NYR TODAY Saturday 3/4: Rangers vs Canadiens Preview, Today in Rangers History

NEW YORK RANGERS GAME DAY PREVIEW

NEW YORK RANGERS (41-21-2) vs MONTREAL CANADIENS (36-21-8)
Madison Square Garden, NYC 7:00 PM TV: MSG, NHLN,  Radio: WEPN 98.7 FM

Tonight the Rangers take on the Montreal Canadiens at MSG for the third and final time this season. The Rangers will being looking to salvage the season series and pick up a win having lost the first two meetings, the last a 3-2 loss in the shootout on February 21st. With the Rangers leading the Eastern Conference Wild Card Race tonight may well be a preview of their first round playoff matchup.

The Rangers goaltender for tonight along with the status of leading scorer Michael Grabner (hip) are yet to be announced. Henrik Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in six of his last seven appearances against the Canadiens at Madison Square Garden dating back to March 30, 2012. Antti Raanta is 2-0-0 in four games against the Canadiens in his career, three of those as a Ranger. Raanta is 1-0-0 with a 1.32 GAA and a .946 SV%.

With Kevin Klein (back) still being listed as day to day and Dan Girardi (ankle) out for two weeks the Rangers defense should look the same as the previous game in Boston.


NYR GAME DAY STATS:

RANGERS TEAM LEADERS:

GOALS: MICHAEL GRABNER 26
ASSISTS: MATS ZUCCARELLO 32
POINTS: J.T. MILLER 48
+/-: MICHAEL GRABNER +27
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 42
FO%: CHRIS KREIDER 62.50

GOALIE STATS:
WINS: HENRIK LUNDQVIST 29
GAA: ANTTI RAANTA 2.36
SO: HENRIK LUNDQVIST, ANTTI RANTA 2
SV%: ANTTI RAANTA .920
HENRIK LUNDQVIST  29-16-2 GAA: 2.63 SV%: .913 SO: 2
ANTTI RAANTA 12-4-0 GAA: 2.36 SV%: .912 SO: 2

RANGERS TEAM STATS

41-21-2
6th Overall NHL
4th Metropolitan Division
WINS: 41 (Rank #2)
POINTS: 84 (Rank #6)
WIN%: 0.656 (Rank #7)
GOALS FOR: 206 (Rank #3)
GOALS AGAINST: 167 (Rank #12)
POWER PLAY GOALS: 34 (Rank #19)
POWER PLAY %: 18.09 (Rank #17)
POWER PLAY GOALS AGAINST: 32 (Rank #8)
PENALTY KILL: 81.07 (Rank #16)
SHORT HANDED GOALS: 8 (Rank #1)
SHORT HANDED GOALS AGAINST: 3 (Rank #6)
SHUTOUTS: 5 (Rank #7)
EMPTY NET GOALS: 11
SHOOTOUTS: 3/5

Today in NYR History March 4:

1961: Jean Ratelle makes his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

1987: Tomas Sandstrom scores three goals against the Islanders to set a Rangers single season record with four hat tricks.