RANGERS VS PENGUINS PREGAME NOTES, WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Rangers vs. Penguins 3.27.16: Pregame Notes

NEW YORK RANGERS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Sunday, Mar. 27, 2016, 7:30 p.m. ET

Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

Rangers: 43-24-8 (94 pts)

Penguins: 41-25-8 (90 pts) 

TONIGHT'S GAME

The Rangers play their 76th game of the 2015-16 season and conclude a back-to-back set tonight, Mar. 27, against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Metropolitan Division matchup at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET - TV: NBCSN; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). The Blueshirts enter the contest with a three-game winning streak. New York has earned at least one point in 11 of its last 15 games (9-4-2), including five of its last six contests (4-1-1). The Blueshirts have won 11 of their last 18 games (11-5-2), 16 of their last 25 games (16-6-3), and 19 of their last 30 games (19-8-3). The Rangers have also earned at least one point in 28 of their last 40 games (24-12-4), including 27 of their last 38 games (23-11-4) and 26 of their last 36 games (22-10-4). The Blueshirts enter the contest with a 43-24-8 record this season (94 points).

RANGERS VS. PENGUINS

• All-Time: 124-107-23-11 (69-51-9-4 at home; 55-56-14-7 on the road)
• 2015-16: Tonight's game is the fourth of four meetings between the Rangers and Penguins, and the second of two meetings between the two teams at MSG. The Rangers have posted a 1-2-0 record (0-1-0 at home; 1-1-0 on the road) against Pittsburgh. The Blueshirts were defeated by the Penguins, 5-3, in the last meeting between the two teams on Mar. 13 at MSG. Derek Stepan leads all skaters with three assists and is tied for first among all skaters with three points in the season series.
• The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 10 of their last 13 contests against the Penguins, dating back to Apr. 3, 2013 (7-3-3).

RANGERS-PENGUINS CONNECTIONS

• Glen Sather played parts of two seasons with the Penguins (1969-70 - 1970-71).
• Mike Sullivan served as an Assistant Coach with the Rangers for four seasons (2009-10 - 2012-13). Sullivan was also selected by the Rangers in the fourth round (69th overall) of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft.
• Ulf Samuelsson played parts of five seasons with the Penguins (1990-91 - 1994-95) and won the Stanley Cup twice with Pittsburgh (1990-91 and 1991-92).
• Tanner Glass played two seasons with Pittsburgh (2012-13 - 2013-14).
• Dominic Moore played part of one season with the Penguins (2006-07).
• The Penguins list two former Rangers on their roster: Matt Cullen (2006-07) and Carl Hagelin (2011-12 - 2014-15).

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. PENGUINS

• Henrik Lundqvist - 58 GP, 29-21-8, 2.41 GAA, .916 SV%, 4 SO - Lundqvist's 58 career appearances against the Penguins are the most he has made against one opponent in his career. He has posted a 7-3-3 record, along with a 2.15 GAA, a .930 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 13 appearances against Pittsburgh.
• Eric Staal - 48 GP, 19-27-46 - Staal has tallied a point in 10 of his last 17 games against the Penguins, recording 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in those contests.
• Rick Nash - 23 GP, 11-8-19 - Nash has recorded a point in four of his last five games against Pittsburgh (four goals, three assists).

FINAL COUNTDOWN

Including tonight's game, the Rangers have seven games remaining in the regular season in 2015-16. All seven games are against Eastern Conference teams, and five of the seven contests will be played at MSG.

WINNING WAYS

The Rangers have earned at least 40 wins and 90 points in nine of the last 11 seasons (2005-06 - 2008-09; 2010-11 - 2011-12; 2013-14 - 2015-16).

BACK-TO-BACK

The Blueshirts conclude their 16th back-to-back set of the 2015-16 season tonight. The Rangers have posted an 8-5-2 record in the second game of back-to-back sets this season. The Blueshirts have posted an 18-6-3 record in the second contest of their last 27 back-to-back sets. In addition, the Rangers have posted a 27-12-3 record in the second game of back-to-back sets since the start of the 2013-14 season and a 52-23-5 record in the second game of back-to-back sets since the start of the 2010-11 season.

HOME COOKING

The Rangers have registered at least 25 home wins in two consecutive seasons for the first time since 2007-08 and 2008-09. The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 16 of their last 20 home games (14-4-2), including 14 of their last 17 home games (12-3-2). The Rangers have earned at least one point in 28 of 36 home games in 2015-16 (25-8-3). The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in wins (25) and points (53) at home this season. The Rangers lead the NHL in goals per game at home this season (3.28).

ON POINT

At least one Blueshirts defenseman has registered a point on 33 of the team's last 47 goals. Rangers defensemen have recorded 153 points (36 goals, 117 assists) in 2015-16 and have tallied 96 points (24 goals, 72 assists) in the last 46 games.

GOALS GALORE

The Rangers have tallied four or more goals in each of the last three games (14 goals), and eight different Blueshirts have recorded at least one goal in those contests. New York ranks fifth in the NHL in goals per game this season (2.85).

HIGH FIVE

The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in goal differential at 5-on-5 in 2015-16 (plus-34; 149 goals for, 115 goals against - Washington leads the NHL; plus-36).

TWO GOOD

The Rangers have won each of the last 24 games in which they have allowed two goals or fewer, dating back to Dec. 15, 2015 vs. Edmonton. The Blueshirts have allowed two goals or fewer in regulation and the five-minute overtime period in 16 of the last 25 games, in 23 of the last 40 games, and in 44 games this season. New York has posted a 38-3-3 record when allowing two goals or fewer in regulation/the five-minute overtime period in 2015-16. The Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in at least half of their games in every season since 2005-06.

AV SQUAD

Alain Vigneault enters tonight's contest with 141 regular season wins as the Rangers’ Head Coach. He is one win away from passing Roger Neilson for sixth place on the franchise’s all-time wins list among head coaches.

KING HENRIK

Henrik Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in 19 of his last 31 appearances, including 16 of his last 25 appearances. He has posted a 15-8-2 record, along with a 2.23 GAA, a .928 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 25 appearances. Lundqvist has been selected as one of the game's Three Stars (27 times), as well as the game's First Star (14 times), more times than any other NHL player this season. Lundqvist enters the contest with 372 career NHL wins and is tied with Andy Moog for 15th place on the league's all-time wins list.

FINE KLEIN

Kevin Klein enters the contest with a three-game assist/point streak (four assists). He has recorded a point in seven of the last nine games (two goals, seven assists), including six of the last seven games (two goals, six assists). He is tied for first among NHL defensemen in points (nine), is tied for second among NHL defensemen in assists (seven), and is tied for third among NHL defensemen in plus/minus rating (plus-eight) since Mar. 8.

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello has notched 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in the last 25 games, including nine points (three goals, six assists) in the last nine games. He has tallied all of his career-high 24 goals and 51 of his 57 points this season when the Rangers have either led by one goal, trailed by one goal, or were tied in the contest. In addition, 49 of Zuccarello's 57 points in 2015-16 have been a goal or a primary assist.

STEP-AN UP

Derek Stepan enters the contest with a three-game point streak (two goals, four assists). Since he returned to the Rangers' lineup on Dec. 18, Stepan ranks second on the team in points (32) and is tied for second in assists (20). He has notched a point in eight of the last 11 games (four goals, nine assists), as well as 10 of the last 14 games (five goals, 10 assists). Stepan has tallied 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in the last 22 games, as well as 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in the last 32 contests. The Rangers have posted a 40-19-6 record in games which Stepan has played this season, including a 26-4-3 record in games which he has notched a point in 2015-16.

BRASS BONANZA

Derick Brassard enters the contest with a four-game point streak (two goals, four assists). Brassard ranks second in the NHL (min. 10 games played) in P/60 (3.82) and is tied for fourth in G/60 (1.91) at home this season. He has tallied a point in 26 of 35 games at MSG this season, recording 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists).

TOO HOT TO YANDLE

Keith Yandle is the first Rangers defenseman to tally at least 38 assists in one season since Brian Leetch in 2001-02. He ranks third among NHL defensemen in primary assists this season (24). Yandle has registered a point in 40 games in 2015-16, and he leads the Rangers in games with a point this season.

CAPTAIN MAC

Ryan McDonagh is one of two NHL defensemen who have recorded at least 30 points and a plus-25 rating in 2015-16 (along with Colton Parayko). He has posted a plus/minus rating of even or better in each of the 15 games he has played since returning from injury on Feb. 25, registering a plus-15 rating over the span, and he leads NHL defensemen in plus/minus rating in 2015-16 (plus-28).

KREID-ING HIGH

Chris Kreider tallied three points (two goals, one assist) in the Rangers’ win tonight against Montreal, and he has recorded six points (four goals, two assists) in the last eight contests.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play:

• The Rangers were 2-for-3 (2:46) tonight at Montreal.
• New York has notched a PPG in each of the last three games (5-for-11; 45.5%), eight of the last 11 games (10-for-31; 32.3%), and in 13 of the last 21 games (16-for-53; 30.2%).

Penalty Kill:

• The Rangers were 6-for-6 (11:54) tonight at Montreal.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• Mats Zuccarello - 1 point away from 200 in his NHL career; 3 games away from 300 in his NHL career
• Derek Stepan - 4 points away from 300 in his NHL career 

INJURIES (87 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

·         Dylan McIlrath (knee; injury suffered on Mar. 6) - day-to-day 

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

·         None

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

·         Mar. 27, 2006 – The Rangers rallied from a 4-2 deficit at the start of the third period to defeat the Buffalo Sabres, 5-4, in a shootout. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all eight shots he faced in relief to earn the win, and Jaromir Jagr registered his 52nd goal of the 2005-06 season in the third period, tying Adam Graves’ single-season franchise record for goals.

Rangers Vs Penguins March 27th 2016

Mar 27 - 8:51am by MattCalamia

W2W4: Rangers vs. Penguins 3.27.16

Who: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Where: Madison Square Garden
When: Sunday night at 7:30 PM
Watch: NBCSN
Listen: ESPN-98.7 FM and NewYorkRangers.com

The Skinny:
The battle for second place in the Metropolitan Division kicks into high gear Sunday night at Madison Square Garden as the second-place Rangers (43-24-8, 94 pts) host the surging third-place Pittsburgh Penguins (41-25-8, 90 pts). New York's lead is four points and Pittsburgh owns one game in hand, making this an extremely important late-season match up, especially considering that the Penguins are at the same time trying to hold off the fourth-place Islanders who are only a point out of third. Both teams come in after holding serve and winning convincingly on the road Saturday--the Rangers beat the Canadiens 5-2 up in Montreal while the Penguins skated past the Red Wings 7-2 in Detroit. The Rangers have now won three in a row, outscoring the opposition 14-6, and are 16-6-2 since February 4. Their defensive work and goaltending has been solid this past week, their power play has scored five times in 11 opportunities in the three victories, and the Rangers top offensive players are producing. Derick Brassard has points in four straight games (2-4-6) and both Derek Stepan (2-4-6), Rick Nash (2-1-3) and Mats Zuccarello (2-2-4) have points in three straight. Keith Yandle has notched four assists in the past two games, and now has a team-high 39 on the season; and Chris Kreider scored twice and added an assist in Saturday's win. Henrik Lundqvist, who watched Antti Raanta backstop the win in Montreal, starts in goal Sunday for the Rangers, likely against Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury. Both No. 1 goalies have 33 wins on the season, while Lundqvist has a slightly better save percentage and Fleury an edge in GAA. The Penguins have won seven of their last eight games, getting back on the winning track Saturday after being shutout by Devils rookie Scott Wedgewood, 3-0, on Thursday. A season-best six-game winning streak preceded that loss to New Jersey. The Penguins hope to off set New York's strong home play, where they are 25-8-3 at MSG this season, with their current four-game road winning streak that has upped their road mark to 18-14-4 this year. Pittsburgh will be without injured star forward Evgeni Malkin and one of its top defenseman in Olli Maata, though Sidney Crosby is healthy and playing terrific hockey with points in 13 of his last 14 games and averaging better than a point per game this season (77 points in 73 games) to lead the Penguins. Crosby, who played in his 700th career game Saturday, is currently the NHL's third leading scorer, and his 31 goals are ninth most in the league.
Head To Head:
For the third time this month, and fourth and final time this regular season, the Rangers will face off with the Penguins on Sunday night. The Rangers have lost two of the three games played so far in this season series, including two straight after shutting out the Penguins 3-0 back on February 10 at the CONSOL Energy Center. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 34 shots he faced in that contest, while Kevin Hayes, Dominic Moore and Jesper Fast (empty net) all scored for New York. Pittsburgh skated to a home ice victory in the next meeting on March 3, beating the Rangers 4-1 in a game that will be remembered for Lundqvist suffering neck spasms and also for his shoving the net into the back boards to show his displeasure with the officials.  Chris Kreider scored New York’s only goal in that contest, while Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists. Two weeks ago in a Sunday matinee at Madison Square Garden Pittsburgh scored twice late in the third period to come away with a 5-3 victory. The Rangers battled back three times from one-goal deficits to tie the contest—the last time coming on a Ryan McDonagh goal 5:04 into the third period—but never were able to hold a lead in the game. Matt Cullen’s goal off the skate of New York’s Marc Staal at 11:09 of the third proved to be the game winner. Kreider and Derick Brassard also scored for the Blueshirts. Derek Stepan had two assists in the game and he leads the Rangers with three points (0-3-3) in this season series, while Sidney Crosby also has three points (2-1-3) for the Penguins.
Players to Watch:
Rangers-Chris Kreider: He hadn't scored a goal or recorded a single point in the previous five games, but Chris Kreider broke out in a big way Saturday night, producing a season-high three points, which included the second two-goal game of his season, in a 5-2 road win in Montreal. His offensive skill set was on full view as he showcased his shot with a wicked one timer from the right circle for a second-period power play goal, and then displayed his tremendous speed and power with a highlight-reel breakaway goal a couple of minutes later. Kreider now has 18 goals, three shy of his career-best set a year ago, though not quite at the level foreseen by head coach Alain Vigneault who believed 2015-16 would be Kreider's breakout season offensively. Still, Kreider has been more consistent with his scoring in the season's second half, and has largely shaken off his rough start where he scored only three goals through the first 24 games of the season. Seven of his goals have come in the past 15 games, and 12 of his 18 have been scored since January 16, meaning his production is heating up heading into the playoffs where he typically plays his strongest and best hockey. Saturday Kreider played on a line with Derick Brassard and Rick Nash as Vigneault continued to tweak his lines, and after such a productive performance by Kreider--and Brassard, who also had three points--it would reason that's where Kreider will be again Sunday against the Penguins.
Penguins-Phil Kessel: After being traded from Toronto to Pittsburgh last summer, 5-time 30-goal scorer Phil Kessel had to believe this season had the makings to be one of his best ever, given the opportunity to play with world-class talent in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Things have not quite worked out that way for Kessel, who has not exactly ingratiated himself with Penguin fans with his uneven play this year. However Kessel is still a tremendous offensive talent, and he proved that Saturday with a career-high five-point performance against the Detroit Red Wings. This should give opposing teams pause because a hot Phil Kessel, especially here in the stretch run and into the playoffs, could very well be a game changer for the Penguins. Kessel now has 22 goals, 30 assists and 52 points in 74 games, certainly respectable numbers, but not what was expected from a 28 year-old elite scorer in his prime, just liberated from a grim situation in Toronto. Kessel can score in bunches, however, and when he’s on he poses major problems for the opposition. He now has ten multiple-point games on the season; and his four assists on Saturday pushed his career total over 300, to 303. He now has 572 points in 742 career games; and Kessel will likely have the chance—perhaps against the Rangers—to play some big post-season games for the first time since 2012-13 and for only the fourth time in his career. Though he has only 22 games of playoff experience, Kessel does have 13 goals and 21 points in those 22 career games, not to mention six goals and ten points spread out over 12 games in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics while playing for Team USA. Pittsburgh may soon be seeing the true value of having acquired Phil Kessel prior to this season.

Rangers Vs Penguins March 27th 2016

Mar 27 - 8:52am by MattCalamia

RANGERS @ CANADIENS GAME DAY PREVIEW, WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Rangers vs. Canadiens 3.26.16: Pregame Notes

NEW YORK RANGERS at MONTREAL CANADIENS

Saturday, Mar. 26, 2016, 7:00 p.m. ET

Bell Centre – Montreal, QC

Rangers: 42-24-8 (92 pts)

Canadiens: 34-35-6 (74 pts)

TONIGHT'S GAME

The Rangers play their 75th game of the 2015-16 season and begin a back-to-back set tonight, Mar. 26, against the Montreal Canadiens in an Original Six matchup at Bell Centre (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG 2; Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). New York has earned at least one point in 10 of its last 14 games (8-4-2), including four of its last five contests (3-1-1). The Blueshirts have won 10 of their last 17 games (10-5-2), 15 of their last 24 games (15-6-3), and 18 of their last 29 games (18-8-3). The Rangers have also earned at least one point in 27 of their last 39 games (23-12-4), including 26 of their last 37 games (22-11-4) and 25 of their last 35 games (21-10-4). The Blueshirts enter the contest with a 42-24-8 record this season (92 points).

RANGERS VS. CANADIENS

• All-Time: 193-328-94-4 (128-126-54-1 at home; 65-202-40-3 on the road)
• 2015-16: Tonight's game is the third of three meetings between the Rangers and Canadiens, and the second of two meetings between the two teams in Montreal. The Rangers have posted a 0-2-0 record (0-1-0 at home; 0-1-0 on the road) against Montreal. The Blueshirts were defeated by the Canadiens, 5-1, in the last meeting between the two teams on Nov. 25 at Madison Square Garden.
• Eight of the last 10 meetings between the Rangers and Canadiens have resulted in a shutout for one of the two teams.

RANGERS-CANADIENS CONNECTIONS

• The Rangers list one former Canadien on their roster: Dominic Moore (2009-10)
• Ryan McDonagh was selected by Montreal in the first round (12th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
• Alain Vigneault began his NHL head coaching career with the Canadiens in 1997-98. Vigneault served as Montreal's Head Coach for parts of four seasons (1997-98 - 2000-01).
• Stefan Matteau is the son of former Ranger and 1993-94 Stanley Cup champion Stephane Matteau, who played with the Blueshirts for parts of three seasons (1993-94 - 1995-96).
• Viktor Stalberg and Torrey Mitchell were teammates with the University of Vermont for one season (2006-07).
• J.T. Miller and Alex Galchenyuk helped Team USA win a gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. CANADIENS

• Henrik Lundqvist – 32 GP, 14-15-2, 2.77 GAA, .900 SV%, 2 SO – Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in six of his last eight appearances against Montreal, posting a 2.08 GAA, a .918 SV%, and 1 SO in those contests.
• Antti Raanta - 2 GP, 1-0-0, 2.54 GAA, .929 SV% - Raanta made 38 saves and earned a win in his only career start against the Canadiens (Dec. 5, 2014 as a member of the Blackhawks).
• Eric Staal - 41 GP, 19-19-38 - Staal has recorded 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in his last 23 games against Montreal, and has posted six multi-point games over the span.
• Dominic Moore - 33 GP, 5-13-18 - As a Ranger, Moore has tallied eight points (four goals, four assists) in 13 regular season games against Montreal, as well as three points (one goal, two assists) in six playoff contests against the Canadiens.

FINAL COUNTDOWN

Including tonight's game, the Rangers have eight games remaining in the regular season in 2015-16. All eight games are against Eastern Conference teams, and five of the eight contests will be played at MSG.

WINNING WAYS

The Rangers have earned at least 40 wins and 90 points in nine of the last 11 seasons (2005-06 - 2008-09; 2010-11 - 2011-12; 2013-14 - 2015-16).

ROAD WARRIORS

The Blueshirts are tied for the NHL lead - and lead Eastern Conference teams - with 70 road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season. The Rangers’ 70 road wins over the last three seasons are the most over any three-season span in franchise history. The Rangers have earned at least one point in five of the last six road games (3-1-2) and have won eight of the last 13 road games (8-3-2), including five of the last nine road contests (5-2-2).

ON POINT

The Blueshirts are one of five NHL teams with four defensemen who have recorded at least 20 points this season. At least one Rangers defenseman has tallied a goal in four of the last six games (five goals over the span). At least one Blueshirts defenseman has registered a point on 30 of the team's last 42 goals. Rangers defensemen have recorded 150 points (36 goals, 114 assists) in 2015-16 and have tallied 93 points (24 goals, 69 assists) in the last 45 games.

GOALS GALORE

The Rangers have tallied four or more goals in each of the last two games (nine goals), and seven different Blueshirts have recorded at least one goal in those contests. New York ranks fifth in the NHL in goals per game this season (2.82).

HIGH FIVE

The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in goal differential at 5-on-5 in 2015-16 (plus-33; 146 goals for, 113 goals against - Washington leads the NHL; plus-39).

TWO GOOD

The Blueshirts have allowed two goals or fewer in regulation and the five-minute overtime period in 15 of the last 24 games, in 22 of the last 39 games, and in 43 games this season. New York has posted a 37-3-3 record when allowing two goals or fewer in regulation/the five-minute overtime period in 2015-16. The Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in at least half of their games in every season since 2005-06.

THIRD PERIOD IS THE CHARM

The Rangers have tallied at least one goal in the third period in 22 of their last 26 games (34 third period goals over the span). New York ranks third in the NHL in third period goals this season (85).

AV SQUAD

Alain Vigneault enters tonight's contest with 140 regular season wins as the Rangers’ Head Coach. He is one win away from tying Roger Neilson for sixth place on the franchise’s all-time wins list among head coaches.

KING HENRIK

Henrik Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in 19 of his last 31 appearances, including 17 of his last 27 appearances and 16 of his last 25 appearances. He has posted a 15-8-2 record, along with a 2.23 GAA, a .928 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 25 appearances. Lundqvist has been selected as one of the game's Three Stars (27 times), as well as the game's First Star (14 times), more times than any other NHL player this season. Lundqvist enters the contest with 372 career NHL wins and is tied with Andy Moog for 15th place on the league's all-time wins list.

NHL ALL-TIME WINS LIST
14. John Vanbiesbrouck	374
T-15. Henrik Lundqvist	372
T-15. Andy Moog	372

FINE KLEIN

Kevin Klein has recorded a point in six of the last eight games (two goals, six assists), including five of the last six games (two goals, five assists). Klein has also posted two multi-point games in the last five contests. He is tied for second among NHL defensemen in points (eight) and plus/minus rating (plus-seven), and is tied for third among NHL defensemen in assists (six) since Mar. 8.

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello has notched 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in the last 24 games, including eight points (three goals, five assists) in the last eight games. He has tallied all of his career-high 24 goals and 51 of his team-high 56 points this season when the Rangers have either led by one goal, trailed by one goal, or were tied in the contest. In addition, 48 of Zuccarello's 56 points in 2015-16 have been a goal or a primary assist.

STEP-AN UP

Derek Stepan is the second Ranger in franchise history to register at least 40 points in each of his first six NHL seasons (Steve Vickers – each of his first nine seasons from 1972-73 – 1980-81). Since he returned to the Rangers' lineup on Dec. 18, he is tied for the team lead in points (30), is tied for second in assists (19), and is tied for third in goals (11). He has notched a point in seven of the last 10 games (three goals, eight assists), as well as nine of the last 13 games (four goals, nine assists). Stepan has tallied 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in the last 21 games, as well as 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) in the last 31 contests. The Rangers have posted a 39-19-6 record in games which Stepan has played this season, including a 25-4-3 record in games which he has notched a point in 2015-16. Stepan is one of three NHL centers who have registered at least 15 goals and 60 takeaways this season (along with Patrice Bergeron and Joe Thornton).

DEREK STEPAN – SECOND HALF STATS SINCE 2012-13
SEASON	GP	G	A	P	P/GP
2012-13	24	12	16	28	1.17
2013-14	41	10	22	32	0.78
2014-15	40	10	18	28	0.70
2015-16	33	9	18	27	0.82
TOTAL	138	41	74	115	0.83

BRASS BONANZA

Derick Brassard enters the contest with a three-game point streak (one goal, two assists) and he has registered 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in his last 25 games. He has established career-highs in goals (26), power play goals (eight), power play points (20), and game-winning goals (five), and has tied his career-high in power play assists (12) this season. Brassard leads the Blueshirts in goals in 2015-16, and he is the first Rangers center to record at least 26 goals in one season since Michael Nylander in 2006-07.

DERICK BRASSARD TEAM RANKINGS IN 2015-16
CATEGORY	TOTAL	NYR RANKING
GOALS	26	1st
ASSISTS	28	3rd
POINTS	54	2nd
PRIMARY ASSISTS	17	3rd
FACEOFF WIN PERCENTAGE (min. 300 faceoffs taken)	50.9	2nd
FACEOFF WINS	617	1st
FACEOFFS TAKEN	1,212	1st
POWER PLAY GOALS	8	1st
POWER PLAY ASSISTS	12	2nd
POWER PLAY POINTS	20	1st
EVEN STRENGTH GOALS	18	T-1st
GAME-WINNING GOALS	5	T-1st
SHOTS ON GOAL	163	3rd
TAKEAWAYS	42	3rd
PLUS/MINUS RATING	11	T-4th

TOO HOT TO YANDLE

Keith Yandle ranks third among NHL defensemen in primary assists this season (24), and he is one of seven NHL defensemen who have tallied at least 20 even strength assists and 15 power play assists in 2015-16. All of Yandle’s last four points have been primary assists on goals, and all of his last eight points, including 10 of his last 11 points, have been on the power play. Yandle has registered a point in 39 games in 2015-16, and he leads the Rangers in games with a point this season.

Yandle has averaged 0.50 assists per game thus far this season (37 assists in 74 games). Prior to 2015-16, the last Rangers defenseman to average at least 0.50 assists per game in a season (min. 20 games played in the season) was Brian Leetch (0.55 in 2001-02). The last Rangers defenseman other than Leetch to average at least 0.50 assists per game in a season (min. 20 games played in the season) was Bruce Driver (0.52 in 1995-96).

CAPTAIN MAC

Ryan McDonagh is the only NHL defenseman who has recorded at least 30 points and a plus-25 rating in 2015-16. He has posted a plus/minus rating of even or better in each of the 14 games he has played since returning from injury on Feb. 25, registering a plus-14 rating over the span. McDonagh ranks second in the NHL - and leads NHL defensemen - in plus/minus rating since the start of last season (plus-50).

Entering this season, McDonagh had posted a plus-11 rating or better in each of his first five NHL seasons. Since the NHL began tracking plus/minus rating at the start of the 1967-68 season, the only Ranger who posted a plus/minus rating of plus-11 or better in each of his first six NHL seasons was Brad Park (1968-69 – 1973-74). McDonagh’s career plus-115 rating is the second-best plus/minus rating a Ranger has posted through his first six NHL seasons (Park – plus-171; Bill Fairbairn ranks third with a plus-102 rating in his first six NHL seasons).

DAN'S THE MAN

Dan Girardi enters the contest with 719 career games played as a Ranger. He is one game away from passing Andy Bathgate for sole possession of 10th place on the franchise's all-time games played list. Girardi is one of two NHL players who have registered at least 150 hits and 150 blocked shots this season, and he is tied for third in the NHL in blocked shots in 2015-16 (182).

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play:

• The Rangers were 2-for-6 (8:47) on Mar. 23 vs. Boston.
• New York has notched a power play goal in seven of the last 10 games (8-for-28; 28.6%) and in 12 of the last 20 games (14-for-50; 28.0%).
• The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL – and first in the Eastern Conference – on the power play over their last 10 games (since Mar. 4). In addition, the Rangers rank third in the NHL – and lead the Eastern Conference – on the power play over their last 20 games (since Feb. 12).

Penalty Kill:

• The Rangers were 2-for-2 (2:54) on Mar. 23 vs. Boston.

·         The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in each of the last 11 games in which they did not allow a power play goal against (10-0-1 record over the span).

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• Mats Zuccarello - 2 points away from 200 in his NHL career; 4 games away from 300 in his NHL career

INJURIES (86 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

• Dylan McIlrath (knee; injury suffered on Mar. 6) - day-to-day

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

• None

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

·         Mar. 25, 1937 – Babe Pratt tallied the game-winning goal 13:05 into overtime to help the Rangers defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1, in Game 2 of the Quarterfinals and advance to the Semifinals.

·         Mar. 25, 1994 – Brian Leetch registered two goals, including his 100th career NHL goal, as the Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 5-2.

·         Mar. 26, 1929 – Frank Boucher recorded the game-winning goal 2:03 into overtime to help the Rangers defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1, in Game 2 of the Semifinals and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

·         The Rangers have played on Mar. 26 in four of the last five years and have won all four contests – Mar. 26, 2011 at Boston (1-0), Mar. 26, 2013 at Philadelphia (5-2), Mar. 26, 2014 vs. Philadelphia (3-1), and Mar. 26, 2015 at Ottawa (5-1).

Rangers Vs Canadiens March 26th 2016

Mar 25 - 9:36pm by MattCalamia

W2W4: Rangers vs. Canadiens 3.26.16

Who: New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens
Where: Bell Centre
When: Saturday night at 7:00 PM
Watch: MSG 2 beginning at 6:30 PM
Listen: ESPN-1050 AM and NewYorkRangers.com
********************************
The Skinny:
Having put together a pair of solid home-ice victories already this week, the Rangers (42-24-8, 92 pts) hit the road Saturday night to play in a perennially tough building for them to win, the Bell Centre in Montreal, where they skate against the Canadiens (34-35-6, 74 pts). New York is looking to solidify its hold on second place in the Metropolitan Division--right now they are four points up on the Pittsburgh Penguins, who also play Saturday and whom the Rangers will host at The Garden on Sunday--while the Canadiens are playing out the string, an injury-marred season has them sitting in 15th place in the Eastern Conference. This is a game the Rangers can not afford to look past, and ahead to the crucial battle against the Penguins 24 hours later. A win over the Canadiens would just be another two important points in the standings and another step closer to securing a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs and as high a seed as possible in the East. Antti Raanta will get the start in goal for New York on Saturday, with Henrik Lundqvist getting the call Sunday against the Penguins. Raanta has won five of his last six starts, and has clearly recaptured his confidence which had waned midway through the season. There will be no other lineup changes for the Rangers, meaning that Oscar Lindberg will sit out his sixth straight game as a healthy scratch. Chris Kreider will likely be placed on a line with Derick Brassard and Rick Nash, while Jesper Fast slides down to the third line to skate with Eric Staal and Kevin Hayes. Nash has scored goals in back to back games, and Brassard--who is 4-4-8 in his last nine games--netted his team-high 26th goal in Wednesday's impressive 5-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. Derek Stepan--who will center J.T. Miller and Mats Zuccarello on Saturday--had a goal and two assists against the Bruins. Miller, meanwhile, scored his 20th goal and Zuccarello had a goal and an assist. The Rangers scored twice on the power play Wednesday, only the fourth time this season they have done so, and now have eight power play goals in the past ten games. Despite an incredibly long list of injuries that has sabotaged their season, the Canadiens still find ways to win on home ice. They are 20-14-3 at the Bell Centre this season, though they have lost three of their last four at home. Montreal will attempt to soldier on without the league's reigning MVP and Vezina Trophy winner, Carey Price, who remains sidelined with a lower body injury that has limited him to just 12 games played--and nonce since November 25 when he was hurt again against the Rangers at MSG. The Canadiens are also without their most important skater, former Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban, who said Friday he was not yet ready to return from injury. Among the other key Canadiens players still sidelined by injury are Brendan Gallagher, Jeff Petry, Tom Gilbert and Brian Flynn. Ben Scrivens who has faced 40 or more shots in each of his last three starts, will likely get the start between the pipes against the Rangers on Saturday.
Head To Head:
The Rangers and Canadiens close out their season series Saturday night in Montreal with the Blueshirts looking to avoid being swept in the three-game series.The Rangers have been outscored 8-1 by the Canadiens in two previous games this season and have not produced an even strength goal through six periods of play. All told the Rangers have lost 9 of their last 11 games against the Canadiens and have been shut out in six of the defeats.The Rangers have managed just nine goals--five of which came in a 5-0 win on November 23, 2014--in their last 11 games against Montreal. This season the Rangers were blanked 3-0 back on October 15 in Montreal's home opener at the Bell Centre. Carey Price stopped all 25 shots for the victory while Tomas Fleischmann scored a goal and added an assist. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 29 of 31 shots in goal for the Rangers with the final goal scored into an empty net. On November 25 at Madison Square Garden the Canadiens beat New York 5-1, scoring three third-period goals to break open a 2-1 game. Price was injured and left after 40 minutes of play, but the Rangers could not score anyway in the third. Rick Nash scored New York's only goal, on the power play, in period number two. Alex Galchenyuk scored a goal and added an assist for Montreal, while Tomas Plekanec picked up three assists.
Players To Watch:
Rangers-J.T. Miller: Wednesday night J.T. Miller buried his 20th goal of the season early in the third period of the Rangers 5-2 victory over the Bruins, the 23 year-old former first round pick reaching the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his NHL career. He is third on the team in goals this season, sitting behind only Derick Brassard (26) and Mats Zuccarello (24), and is fifth in scoring with a career-best 40 points--a total which is 17 points better than his previous career-high set a year ago. Miller admitted that hitting the 20-goal mark was a personal goal for him this season, and that speaks to his inner confidence considering his difficulties in previous seasons to keep his place in the lineup, let alone in the top-six role he has played in most of this season. There is no doubt that Miller's off-ice maturity and on-ice success go hand in hand; and that his growth this season is among the biggest positives for the Rangers this entire season. Over his last eight games Miller has three goals and three assists, and Saturday he is expected to remain on a line with Zuccarello and Derek Stepan. A physical presence on the ice, as well, Miller caught everyone's attention by drilling Boston's hulking Zdeno Chara to the ice on Wednesday with a clean, hard hit. It is just part of the all-around package which Miller has brought to the rink on a consistent basis this year, making him an extremely valuable New York Ranger.
Canadiens-David Desharnais: At a time when the Canadiens are missing an inordinate amount of regulars from their lineup due to injury, there was finally some positive news Thursday night when David Desharnais returned following a 17-game absence due to a lower body injury. Desharnais had a quiet night--no points, no shots on goal, and a -1 against Detroit--but he did log nearly 16 minutes of ice-time, and it was just actually refreshing to see someone come back into the lineup and not leave it for a change this season in Montreal. Still while the 29 year-old's return is good news, a strong finish for him over the final two weeks would be even more uplifting. Desharnais has struggled mightily offensively this season, and has scored only nine goals while registering only 26 points in 58 games played. Those numbers are far off his typical scoring totals and averages. he has been a 60-point scorer in this league, and the last two seasons he recorded 52 and 48 points; and he actually was off to a really good start this season before totally going stone cold offensively. After picking up a pair of assists against the Rangers on October 15 Desharnais had started the season with four points (1-3-4) in five games. Those numbers improved to 14 points over his first (5-9-14) 16 games. However he has followed with just 12 points over his next 42 games played. In fact he went through one 17-game stretch this season where he did not score a goal and managed just two assists.

Rangers Vs Canadiens March 26th 2016

Mar 25 - 6:08pm by JimCerny

NY RANGERS AT SAN JOSE SHARKS PREGAME NOTES, WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Rangers vs. Sharks 3.19.16: Pregame Notes

NEW YORK RANGERS at SAN JOSE SHARKS

Saturday, Mar. 19, 2016, 4:00 p.m. ET

SAP Center at San Jose – San Jose, CA

Rangers: 40-23-8 (88 pts)

Sharks: 39-25-6 (84 pts) 

TONIGHT'S GAME

The Rangers play their 72nd game of the 2015-16 season and conclude a three-game road trip tonight, Mar. 19, against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose (4:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG+; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). New York has earned at least one point in eight of its last 11 games (6-3-2). The Blueshirts have won eight of their last 14 games (8-4-2), 13 of their last 21 games (13-5-3), and 16 of their last 26 games (16-7-3). The Rangers have also earned at least one point in 25 of their last 36 games (21-11-4), including 24 of their last 34 games (20-10-4) and 23 of their last 32 games (19-9-4). The Blueshirts enter the contest with a 40-23-8 record this season (88 points). 

RANGERS VS. SHARKS

• All-Time: 23-8-3-0 (11-4-1-0 at home; 12-4-2-0 on the road)
• 2015-16: Tonight's game is the second of two meetings between the Rangers and Sharks, and the only meeting between the two teams in San Jose. The Rangers have posted a 1-0-0 record (1-0-0 at home; 0-0-0 on the road) against San Jose. The Blueshirts defeated the Sharks, 4-0, in the only meeting between the two teams on Oct. 19 at Madison Square Garden. Jesper Fast and Marc Staal each registered two points (one goal, one assist) in the game, while Viktor Stalberg and Mats Zuccarello each recorded a goal. Antti Raanta stopped all 22 shots he faced to earn his first win and shutout as a Ranger while making his debut with the Blueshirts.
• The Rangers enter the contest with a three-game winning streak against San Jose, outscoring the Sharks, 11-1, in the three contests.
• New York has allowed one goal or fewer in each of its last four games against the Sharks (two goals against over the span).

RANGERS-SHARKS CONNECTIONS

• Dan Boyle played with the Sharks for six seasons (2008-09 - 2013-14). Boyle is the franchise's all-time leader in assists and points by a defenseman (201 assists and 269 points).
• Dominic Moore skated in 23 regular season games and three playoff games with the Sharks during the 2011-12 season.
• Rick Nash and Joe Thornton were teammates with Team Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2010 Winter Olympics, and they helped Team Canada capture a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. In addition, Nash and Thornton were teammates with HC Davos of National League A (NLA) in Switzerland in 2004-05 and 2012-13.

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. SHARKS

• Henrik Lundqvist – 8 GP, 4-3-0, 2.03 GAA, .938 SV%, 1 SO – Lundqvist's .938 SV% against San Jose is the best he has posted against any NHL team in his career. In his last three games against the Sharks, Lundqvist has posted a 2-1-0 record, along with a 0.67 GAA, a .978 SV% (91 saves on 93 shots), and 1 SO.
• Rick Nash – 38 GP, 19-8-27 – Nash has tallied a point in each of his last three contests against the Sharks (two goals, one assist). In addition, he has registered 10 points (eight goals, two assists) in his last 12 games against San Jose.
• Eric Staal – 13 GP, 5-5-10 – Staal has notched a point in nine of 13 career games against San Jose, and he has recorded seven points (three goals, four assists) in his last eight games against the Sharks.
• Derick Brassard – 20 GP, 0-10-10 – Brassard has registered five assists/points in his last seven games against the Sharks.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

The Blueshirts conclude their three-game stretch in California with today's contest. The Blueshirts earned at least one point in each of the first two games of their trip in California (1-0-1 record). In 2014-15, the Rangers earned a win in all three games on the road against the Ducks, Kings, and Sharks, marking the first time New York defeated all three teams on the road and swept the three teams on one road trip in the same season in franchise history.

SMOOTH SAILING ON THE PACIFIC

The Rangers have posted an 8-2-3 record against Pacific Division opponents this season. Since the start of last season, the Blueshirts have posted a 19-4-4 record against teams in the Pacific Division, including a 9-2-2 record on the road against Pacific Division teams over the span.

ROAD WARRIORS

The Blueshirts lead the NHL with 70 road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season. The Rangers’ 70 road wins over the last three seasons are the most over any three-season span in franchise history. The Rangers have earned at least one point in each of the last five road games (3-0-2) and have won eight of the last 12 road games (8-2-2), including five of the last eight road contests (5-1-2).

HIGH FIVE

The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in goal differential at 5-on-5 in 2015-16 (plus-34; 141 goals for, 107 goals against - Washington leads the NHL; plus-37).

TWO GOOD

The Blueshirts have allowed two goals or fewer in 13 of the last 21 games, in 20 of the last 36 games, and in 40 games this season. New York has posted a 35-3-2 record when allowing two goals or fewer in 2015-16.

THIRD PERIOD IS THE CHARM

The Rangers have tallied at least one goal in the third period in 20 of their last 23 games (30 third period goals over the span). New York ranks third in the NHL in third period goals this season (81).

ON POINT

At least one Rangers defenseman has registered a point on 24 of the team's last 32 goals. Blueshirts defensemen have recorded 143 points (35 goals, 108 assists) in 2015-16 and have tallied 86 points (23 goals, 63 assists) in the last 42 games.

KING HENRIK

Henrik Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in 17 of his last 28 appearances, including 15 of his last 24 appearances and 14 of his last 22 appearances. He has posted a 14-7-3 record, along with a 2.22 GAA, a .925 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 24 appearances, including a 13-7-2 record, along with a 2.15 GAA, a .927 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 22 appearances. Lundqvist is tied for the NHL lead in even strength SV% this season (.938).

IT'S MILLER TIME

J.T. Miller tallied two points (one goal, one assist) in the Rangers' last game on Mar. 17 at Los Angeles. He enters the contest with a three-game point streak, as well as a three-game assist streak (one goal, three assists), and both streaks are tied for his career-high. Miller has also registered a point in four of the last five games (two goals, three assists). He leads the Rangers in goals (13) and points (26) on the road in 2015-16.

FINE KLEIN

Kevin Klein enters the contest with a three-game point streak (two goals, two assists), and he has tallied a point in four of the last five games (two goals, three assists). He is tied for second among NHL defensemen in game-winning goals since the start of last season (eight).

BOYLE-ING POINT

Dan Boyle tallied his 20th point of the 2015-16 season in the Rangers’ last game on Mar. 17 at Los Angeles. Boyle is the only NHL defenseman who has registered at least 20 points in each of the last 15 seasons (2000-01 – 2015-16). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Boyle is the 20th defenseman who has recorded 20 or more points in at least 15 consecutive seasons in NHL history.

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello has notched 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in the last 21 games, including five points (one goal, four assists) in the last five games. He has registered all of his 22 goals and 49 of his 53 points this season when the Rangers have either led by one goal, trailed by one goal, or were tied in the contest. In addition, 46 of Zuccarello's 53 points in 2015-16 have either been a goal or a primary assist.

STEP-AN UP

Derek Stepan has notched a point in five of the last seven games (two goals, five assists), as well as seven of the last 10 games (three goals, six assists). He has tallied 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in the last 18 games, as well as 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in the last 28 contests. The Rangers have posted a 37-18-6 record in games which Stepan has played this season, including a 23-4-3 record in games which he has notched a point in 2015-16.

TOO HOT TO YANDLE

Keith Yandle is tied for third among NHL defensemen in primary assists this season (22), and he is one of six NHL defensemen who have tallied at least 20 even strength assists and 15 power play assists in 2015-16. Yandle has registered a point in 38 games in 2015-16, and he leads the Rangers in games with a point this season. In addition, he leads Blueshirts defensemen in points (40) in 2015-16. Yandle has notched a point in 17 of the last 26 games (three goals, 14 assists), including 12 of the last 18 games (one goal, 11 assists).

CAPTAIN MAC

Ryan McDonagh is one of two NHL defensemen who have recorded at least 30 points and a plus-20 rating in 2015-16 (along with Drew Doughty). The Rangers captain has registered a point in five of the last 10 games (two goals, four assists) and has tallied 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in his last 25 games.

BRASS BONANZA

Derick Brassard leads the Rangers in goals this season (25). He has recorded a point in four of his last six games (three goals, two assists), including a goal in three of his last five contests. Brassard has established career-highs in goals, power play goals (eight), and power play points (19) in 2015-16.

DAN'S THE MAN

Dan Girardi enters the contest with 716 career games played as a Ranger. He is three games away from tying Andy Bathgate for 10th place on the franchise's all-time games played list.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play:

• The Rangers were 0-for-1 (2:00) on Mar. 17 at Los Angeles.
• The Blueshirts have recorded a PPG in five of the last seven games (5-for-18; 27.8%) and in 10 of the last 17 games (11-for-40; 27.5%).

Penalty Kill:

• The Rangers were 2-for-2 (4:00) on Mar. 17 at Los Angeles.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• Kevin Klein - 3 assists away from 100 in his NHL career
• Mats Zuccarello - 5 points away from 200 in his NHL career

INJURIES (83 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

• Dylan McIlrath (knee; injury suffered on Mar. 6) - week-to-week

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

• None 

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

·         Mar. 18, 1989 – Tony Granato recorded his 36th and final goal of his rookie season. Granato’s 36 goals are still the record for most goals by a Ranger in his rookie season.

·         Mar. 19, 2001 – Mark Messier tallied his 1,772nd career NHL point, passing Marcel Dionne for sole possession of third place on the NHL’s all-time scoring list.

Rangers Vs Sharks March 19th 2016

Mar 18 - 11:42pm by MattCalamia

W2W4: Rangers vs. Sharks 3.19.16

Who: New York Rangers vs. San Jose Sharks
Where: SAP Center
When: Saturday at 4:00 PM
Watch: MSG-Plus beginning at 3:30 PM
Listen: ESPN-98.7 FM and NewYorkRangers.com
*********************************
The Skinny:
Saturday afternoon in San Jose the Rangers (40-23-8, 88 pts) close out their grueling California road trip with a tilt against the Sharks (39-25-6, 84 pts). To say it's a swing game for the Rangers is a real understatement. With a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday followed by a 4-3 overtime defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings the next night, the Rangers have earned three of a possible four points so far on the trip. A win, or even an overtime loss, on Saturday would give New York some good feelings to head back home with, not to mention either for or five of a possible six points in the standings. A loss in regulation, though, would carry frustration with it, especially with how Thursday's loss in L.A. unfolded, losing a late third-period lead on a controversial goal in which the Rangers believed Henrik Lundqvist was interfered with, and then missing out on the second point in overtime. New York enters play three points up on the Islanders for second place in the Metropolitan Division though the Isles--who play Saturday night--have two games in hand. When they return home from this trip the Rangers will have ten games remaining in the regular season, seven of which will be played on home ice.There is definitely a confident swagger the Blueshirts would take home with them if they win Saturday, one they could carry over the final three weeks of the season. Lundqvist will again start in goal after his 33-save outing Thursday. Since returning from injury he is winless in three starts (0-1-2). Lundqvist likely will be opposed by Martin Jones in the Sharks net. Jones leads the league with 58 appearances, is fourth with 34 wins, second with five shutouts and 11th with a 2.28 GAA this season, his first with the Sharks. The Rangers will need to play a strong defensive game against a Sharks team which is third in the NHL with 207 goals scored. Team captain Joe Pavelski leads the way with 32 goals--8th most in the league, while Brent Burns has a career-high 26. Joe Thornton is second in the NHL with 52 assists. The Sharks are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes Thursday night, and are currently sitting in third place in the Pacific Division. They have won seven of their last ten games (7-3-0).
Head To Head:
The Rangers and Sharks will be playing one another for the second and final time this season on Saturday. Al the way back on October 19 Antti Raanta made his Rangers debut a memorable one, stopping all 22 shots he faced as New York shut out San Jose 4-0 at Madison Square Garden. Both Marc Staal and Jesper Fast contributed a goal and assist each, while Mats Zuccarello and Viktor Stalberg also scored for the Rangers to support Raanta's solid effort between the pipes. New York has won each of its last three games against the Sharks, outscoring San Jose in the process 11-1. In their last visit to SAP Center on January 10, 2015, the Rangers skated to a 3-1 road victory as Henrik Lundqvist made 30 saves and Chris Kreider, Rick Nash, and Martin St. Louis all scored for the visitors. In their last four games against the Sharks the Rangers are 3-1-0 and have allowed only two goals, shutting San Jose out twice.
Players To Watch:
Rangers-Dan Boyle: The last time the Rangers visited San Jose's SAP Center 14 months ago the Sharks organization saluted Dan Boyle with a special video montage on the scoreboard and the fans showered the Sharks all-time leader in goals, assists, and points by a defenseman with a long ovation, respectfully saluting his six seasons of service with the club which ended when he signed as a free agent with the Rangers in July of 2014. That's not the only thing Boyle will remember from that night, his first visit back to San Jose. Not only did the Rangers win, but, unfortunately, Boyle broke his nose in that game, a painful wound he wore with a somewhat prideful look after the win. Now the 39 year-old Boyle will likely be making his final visit to SAP Center on Saturday, hinting that this will be the final season of his NHL career. When he does retire Boyle's career numbers will stack up quite nicely alongside the defensemen of his era. He currently has 160 goals and 601 points in 1082 career games, including seven goals and 20 points for the Rangers this season. His seventh goal came in the second period of Thursday's game in Los Angeles, fitting in a way since has ten career goals against the Kings, the second highest total against any one club. Though he has struggled at times this season, Boyle has made it his mission to give every last bit of himself to helping the Rangers try and win a Stanley Cup this spring. If accomplished, that would be the second Cup of his career and would be a perfect ending to a career which began with the Florida Panthers all the way back in 1998-99.
Sharks-Joe Thornton: Over the course of his 18-year Hall-of-Fame worthy career Joe Thornton has been among the NHL's top offensive players on a consistent yearly basis. However after recording 65 points a year ago--his lowest non-lockout total since his third season with the Boston Bruins in 1999-2000--and losing his captaincy with the Sharks, there were serious questions about how the 36 year-old Thornton would, or could, respond this season. What Thornton has done surely has cemented his place as one of the great players--and playmakers--in the game. Thornton has 16 goals, 52 assists and 68 points in 70 games, ranking second in the league in assists and eighth in scoring. He has been remarkably consistent, as well. For example Thornton enters play Saturday having registered at least one point in nine of his last ten games and in 28 of his last 32 matches. He has not gone scoreless in consecutive games since December 9 and 12. And as Thornton goes, so go the Sharks. He has notched at least one point in each of San Jose's last 26 victories. Earlier this season the former first overall pick (by Boston in 1997) became the 33rd player in NHL history to reach 1300 career points. He currently sits on 1327 points (374-953-1327) in 1355 games, though the one thing missing from his stellar resume is a Stanley Cup championship.

Rangers Vs Sharks March 19th 2016

Mar 18 - 5:52pm by JimCerny

NY RANGERS @ LOS ANGELES KINGS PREGAME NOTES & WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Rangers vs. Kings 3.17.16: Pregame Notes

NEW YORK RANGERS at LOS ANGELES KINGS

Thursday, Mar. 17, 2016, 10:30 p.m. ET

STAPLES Center – Los Angeles, CA

Rangers: 40-23-7 (87 pts)

Kings: 42-22-5 (89 pts)

TONIGHT'S GAME

The Rangers play their 71st game of the 2015-16 season and conclude a back-to-back set tonight, Mar. 17, against the Los Angeles Kings at STAPLES Center (10:30 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). New York has won six of its last 10 games (6-3-1), eight of its last 13 games (8-4-1), 13 of its last 20 games (13-5-2), and 16 of its last 25 games (16-7-2). The Rangers have earned at least one point in 24 of their last 35 games (21-11-3), including 23 of their last 33 games (20-10-3) and 22 of their last 31 games (19-9-3). The Blueshirts enter the contest with a 40-23-7 record this season (87 points).

RANGERS VS. KINGS

• All-Time: 67-45-16-2 (37-20-6-1 at home; 30-25-10-1 on the road)
• 2015-16: Tonight’s game is the second of two meetings between the Rangers and Kings, and the only meeting between the two teams in Los Angeles. The Rangers have posted a 0-0-1 record (0-0-1 at home; 0-0-0 on the road) against Los Angeles. The Blueshirts were defeated by the Kings, 5-4, in overtime in the only meeting between the two teams on Feb. 12 at Madison Square Garden. Seven different Rangers recorded at least one point in the contest, and Kevin Hayes, Derek Stepan, and Mats Zuccarello each tallied one goal and one assist.
• The Rangers have earned at least one point in seven of their last 10 games against the Kings, dating back to Dec. 17, 2008 (5-3-2).
• New York has earned at least one point in each of its last three road games against Los Angeles (2-0-1). In addition, the Blueshirts have registered at least one point in seven of their last nine road games against the Kings, dating back to Dec. 14, 2000 (5-2-1-1).

RANGERS-KINGS CONNECTIONS

• Marian Gaborik played parts of four seasons with the Rangers (2009-10 - 2012-13).
• Dan Boyle and Vincent Lecavalier were teammates with the Lightning for parts of six seasons (2001-02 - 2007-08) and helped Tampa Bay win the Stanley Cup in 2003-04.
• Eric Staal and Kris Versteeg were teammates with the Hurricanes this season. Staal and Versteeg were both acquired by their current teams in trades made on Feb. 28, 2016.
• Eric Staal and Jamie McBain were teammates with the Hurricanes for parts of four seasons (2009-10 - 2012-13).
• Dan Girardi and Dustin Brown were teammates with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for part of one season (2002-03).
• Darryl Williams played part of one season with the Kings (1992-93).

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. KINGS

• Henrik Lundqvist – 8 GP, 3-4-1, 2.47 GAA, .916 SV% – Lundqvist has posted a 1.01 GAA and a .966 SV% (57 saves on 59 shots) in his last two appearances against Los Angeles.
• Rick Nash – 37 GP, 15-17-32 – Nash has registered three assists/points in his last three contests against the Kings, as well as 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his last 11 games against Los Angeles.
• Keith Yandle - 43 GP, 5-20-25 - Yandle has notched a point in eight of his last 12 games against Los Angeles, recording 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) over the span.
• Kevin Hayes – 3 GP, 2-2-4 – Hayes has tallied a point in each of his three career games against the Kings, including a goal in each of his last two contests against Los Angeles.

BACK-TO-BACK

The Rangers have posted an 8-5-1 record in the second game of back-to-back sets this season. The Blueshirts have posted an 18-6-2 record in the second contest of their last 26 back-to-back sets. In addition, the Rangers have posted a 27-12-2 record in the second game of back-to-back sets since the start of the 2013-14 season and a 52-23-4 record in the second game of back-to-back sets since the start of the 2010-11 season.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

The Blueshirts continue a three-game stretch in California with tonight's contest (the Rangers will also play San Jose on Mar. 19). In 2014-15, the Rangers earned a win in all three games on the road against the Ducks, Kings, and Sharks, marking the first time New York defeated all three teams on the road and swept the three teams on one road trip in the same season in franchise history.

SMOOTH SAILING ON THE PACIFIC

The Rangers have posted an 8-2-2 record against Pacific Division opponents this season. Since the start of last season, the Blueshirts have posted a 19-4-3 record against teams in the Pacific Division, including a 9-2-1 record on the road against Pacific Division teams over the span.

ROAD WARRIORS

The Blueshirts lead the NHL with 70 road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season. The Rangers’ 70 road wins over the last three seasons are the most over any three-season span in franchise history. The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in each of their last four road games (3-0-1) and have won eight of their last 11 road games (8-2-1), including five of their last seven road contests (5-1-1).

HIGH FIVE

The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in goal differential at 5-on-5 in 2015-16 (plus-35; 139 goals for, 104 goals against - Washington leads the NHL; plus-37).

TWO GOOD

The Blueshirts have allowed two goals or fewer in 13 of the last 20 games, in 20 of the last 35 games, and in 40 games this season. New York has posted a 35-3-2 record when allowing two goals or fewer in 2015-16.

THIRD PERIOD IS THE CHARM

The Rangers have tallied at least one goal in the third period in 19 of their last 22 games (29 third period goals over the span). New York ranks third in the NHL in third period goals this season (80).

ON POINT

At least one Rangers defenseman has registered a point on 22 of the team's last 29 goals. Blueshirts defensemen have recorded 141 points (34 goals, 107 assists) in 2015-16 and have tallied 84 points (22 goals, 62 assists) in the last 41 games.

KING HENRIK

Since the start of the 2014-15 season, Henrik Lundqvist has posted a 10-3-0 record, along with a 1.64 GAA, a .940 SV%, and 2 SO in 13 appearances against Pacific Division opponents. Entering tonight's contest, Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in 17 of his last 27 appearances, including 15 of his last 23 appearances and 14 of his last 21 appearances. He has posted a 14-7-2 record, along with a 2.14 GAA, a .926 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 23 appearances, including a 13-7-1 record, along with a 2.06 GAA, a .930 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 21 appearances. Lundqvist leads the NHL in even strength SV% this season (.939).

FINE KLEIN

Kevin Klein registered two goals, including the game-winning goal, last night at Anaheim. Klein became the first Rangers defenseman to tally two goals in one game this season. He is tied for second among NHL defensemen in game-winning goals since the start of last season (eight).

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello is the first Ranger to register at least 30 assists in three consecutive seasons since Jaromir Jagr (2005-06 - 2007-08). He has notched 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in the last 20 games, including five points (one goal, four assists) in the last four games. He has registered all of his 22 goals and 49 of his 53 points this season when the Rangers have either led by one goal, trailed by one goal, or were tied in the contest. In addition, 46 of Zuccarello's 53 points in 2015-16 have either been a goal or a primary assist.

STEP-AN UP

Derek Stepan has notched a point in five of the last six games (two goals, five assists), as well as seven of the last nine games (three goals, six assists). He has tallied 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in the last 17 games, as well as 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in the last 27 contests. The Rangers have posted a 37-18-5 record in games which Stepan has played this season, including a 23-4-3 record in games which he has notched a point in 2015-16.

TOO HOT TO YANDLE

Keith Yandle is tied for third among NHL defensemen in primary assists this season (22), and he is one of five NHL defensemen who have tallied at least 20 even strength assists and 15 power play assists in 2015-16. Yandle has registered a point in 38 games in 2015-16, and he leads the Rangers in games with a point. In addition, he leads Blueshirts defensemen in points (40) in 2015-16. Yandle has notched a point in 17 of the last 25 games (three goals, 14 assists), including 12 of the last 17 games (one goal, 11 assists).

CAPTAIN MAC

Ryan McDonagh is one of two NHL defensemen who have recorded at least 30 points and a plus-20 rating in 2015-16 (along with Drew Doughty). The Rangers captain has registered a point in five of the last nine games (two goals, four assists) and has tallied 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in his last 24 games.

BRASS BONANZA

Derick Brassard leads the Rangers in goals this season (25). He has recorded a point in four of his last five games (three goals, two assists), including a goal in three of his last four contests. Brassard has established career-highs in goals, power play goals (eight), and power play points (19) in 2015-16.

ON THE MARC

Marc Staal enters the contest with 605 career games played with the Rangers. He is one game away from passing Dave Maloney for sole possession of 20th place on the franchise's all-time games played list.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play:

• The Rangers were 0-for-3 (6:00) last night at Anaheim.
• The Blueshirts have recorded a PPG in five of the last six games (5-for-17; 29.4%) and in 10 of the last 16 games (11-for-39; 28.2%).

Penalty Kill:

• The Rangers were not shorthanded last night at Anaheim.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• Kevin Klein - 3 assists away from 100 in his NHL career
• Mats Zuccarello - 5 points away from 200 in his NHL career

INJURIES (82 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

·         Dylan McIlrath (knee; injury suffered on Mar. 6) - week-to-week 

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

·         None

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

·         Mar. 17, 1993 – Prior to their game against the Edmonton Oilers at MSG, the Rangers acquired Esa Tikkanen from Edmonton in exchange for Doug Weight.

Rangers Vs Kings March 17th 2016

Mar 17 - 10:37am by MattCalamia 

 

 

W2W4: Rangers vs. Kings 3.17.16

Who: New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Where: Staples Center
When: Thursday night at 10:00 PM
Watch: MSG Network beginning at 9:30 PM
Listen: ESPN-98.7 FM and NewYorkRangers.com
******************************************************
The Skinny:
After kicking off their grueling three-game California road trip with a hard-fought, come-from-behind 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, the Rangers (40-23-7, 87 pts) are right back at it 24 hours later facing the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings (42-22-5, 89 pts) at the Staples Center. Wednesday's victory extended New York's road points streak to four straight (3-0-1) and gave the Rangers eight wins in their last 11 road contests (8-2-1). The Rangers are now 17-15-4 away from Madison Square Garden after spending much of the season under the .500 mark on the road, a major comedown from a year ago when New York established a franchise record by winning 28 times on the road. One thing that hasn't changed from a year ago, however, is the Rangers success against the tough Pacific Division. With the win Wednesday over Anaheim--one which pushed the Rangers lead for second place in the Metropolitan Division over the Islanders to two points--New York is now 8-2-2 against Pacific Division teams this season after posting an 11-2-1 mark a year ago. Following the win over the Ducks head coach Alain Vigneault stated that it was one of the Rangers most complete games of the season and perhaps it's best defensive effort. The Rangers stood toe-to-toe with the rugged Ducks, won their fair share of puck battles, protected their own goal with grit and resolve, and most importantly battled for every inch of contested ice all night long. Kevin Klein scored both New York goals, the fourth line had a major impact on how the Rangers played as well as the outcome of the game, the reunion of Rick Nash, Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello was solid even if without a goal, and the coach rolled all four lines and three defense pairings with confidence. Ryan McDonagh was shaken up at the final buzzer when struck in the side of his helmet near his ear, but Vigneault said the team captain was fine, and McDonagh is expected to be in the rangers lineup Thursday. After watching Antti Raanta step in and backstop Wednesday's victory, Henrik Lundqvist gets the call against the Kings. Interestingly it will be the first time that Lundqvist has faced the Kings since Game Five of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final when L.A. won the Cup on Alec Martinez' double-overtime goal. He has not played in the three regular season games against the Kings since that fateful night in June of 2014. Lundqvist likely will be opposed by Jonathan Quick, who is second in the NHL with 35 wins and third with a 2.14 GAA. In his last start, Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks, Quick stopped all 32 shots in an impressive 5-0 victory. The Kings followed that up by beating the Dallas Stars 24 hours later 5-2; and L.A. is now 9-2-1 in its last 12 games, looking to clinch a playoff spot just two years after their Cup win and one after failing to qualify for the 2014-15 post-season. Former Ranger Marian Gaborik remains out of the Kings lineup with an injury, but the Kings lineup remains star-studded with the likes of Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Jeff Carter, 26-goal scorer Tyler Toffoli, and new veteran contributors like Vincent Lecavalier and Christian Erhoff who have both resurrected their flagging careers since arriving in L.A.
Head To Head:
Thursday’s game is the second and final meeting between the Rangers and Kings this season. Back on February 12 at Madison Square Garden the Rangers suffered a frustratingly painful defeat, falling to the Kings 5-4 in overtime after coming within seconds of winning themselves in regulation. The Rangers grabbed a 4-3 lead on a Kevin Hayes goal with 4:46 to play in the third period, but L.A.’s Anze Kopitar tied the game with 29.7 seconds remaining in regulation and Tanner Pearson netted the game-winner at 3:10 of overtime. Hayes, Mats Zuccarello, and Derek Stepan each scored a goal and added an assist for New York, which also received a goal from Viktor Stalberg. Antti Raanta made 29 saves in the loss, while Peter Budaj started in goal and stopped 24 of 28 shots for the Kings. The Rangers most recent visit to Los Angeles was back on January 8, 2015 and resulted in a 4-3 victory. After spotting the Kings a quick 2-0 lead the Rangers scored four straight goals before L.A. tagged on a late one. New York has earned at least one point in each of its last three regular season visits to the Staples Center (2-0-1) and in seven of its last nine road contests against the Kings dating back to December 14, 2000 (5-2-1-1).
Players To Watch:
Rangers-Tanner Glass: He may not score a lot, but Tanner Glass consistently has found ways to help the Rangers win games during this season, his second as a member of the Rangers. The 2015-16 campaign began with an early trip to the minor leagues for Glass, but since being recalled from Hartford on December 2 he has been a lineup regular on the Blueshirts fourth line. Glass leads the Rangers with 182 hits so far this season, and his physical presence played a key role in New York’s 2-1 win in Anaheim Wednesday evening. Glass was credited with a game-high ten hits—the second time this season he has reached that number—and did so against pone of the most physical teams in the league. He and linemates Dominic Moore and Viktor Stalberg played with terrific energy and head coach Alain Vigneault used his fourth line consistently throughout the game, with Glass finishing the night at 12:42 of ice time. Glass also earned the primary assist on the game-tying goal and now has three points (2-1-3) in his last nine games—half of his point total so far this season (3-3-6). Five of his six points have been recorded in road games. The Rangers will need Glass’ physical play to be in peak form again on Thursday against a Kings team that plays a similar heavy style as the Ducks do. With all 13 Rangers forwards healthy Glass is more than aware that he needs to continue to contribute in all ways, but especially in the grinding, physical way he plays, in order to keep his regular spot on the fourth line. Thursday’s second physical contest in a back to back situation will be a major test for the nine-year veteran.
Kings-Tyler Toffoli: One of the reasons why the Los Angeles Kings have won a pair of recent Stanley Cups and have been a consistent Cup favorite for the past several years is that they have been able to bring along young prospects and integrate them right into a veteran top-tier team on a regular basis. 23 year-old Tyler Toffoli, a 2010 second round pick, is such an example. Two years ago, at the age of 21, Toffoli played his first full season in the National Hockey League, scored 12 goals and totaled 29 points, and helped the Kings beat the Rangers to win the Stanley Cup championship. Last season he topped the 20-goal plateau, finishing with 23 and 49 points in an impressive sophomore campaign. Now this season Toffoli leads the Kings with a career-high 26 goals and he is tied for second on the team with 48 points. Ten of his goals have been scored on special teams, with a team-high-tying nine being scored on the power play and one shorthanded. Toffoli had a great start to the season, scoring nine goals during the ten-game month of October; and though he has slowed down the past month or so, Toffoli has established himself as a very important part of the Kings offense. He has scored in back-to-back games after a ten-game goal drought which was also part of a stretch of 16 games in which he scored just once. Earlier this season he assisted on Tanner Pearson’s game-winning overtime goal against the Rangers and will once again need to be paid attention to by New York on Thursday night.

Rangers Vs Kings March 17th 2016

Mar 17 - 10:33am by JimCerny