Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, 7:00 p.m. ET
Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
Rangers: 33-18-1 (67 pts)
Ducks: 28-16-10 (66 pts)
TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their 53rd game of the 2016-17 season and continue a season-long, four-game homestand tonight, Feb. 7, against the Anaheim Ducks at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). The Blueshirts have won each of the last two games and five of the last seven contests (5-2-0). The Rangers have posted a 33-18-1 record this season.
RANGERS VS. DUCKS
The Rangers are the only NHL team that has 12 players who have recorded at least 20 points this season.
GOALS GALORE
New York ranks second in the NHL in goals (177 - includes two team goals awarded for shootout wins) and also ranks second in the NHL in goals per game (3.37) this season. The Rangers have recorded 62 goals over the last 17 games, registering at least four goals in 11 of the 17 contests.
WINNING WAYS
The Rangers' 33 wins in 2016-17 are tied for the fourth-most the team has earned through the first 52 games of one season in franchise history. The Blueshirts have earned at least 33 wins through the first 52 games of a season five times in franchise history (1972-73, 1991-92, 1993-94, 2011-12, 2016-17), and the only seasons in which the team earned more than 33 wins through the first 52 games were 1972-73 (35), 1993-94 (34), and 2011-12 (34). The Rangers are tied for third in the NHL in wins this season.
HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Including tomorrow's game, all of the Rangers' next three contests are against Western Conference opponents. New York has posted a 16-5-0 record against teams in the Western Conference this season, including a 9-1-0 record in games against teams in the Pacific Division. In addition, the Rangers have tallied 45 goals in 10 games against Pacific Division opponents in 2016-17.
MAKING THE DIFFERENCE
New York enters the contest with a plus-38 goal differential this season (177 goals for; 139 goals against) and ranks fourth in the NHL in goal differential in 2016-17.
TWO GOOD
The Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in regulation in five of the last seven games and in 31 of 52 games this season. The Blueshirts have posted a 26-4-1 record in those 31 contests in 2016-17.
SHOOTING GALLERY
The Blueshirts have recorded at least 30 shots on goal in each of the last four games, nine of the last 11 games, and 12 of the last 17 contests. The Rangers are averaging 30.0 shots on goal per game this season.
FABULOUS FEBRUARY
The Rangers have posted a 22-5-3 record in 30 games in February since the start of the 2014-15 season.
AV SQUAD
Alain Vigneault enters the contest with 599 career wins as a head coach in the NHL. Vigneault ranks 15th on the NHL's all-time wins list among NHL head coaches and ranks sixth among active NHL head coaches in career wins. He has earned 177 wins in 298 career games as the Rangers' Head Coach (177-98-23 record). Since Vigneault became the Rangers' Head Coach prior to the start of the 2013-14 season, the team is tied for second in the NHL - and leads the Eastern Conference - in wins.
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in five of his last seven appearances, posting a 5-1-0 record, a 2.02 GAA, a .933 SV%, and 1 SO over the span. He earned his 20th win of the 2016-17 season on Jan. 22, becoming the first goaltender in NHL history to register at least 20 wins in each of his first 12 seasons. Lundqvist is the 10th goaltender in NHL history who has earned at least 20 wins in 12 or more seasons, and his 12 consecutive 20-win seasons are tied for the most in NHL history (Brodeur and Esposito).
IT'S MILLER TIME
J.T. Miller enters the contest with a three-game assist/point streak (five assists), which is tied for his career-high, and he has posted a multi-assist/point game in each of the last two contests. He has recorded a point on the game-winning goal in each of the Rangers' last five wins. Miller has registered a point in 13 of the last 15 games, tallying 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) over the span. He leads the Rangers in points (40) and games with a point (30) in 2016-17, and he has established a career-high in assists this season (24).
KREID-ING HIGH
Chris Kreider enters the contest with a three-game goal streak, which is tied for his career-high. He has recorded 21 goals this season, which is tied for his career-high (he also tallied 21 goals in 2014-15 and 2015-16). Kreider is the only Ranger who has recorded at least 20 goals in each of the last three seasons (2014-15 - 2016-17). He is tied for second in the NHL in goals since Dec. 1, 2016 (17). Kreider has tallied 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 24 games at MSG in 2016-17.
UP FOR GRABS
Michael Grabner leads the NHL in even strength goals (22), is tied for seventh in goals (23), and is tied for 10th in plus/minus rating (plus-22) this season. He is one of two NHL players who have registered at least 20 goals and a plus-20 rating in 2016-17.
WELCOME MATS
Mats Zuccarello has registered 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) over the last 19 games. He is tied for second in the NHL in even strength assists this season (24); he only trails Connor McDavid (27) and is tied with Patrick Kane and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Zuccarello leads the Rangers in assists (29) and even strength assists this season.
STEP-AN UP
Derek Stepan has recorded 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in the last 34 games, including 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in the last 28 contests and 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in the last 19 games. He is tied for second on the Rangers in points in 2016-17 (39). Entering this season, Stepan was one of two players in Rangers history who notched at least 40 points in each of their first six NHL seasons (Steve Vickers).
CAPTAIN MAC
Ryan McDonagh tallied his 200th career NHL point on Feb. 5 vs. Calgary. McDonagh is the 15th defenseman who has registered at least 200 points as a member of the Rangers in franchise history. McDonagh has recorded 30 or more points in four consecutive seasons (2013-14 - 2016-17), and he is the ninth defenseman in franchise history who has tallied 30 or more points in at least five different seasons (2011-12; 2013-14 - 2016-17). With 28 assists in 2016-17, McDonagh is one assist away from tying his career-high (29; 2013-14).
SKJEI HEY KID
Brady Skjei is one of four Rangers defensemen who have tallied at least 20 assists in their rookie season since 1988-89 (Brian Leetch - 1988-89; Sergei Zubov - 1992-93; Michael Del Zotto - 2009-10). Skjei leads NHL rookie defensemen in even strength assists (17) and is tied for second among NHL rookie defensemen in assists (20) in 2016-17.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rangers have outscored their opponent on special teams in 20 games this season and have posted a 16-4-0 record in those 20 contests.
Power Play:
The Rangers were 1-for-1 (1:12) on Feb. 5 vs. Calgary.
New York has tallied a PPG in each of the last two games and in eight of the last 16 games (12-for-50; 24.0%).
The Blueshirts rank 10th in the NHL in power play efficiency this season (21.3%; 33-for-155).
Penalty Kill:
The Rangers were 0-for-1 (1:33) on Feb. 5 vs. Calgary.
New York has not allowed a PPG in five of the last seven games (85.7%; 12-for-14).
The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in SHG in 2016-17 (seven).
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Alain Vigneault - 1 win away from 600 as a head coach in the NHL
Henrik Lundqvist - 3 wins away from 400 in his NHL career/as a Ranger
Jesper Fast - 4 games away from 200 in his NHL career/as a Ranger
Brandon Pirri - 4 points away from 100 in his NHL career
INJURIES (133 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
None
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Feb. 3 - Assigned Magnus Hellberg to Hartford (AHL)
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
- New York Rangers
- All-Time: 14-15-1-1 (8-7-1-0 at home; 6-8-0-1 on the road)
- 2016-17: Tomorrow's game is the first of two meetings between the Rangers and Ducks, and the only meeting between the two teams at MSG. Following tomorrow's contest, the Rangers and Ducks will face each other on the following date: Mar. 26 (at Anaheim).
- 2015-16: The Rangers posted a 2-0-0 record (1-0-0 at home; 1-0-0 on the road). The Rangers allowed two goals or fewer in each of the two contests and outscored the Ducks, 5-3, in the season series. Kevin Klein tallied two goals, while Mats Zuccarello registered two points (one goal, one assist) in the two contests.
- The Rangers have won each of their last four games against Anaheim, dating back to Jan. 7, 2015. The Blueshirts' four-game winning/point streak against the Ducks is the longest they have posted since the two teams began playing against each other during the 1993-94 season.
- The Rangers have outscored the Ducks, 16-6, in the last four games between the two teams.
- Five of the last eight games between New York and Anaheim have been decided by one goal.
- The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in nine of their last 12 games against the Ducks, dating back to Dec. 16, 2008 (8-3-1).
- Brandon Pirri played part of one season with Anaheim (2015-16).
- Rick Nash and Jared Boll were teammates with the Columbus Blue Jackets for five seasons (2007-08 - 2011-12). In addition, Nash, Boll, and Antoine Vermette were all teammates with Columbus for parts of four seasons (2008-09 - 2011-12).
- Kevin Bieksa and Ryan Kesler were coached by Alain Vigneault for seven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks (2006-07 - 2012-13).
- Henrik Lundqvist and Ondrej Kase were both selected in the seventh round and with the 205th overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft (Lundqvist - selected by the Rangers in 2000; Kase - selected by Anaheim in 2014).
- J.T. Miller, Jimmy Vesey, and John Gibson helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.
- J.T. Miller (born in East Palestine, Ohio) and John Gibson (born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) both played for the Pittsburgh Hornets in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL), were teammates with the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11), and won a gold medal representing the United States at the 2010 World U17 Hockey Challenge and at the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championship.
- J.T. Miller and Rickard Rakell were teammates with the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for one season (2011-12). Miller and Rakell each tallied 62 points during the season.
- Rick Nash and Corey Perry were teammates with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for one season (2001-02). In addition, Nash, Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf helped Canada win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014.
- Mika Zibanejad and Rickard Rakell helped Sweden earn a gold medal at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship. In addition, Jesper Fast, Oscar Lindberg, and Rakell all represented Sweden at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship.
- Mika Zibanejad and Jakob Silfverberg were teammates with Ottawa for one season (2012-13).
- Michael Grabner and Jonathan Bernier were teammates with the Maple Leafs for one season (2015-16).
- Brandon Pirri and Logan Shaw were teammates with the Panthers for part of one season (2015-16).
- Adam Clendening was acquired by the Ducks on Jan. 16, 2016, but he did not skate in a game with Anaheim.
- Henrik Lundqvist - 10 GP, 5-4-1, 2.46 GAA, .907 SV% - Lundqvist has earned a win in each of his last two appearances against Anaheim, posting a 1.47 GAA and a .932 SV% (41 saves on 44 shots) in the two contests.
- Antti Raanta - 2 GP, 1-0-1, 1.45 GAA, .939 SV% - Raanta has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his two career starts/appearances against the Ducks (46 saves on 49 shots).
- Rick Nash - 38 GP, 19-17-36 - Nash has registered a point in 14 of his last 17 games against the Ducks, tallying 19 points (12 goals, seven assists) over the span.
- J.T. Miller - 4 GP, 1-4-5 - Miller has recorded a point in three of four career games against the Ducks, and he has posted two multi-point games in the four contests.
- Mika Zibanejad - 5 GP, 3-2-5 - Zibanejad has registered a point in four of five career games against Anaheim.
The Rangers are the only NHL team that has 12 players who have recorded at least 20 points this season.
GOALS GALORE
New York ranks second in the NHL in goals (177 - includes two team goals awarded for shootout wins) and also ranks second in the NHL in goals per game (3.37) this season. The Rangers have recorded 62 goals over the last 17 games, registering at least four goals in 11 of the 17 contests.
WINNING WAYS
The Rangers' 33 wins in 2016-17 are tied for the fourth-most the team has earned through the first 52 games of one season in franchise history. The Blueshirts have earned at least 33 wins through the first 52 games of a season five times in franchise history (1972-73, 1991-92, 1993-94, 2011-12, 2016-17), and the only seasons in which the team earned more than 33 wins through the first 52 games were 1972-73 (35), 1993-94 (34), and 2011-12 (34). The Rangers are tied for third in the NHL in wins this season.
HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Including tomorrow's game, all of the Rangers' next three contests are against Western Conference opponents. New York has posted a 16-5-0 record against teams in the Western Conference this season, including a 9-1-0 record in games against teams in the Pacific Division. In addition, the Rangers have tallied 45 goals in 10 games against Pacific Division opponents in 2016-17.
MAKING THE DIFFERENCE
New York enters the contest with a plus-38 goal differential this season (177 goals for; 139 goals against) and ranks fourth in the NHL in goal differential in 2016-17.
TWO GOOD
The Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in regulation in five of the last seven games and in 31 of 52 games this season. The Blueshirts have posted a 26-4-1 record in those 31 contests in 2016-17.
SHOOTING GALLERY
The Blueshirts have recorded at least 30 shots on goal in each of the last four games, nine of the last 11 games, and 12 of the last 17 contests. The Rangers are averaging 30.0 shots on goal per game this season.
FABULOUS FEBRUARY
The Rangers have posted a 22-5-3 record in 30 games in February since the start of the 2014-15 season.
AV SQUAD
Alain Vigneault enters the contest with 599 career wins as a head coach in the NHL. Vigneault ranks 15th on the NHL's all-time wins list among NHL head coaches and ranks sixth among active NHL head coaches in career wins. He has earned 177 wins in 298 career games as the Rangers' Head Coach (177-98-23 record). Since Vigneault became the Rangers' Head Coach prior to the start of the 2013-14 season, the team is tied for second in the NHL - and leads the Eastern Conference - in wins.
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in five of his last seven appearances, posting a 5-1-0 record, a 2.02 GAA, a .933 SV%, and 1 SO over the span. He earned his 20th win of the 2016-17 season on Jan. 22, becoming the first goaltender in NHL history to register at least 20 wins in each of his first 12 seasons. Lundqvist is the 10th goaltender in NHL history who has earned at least 20 wins in 12 or more seasons, and his 12 consecutive 20-win seasons are tied for the most in NHL history (Brodeur and Esposito).
IT'S MILLER TIME
J.T. Miller enters the contest with a three-game assist/point streak (five assists), which is tied for his career-high, and he has posted a multi-assist/point game in each of the last two contests. He has recorded a point on the game-winning goal in each of the Rangers' last five wins. Miller has registered a point in 13 of the last 15 games, tallying 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) over the span. He leads the Rangers in points (40) and games with a point (30) in 2016-17, and he has established a career-high in assists this season (24).
KREID-ING HIGH
Chris Kreider enters the contest with a three-game goal streak, which is tied for his career-high. He has recorded 21 goals this season, which is tied for his career-high (he also tallied 21 goals in 2014-15 and 2015-16). Kreider is the only Ranger who has recorded at least 20 goals in each of the last three seasons (2014-15 - 2016-17). He is tied for second in the NHL in goals since Dec. 1, 2016 (17). Kreider has tallied 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 24 games at MSG in 2016-17.
UP FOR GRABS
Michael Grabner leads the NHL in even strength goals (22), is tied for seventh in goals (23), and is tied for 10th in plus/minus rating (plus-22) this season. He is one of two NHL players who have registered at least 20 goals and a plus-20 rating in 2016-17.
WELCOME MATS
Mats Zuccarello has registered 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) over the last 19 games. He is tied for second in the NHL in even strength assists this season (24); he only trails Connor McDavid (27) and is tied with Patrick Kane and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Zuccarello leads the Rangers in assists (29) and even strength assists this season.
STEP-AN UP
Derek Stepan has recorded 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in the last 34 games, including 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in the last 28 contests and 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in the last 19 games. He is tied for second on the Rangers in points in 2016-17 (39). Entering this season, Stepan was one of two players in Rangers history who notched at least 40 points in each of their first six NHL seasons (Steve Vickers).
CAPTAIN MAC
Ryan McDonagh tallied his 200th career NHL point on Feb. 5 vs. Calgary. McDonagh is the 15th defenseman who has registered at least 200 points as a member of the Rangers in franchise history. McDonagh has recorded 30 or more points in four consecutive seasons (2013-14 - 2016-17), and he is the ninth defenseman in franchise history who has tallied 30 or more points in at least five different seasons (2011-12; 2013-14 - 2016-17). With 28 assists in 2016-17, McDonagh is one assist away from tying his career-high (29; 2013-14).
SKJEI HEY KID
Brady Skjei is one of four Rangers defensemen who have tallied at least 20 assists in their rookie season since 1988-89 (Brian Leetch - 1988-89; Sergei Zubov - 1992-93; Michael Del Zotto - 2009-10). Skjei leads NHL rookie defensemen in even strength assists (17) and is tied for second among NHL rookie defensemen in assists (20) in 2016-17.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rangers have outscored their opponent on special teams in 20 games this season and have posted a 16-4-0 record in those 20 contests.
Power Play:
The Rangers were 1-for-1 (1:12) on Feb. 5 vs. Calgary.
New York has tallied a PPG in each of the last two games and in eight of the last 16 games (12-for-50; 24.0%).
The Blueshirts rank 10th in the NHL in power play efficiency this season (21.3%; 33-for-155).
Penalty Kill:
The Rangers were 0-for-1 (1:33) on Feb. 5 vs. Calgary.
New York has not allowed a PPG in five of the last seven games (85.7%; 12-for-14).
The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in SHG in 2016-17 (seven).
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Alain Vigneault - 1 win away from 600 as a head coach in the NHL
Henrik Lundqvist - 3 wins away from 400 in his NHL career/as a Ranger
Jesper Fast - 4 games away from 200 in his NHL career/as a Ranger
Brandon Pirri - 4 points away from 100 in his NHL career
INJURIES (133 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
None
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Feb. 3 - Assigned Magnus Hellberg to Hartford (AHL)
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
- Feb. 6, 1993 - Mike Gartner was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the 1993 NHL All-Star Game. Gartner registered four goals as the Wales Conference defeated the Campbell Conference, 16-6.
- Feb. 7, 1973 - The Rangers extended their winning streak to nine games by defeating the New York Islanders, 6-0, at MSG. Ed Giacomin stopped all 25 shots he faced to earn the win and shutout, and Walt Tkaczuk registered two goals in the contest.
- Feb. 7, 1976 - Rod Gilbert tallied four goals as the Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 5-4, in Detroit.
- Feb. 7, 2013 - Playing in his second career NHL game (and first career game at Madison Square Garden), J.T. Miller tallied two goals, including his first career NHL goal/point, as the Rangers defeated the New York Islanders, 4-1.
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