NYR TODAY Saturday 2/25: Rangers vs Devils Preview, Alumni Birthdays, Today in Rangers History

NEW YORK RANGERS GAME DAY PREVIEW

NEW YORK RANGERS (39-19-2) vs NEW JERSEY DEVILS (25-25-10)
Prudential Center, Newark, NJ TV: MSG, MSG+ Radio: WEPN 98.7 FM

Tonight the Rangers play the first of back to back games this weekend in New Jersey taking on the Devils in Newark at 5:00 PM. This will be the third of four meetings this season. The Rangers are up 2-0 in the series having won the two previous on December 11th & 18th 3-2 and 5-0 at Madison Square Garden.

Antti Raanta will get the start for the Rangers while Henrik Lundqvist will get the start against Columbus on Sunday. Raanta is 3-0-0 with a 1.67 GAA .914 SV% with one shutout against New Jersey for his career.

The Rangers will be without defenseman Kevin Klein for the weekend. Klein is suffering from back spasms and will be re-evaluated on Monday by the training staff. In his place Adam Clendening will return to the lineup. Dan Girardi who took a "maintenance" day from practice yesterday should be good to go for today's game.

Center Derek Stepan has a point in seven of his last 11 games against New Jersey, eight goals and four assists during that span.

The Rangers have earned at least one point in 14 of their last 18 games against the Devils dating back to March 19, 2013, and have gone 12-4-2 during that span.


Rangers Projected Lineup vs New Jersey Devils

Forwards:
Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Mats Zuccarello
Jimmy Vesey, Derek Stepan, Rick Nash
Michael Grabner, Kevin Hayes, J.T. Miller
Pavel Buchnevich, Oscar Lindberg, Jesper Fast

Defense:
Ryan McDonagh - Dan Girardi
Marc Staal - Nick Holden
Brady Skjei - Adam Clendening

Starter:
Antti Raanta
Backup:
Henrik Lundqvist

Scratches:
Brandon Pirri, Kevin Klein, Matt Puempel


NYR GAME DAY STATS:

NYR TEAM LEADERS:

GOALS: MICHAEL GRABNER 26
ASSISTS: MATS ZUCCARELLO, RYAN McDONAGH 31
POINTS: J.T. MILLER 47
+/-: MICHAEL GRABNER +28
GWG: J.T. MILLER 6
PPG: BRANDON PIRRI, CHRIS KREIDER, RICK NASH, JIMMY VESEY 5
PPP: RYAN McDONAGH 12
SHG: J.T. MILLER 3
SHP KEVIN HAYES 6
PIM: CHRIS KREIDER 38
FO%: CHRIS KREIDER 57.14

GOALIE STATS:
WINS: HENRIK LUNDQVIST 28
GAA: ANTTI RAANTA 2.32
SO: HENRIK LUNDQVIST, ANTTI RANTA 2
SV%: ANTTI RAANTA .920
HENRIK LUNDQVIST  28-14-2 GAA: 2.58 SV%: .914 SO: 2
ANTTI RAANTA 11-4-0 GAA: 2.63 SV%: .912 SO: 2

NYR TEAM STATS

39-19-2
5th Overall NHL
3rd Metropolitan Division
WINS: 39 (Rank #2)
POINTS: 80 (Rank #5)
WIN%: 0.667 (Rank #5)
GOALS FOR: 197 (Rank #3)
GOALS AGAINST: 154 (Rank #6)
POWER PLAY GOALS: 34 (Rank #19)
POWER PLAY %: 19.21 (Rank #15)
POWER PLAY GOALS AGAINST: 29 (Rank #7)
PENALTY KILL: 81.99 (Rank #13)
SHORT HANDED GOALS: 8 (Rank #1)
SHORT HANDED GOALS AGAINST: 3 (Rank #8)
SHUTOUTS: 5 (Rank #7)
EMPTY NET GOALS: 11
SHOOTOUTS: 3/5

NYR Alumni Birthdays February 25:

Gary Doak D (1971-1973) Anders Hedberg RW (197801985) Troy Mallette LW (1989-1991) Clare Martin D (1951-1952) Ted Taylor LW (1965-1966)

Today in NYR History February 25:

1940: The NHL comes to television in the United States.
The New York Rangers face the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden in the first hockey game televised in the U.S. The game airs on station W2XBS in New York, using one camera in a fixed position, and can be viewed on 300 television receivers in New York.
The viewers who tune in see the Rangers win 6-2 for their 14th consecutive home victory.

1978: The Rangers break the Canadiens' NHL-record unbeaten streak of 28 games (23-0-5) with a 6-3 win at the Forum. Six Rangers score against Ken Dryden, and rookie goalie Hardy Astrom makes 29 saves for his first NHL win. Astrom splits four decisions with the Rangers before playing two seasons with the Colorado Rockies, finishing with an NHL record of 17-44-12.

2004: Tom Renney is named the 33rd head coach in Rangers history.

2012: Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers becomes the first goaltender in NHL history to have 30 or more wins in each of his first seven seasons. Lundqvist gets his 30th win of 2011-12 by making 18 saves in a 3-2 overtime victory against Buffalo at Madison Square Garden.

2016: Henrik Lundqvist becomes the first goaltender in NHL history to earn 30 or more wins in 10 of his first 11 seasons, and the third goaltender in NHL history to earn 30 or more wins in at least 10 different seasons.