 12-5-0 record, along with a 2.17 GAA, a .921 SV%, and 3 SO in 17 career regular season home games against the Bruins.
·         Rick Nash - 19 GP, 6-6-12 - Nash enters the contest with a three-game goal/point streak against Boston (three goals, one assist).
·         Keith Yandle - 11 GP, 1-7-8 - Yandle enters the contest with a five-game assist/point streak against the Bruins (five assists).
MIDWAY POINT
The Rangers posted a 22-14-5 record through the first half of the 2015-16 season.
RANGERS RECORD THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF A SEASON (SINCE 2012-13)
SEASON
RECORD THROUGH THE FIRST HALF
                                2012-13* (48-game season)
13-9-2
2013-14
20-19-2
2014-15
24-13-4
2015-16
22-14-5

HOME COOKING
The Rangers have posted a 14-4-1 record in their last 19 home games. The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 16 of their last 20 home games (14-4-2) and in 17 of 22 home games in 2015-16 (15-5-2). Dating back to last season, the Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 47 of their last 61 home contests (40-14-7), including 30 of their last 39 home games (26-9-4). The Rangers rank third in the NHL - and lead Eastern Conference teams - in points at home this season (32). The Blueshirts are also tied for third in the NHL in wins at home in 2015-16 (15). 
FRESH START
The Blueshirts have posted a 19-9-2 record in 30 games in January since the start of the 2013-14 season. Since Alain Vigneault became the Rangers head coach prior to the start of the 2013-14 season, the Rangers have posted a 59-24-8 record in regular season games played in January, February, March, and April.
ON POINT
Five Rangers defensemen have recorded at least ten points this season (Keith Yandle, Ryan McDonagh, Dan Boyle, Marc Staal, and Dan Girardi). Blueshirts defensemen have registered 87 points (19 goals, 68 assists) thus far this season and have registered 30 points (seven goals, 23 assists) over the last 12 games.
GOALS GALORE
The Blueshirts have tallied three or more goals in six of the last seven games, in nine of the last 12 games, and in 26 of 41 games in 2015-16. New York ranks fourth in the NHL in goals per game this season (2.93).
FIRST IN SCORE
The Rangers have registered the first goal of the game in 20 contests this season and have posted a 17-1-2 record in those games.
SHOOT TO SCORE
The Rangers have registered three or more goals while recording 30 or fewer shots on goal in the same contest in five of the last six games and in 22 games this season. New York is tied for the NHL lead in shooting percentage in 2015-16 (10.4; 120 goals on 1,158 shots on goal).
THIRD PERIOD IS THE CHARM
The Blueshirts have tallied three goals in the third period in each of the last two games and in three of the last four contests. The Rangers rank third in the NHL in third period goals this season (48).
THREE'S COMPANY
New York has posted an 18-7-3 record in the 28 games which Dan Girardi, Kevin Klein, and Derek Stepan have all been in the team's lineup this season.
AV SQUAD
Alain Vigneault will coach his 1,012th regular season game as an NHL head coach in tonight's contest, tying Terry Murray for 20th place on the NHL's all-time games coached list.
NHL ALL-TIME GAMES COACHED LEADERS
19. Pat Burns – 1,019
20. Terry Murray – 1,012
21. Alain Vigneault – 1,011
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist enters tonight's contest with 19,998 regular season and playoff saves combined in his career (16,959 regular season saves, 3,039 playoff saves). He is two saves away from becoming the first goaltender in Rangers history to make 20,000 regular season and playoff saves combined in his career. Lundqvist ranks second in the NHL in saves (942) and is tied for fifth in wins (18) in 2015-16.
CAPTAIN MAC
Ryan McDonagh was selected to represent the Rangers at the 2016 NHL All-Star Game. McDonagh is the first Rangers captain to be selected to play in an NHL All-Star Game since Mark Messier in 2004. Since he made his NHL debut on Jan. 7, 2011, McDonagh leads the Rangers in plus/minus rating (plus-97), ranks second in games played (358) and assists (116), and ranks fourth in points (155).
STEP-AN UP
The Rangers have earned at least one point in each of the last 23 games in which Derek Stepan tallied a goal, dating back to Mar. 18, 2014 (19-0-4). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Blueshirts have posted a 30-1-4 record in the 35 games which Stepan has recorded a goal at home since the start of the 2011-12 season.
Stepan has averaged 0.72 points per game during the second half of the Rangers' season in his career.
DEREK STEPAN – SECOND HALF STATS
SEASON
GP
G
A
P
P/GP
2010-11
41
10
12
22
0.54
2011-12
41
8
16
24
0.59
2012-13
24
12
16
28
1.17
2013-14
41
10
22
32
0.78
2014-15
40
10
18
28
0.70

TOTAL
187
50
84
134
0.72
*2014-15: Missed one game due to illness during the second half of the season
HEY HEY HAYES
Kevin Hayes tallied two points (one goal, one assist) and posted a plus-two rating on Jan. 9 vs. Washington. Hayes has posted a plus-four rating over the last two games and has registered three points (one goal, two assists) in his last six contests.
In 2014-15, Hayes led the Rangers in points (30), ranked third on the team in goals (12), and tied for third on the team in assists (18) and plus/minus rating (plus-13) during the second half of the season.
BOYLE-ING POINT
Dan Boyle has recorded nine points (five goals, four assists) in the last 13 games. Boyle is tied for second among NHL defensemen - and leads all defensemen in the Eastern Conference - in goals over the span. He has been on the ice for 16 of the Rangers' 22 power play goals this season (including each of the team's last seven power play goals), and he has recorded a point on five of the Blueshirts' last six power play goals (two goals, three assists).
WELCOME MATS
Mats Zuccarello is tied for third in the NHL in goals (nine) and is tied for 11th in the NHL in points (15) when the score is tied this season. Zuccarello has tallied all of his 16 goals and 29 of his 31 points in 2015-16 when the Rangers have either led by one goal, trailed by one goal, or were tied in the contest. 
SPECIAL TEAMS
·         The Rangers have posted a 7-1-2 record when outscoring opponents on special teams this season.
Power Play:
·         The Rangers were 0-for-3 (6:00) on Jan. 9 vs. Washington.
·         New York has tallied a PPG in 14 of the last 26 games (16-for-80; 20.0%) and in 19 of the last 35 games (21-for-101; 20.8%).
·         The Rangers rank tenth in the NHL on the power play at home this season (20.3%; 13-for-64). The Blueshirts have recorded a PPG in four of their last six home games (5-for-23; 21.7%) and in five of their last eight home games (7-for-28; 25.0%).
Penalty Kill:
·         The Rangers were 2-for-3 (4:19) on Jan. 9 vs. Washington.
·         The Blueshirts are tied for fifth in the NHL on the penalty kill at home this season (87.0%; 60-for-69). 
UPCOMING MILESTONES
·         Henrik Lundqvist - 2 saves away from 20,000 in his NHL career (regular season and playoffs combined)
·         Derek Stepan - 3 goals away from 100 in his NHL career
INJURIES (37 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
·         None
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
·         Jan. 4 - Recalled Jayson Megna from Hartford (AHL)
·         Jan. 8 - Acquired Nicklas Jensen and a sixth round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft from Vancouver in exchange for Emerson Etem
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
·         Jan. 10, 1996 – Pat Verbeek registered two goals, including his 400th career NHL goal, and Mark Messier tallied four points (two goals, two assists) as the Rangers defeated the San Jose Sharks, 7-4, at MSG.
·         Jan. 10, 2015 – Henrik Lundqvist became the first goaltender in NHL history to earn 20 or more wins in each of his first ten seasons. Lundqvist made 30 saves to earn his 20th win of the 2014-15 season as the Rangers defeated the San Jose Sharks, 3-1.
·         Jan. 11, 1974 – Emile Francis began his third stint as the Rangers’ head coach
·         Jan. 11, 1987 – Tomas Sandstrom registered four goals as the Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 8-3, at MSG.

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