NYR TODAY Friday 2/3: Alumni Birthdays, Today in Rangers History

NYR Alumni Birthdays February 3:

Jason Muzzatti G (1997-1998) Lynn Patrick LW (1934-43,1945-46)

Today in NYR History February 3:
2009: The Rangers honor Adam Graves by retiring his No. 9 jersey at Madison Square Garden.

NEW YORK RANGERS POST GAME WRAP UP: RANGERS @ SABRES 2/3

Kreider's Overtime Goal Lifts Rangers Past Buffalo

Backstopped by a 36 save performance in net by Henrik Lundqvist and goals by Mats Zuccarello and the game winner by Chris Kreider the Rangers  extended their NHL Leading Road Wins to 15 on the season.

The Rangers held onto a 1-0 lead after Mats Zuccarello scored off a deflection in the second period from a shot by Ryan McDonagh until Buffalo tied the contest with 5:31 remaining in regulation eventually sending the game to overtime.

After a good chance by Michael Grabner that was turned aside by the Sabres netminder earlier in the period Mika Zibanejad  fed Kreider who in turned passed to J.T. Miller and back to Kreider for the Game Winning Goal.

Henrik Lundqvist, Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello were named the three stars of the game.

The Rangers return to action on Sunday hosting the Calgary Flames.

Rangers at Sabres 2.2.17: Pregame Notes

NEW YORK RANGERS at BUFFALO SABRES
Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, 7:30 p.m. ET
KeyBank Center - Buffalo, NY

Rangers: 31-18-1 (63 pts)
Sabres: 20-20-9 (49 pts)

TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their 51st game of the 2016-17 season tonight, Feb. 2, against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center (7:30 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). The Rangers have posted a 31-18-1 record this season.

RANGERS VS. SABRES

• All-Time: 70-76-25-5 (39-30-15-3 at home; 31-46-10-2 on the road)
• 2016-17: Tomorrow's game is the third and final meeting between the Rangers and Sabres, and the second of two meetings between the two teams in Buffalo. The Rangers have posted a 0-2-0 record (0-1-0 at home; 0-1-0 on the road), as the Blueshirts were defeated by the Sabres, 4-1, in the last meeting between the two teams on Jan. 3 at MSG. Four different Blueshirts have registered a goal and 11 different Rangers have tallied a point thus far in the season series.
• The Rangers have won nine of their last 12 games against Buffalo, dating back to Apr. 19, 2013 (9-3-0 record over the span). The Blueshirts have also won five of their last six games against the Sabres in Buffalo (5-1-0).

RANGERS-SABRES CONNECTIONS

• Justin Falk played one season with the Rangers (2013-14).
• Scott Arniel played four seasons with Buffalo (1986-87 - 1989-90) and served as an Assistant Coach with the Sabres for three seasons (2002-03 - 2005-06).
• Jim Schoenfeld played parts of 11 seasons with the Sabres (1972-73 - 1981-82; 1984-85) and he is a member of the Sabres Hall of Fame, as well as the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.
• Chris Drury played three seasons with the Sabres (2003-04 - 2006-07) and was Buffalo's captain in parts of all three seasons.
• J.T. Miller and Jake McCabe were teammates with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) for two seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11). Miller, McCabe, and Jimmy Vesey helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.
• Michael Grabner, Matt Moulson, and Kyle Okposo were all teammates with the Islanders for parts of four seasons (2010-11 - 2013-14). Grabner and Okposo were teammates for five seasons with the Islanders (2010-11 - 2014-15).
• Nick Holden and Ryan O'Reilly were teammates with the Avalanche for two seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15).
• Mats Zuccarello and Ryan O'Reilly were teammates with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for part of one season (2012-13).
• Michael Grabner and Justin Falk were teammates with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for two seasons (2005-06 and 2006-07).
• Adam Clendening is a native of Niagara Falls, New York.

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. SABRES

• Henrik Lundqvist - 32 GP, 17-12-2, 2.41 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO - In his last six appearances in Buffalo (since Mar. 30, 2011), Lundqvist has posted a 3-3-0 record, along with a 2.16 GAA, a .928 SV%, and 1 SO.
• Rick Nash - 20 GP, 13-6-19 - Nash has tallied a goal/point in 12 of his last 17 games against the Sabres, dating back to Jan. 26, 2007 (13 goals, five assists over the span).
• Michael Grabner - 18 GP, 9-4-13 - Grabner has registered three multi-goal games against Buffalo in his career, including a hat trick on Feb. 13, 2011.
• Derek Stepan - 22 GP, 6-7-13 - Stepan has recorded a point in four of his last five games against the Sabres (one goal, three assists), and he has tallied 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his last 14 games against Buffalo.
• Mats Zuccarello - 14 GP, 4-7-11 - Zuccarello has notched a point in eight of his last 12 games against Buffalo (four goals, seven assists).
• Ryan McDonagh - 19 GP, 1-7-8 - McDonagh has registered a point in two of his last three games against the Sabres (one goal, one assist) and he has tallied seven points (one goal, six assists) in his last 11 contests against Buffalo.
• Jesper Fast - 8 GP, 2-4-6 - Fast has tallied a point in four of his last five games against Buffalo (one goal, four assists over the span), and he has registered a point in five of eight career games against the Sabres.
• J.T. Miller - 11 GP, 3-4-7 - Miller has tallied a point in four of the last five games against Buffalo (three goals, one assist), including a goal in three of those contests, and he has recorded a point in seven of his last nine contests against the Sabres (three goals, four assists).

ROAD WARRIORS

New York leads the NHL in road wins this season (17) and also leads the NHL in road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season (89). The Rangers' 89 road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season are the most road wins the team has earned in any four-season span in franchise history. The Rangers have won six of their last seven road games (6-1-0). The Blueshirts have also earned a win in 16 of their last 21 road contests (16-5-0), including 10 of their last 12 road games (10-2-0).

GOALS GALORE

New York ranks second in the NHL in goals (171 - includes two team goals awarded for shootout wins) and also ranks second in the NHL in goals per game (3.38) this season. The Rangers have recorded 56 goals over the last 15 games, registering at least four goals in 10 of the 15 contests.

FABULOUS FEBRUARY

Tomorrow's game is the first of 13 contests in February for the Rangers this season. New York will play eight of its 13 games in February at Madison Square Garden, and six of the final eight games during the month are against teams in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers won 10 games in February in each of the last two seasons and have posted a 20-5-3 record in 28 games in February over the span.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

Two Rangers rookies have registered at least 20 points this season (Brady Skjei and Jimmy Vesey). Prior to 2016-17, the last season in which two Rangers rookies tallied 20 or more points was 2010-11 (Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello).

THIRD PERIOD TALLIES

The Rangers registered four goals in the third period on Jan. 31 vs. Columbus. The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in third period goals this season (67) and have tallied 10 goals in the third period over the last six games.

WINNING WAYS

The Rangers' 31 wins in 2016-17 are tied for the fifth-most the team has earned through the first 50 games of one season in franchise history. The Blueshirts have earned at least 31 wins through the first 50 games of a season six times in franchise history (1971-72, 1972-73, 1991-92, 1993-94, 2011-12, 2016-17).

BOUNCE BACK

Since Dec. 22, 2015, the Rangers have posted a 30-8-1 record in the game following a loss (regulation or overtime/shootout). New York has posted a 13-4-1 record in games following a loss in 2016-17.

MAKING THE DIFFERENCE

The Blueshirts enter the contest with a plus-36 goal differential this season (171 goals for; 135 goals against) and rank fourth in the NHL in goal differential in 2016-17.
  
AV SQUAD

Alain Vigneault coached his 1,100th career game as a National Hockey League head coach on Jan. 23 vs. Los Angeles. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only NHL head coach who earned more wins than Vigneault through his first 1,100 games coached in the league was Scotty Bowman. Vigneault leads all NHL head coaches in wins since the start of the 2006-07 season (488). Vigneault will coach his 1,103rd career game in the NHL in tomorrow's contest, passing Billy Reay for sole possession of 17th place on the league's all-time games coached list.

KING HENRIK

Henrik Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in four of his last five appearances, posting a 3-1-0 record, along with a 2.05 GAA, a .929 SV%, and 1 SO over the span. He earned his 20th win of the 2016-17 season on Jan. 22 at Detroit, becoming the first goaltender in NHL history to register at least 20 wins in each of his first 12 seasons in the league. In addition, 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).

UP FOR GRABS

Michael Grabner leads the NHL in even strength goals (21), and is tied for ninth in the NHL in goals (22) and plus/minus rating this season. He is the only NHL player who has registered at least 20 goals and a plus-20 rating in 2016-17. Thus far this season, 29 of Grabner's 30 points have either been a goal or a primary assist. Over the last 10 seasons (since 2007-08), Grabner is one of three Rangers who have registered 21 or more even strength goals in a season (Marian Gaborik - 2009-10 and 2011-12; Rick Nash - 2014-15). Grabner has recorded 20 points (14 goals, six assists) and a plus-20 rating in 23 road games this season; he leads the NHL in plus/minus rating and is tied for third in goals on the road.

IT'S MILLER TIME

J.T. Miller has recorded a point in 11 of the last 13 games (seven goals, seven assists), including a goal in four of the last eight contests (four goals). He leads the Rangers in games with a point this season (28).

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello has registered 18 points (one goal, 17 assists) over the last 17 games (since Dec. 18), and he is tied for second in the NHL in assists over the span. He ranks second in the NHL in even strength assists this season (24), only trailing Connor McDavid (27). Zuccarello leads the Rangers in assists (29), even strength assists, and even strength points (31) this season, and he is also tied for the team lead in points (38).

STEP-AN UP

Derek Stepan is tied for the team lead in points in 2016-17 (38; 12 goals, 26 assists). He has recorded 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in the last 32 games, including 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in the last 26 contests and 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in the last 17 games.

CAPTAIN MAC

Ryan McDonagh participated in the 2017 NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 29. He became the first Ranger to play in at least two consecutive NHL All-Star Games since Henrik Lundqvist (2009 - 2012) and the first Rangers defenseman to accomplish the feat since Brian Leetch (2001 and 2002). McDonagh ranks fourth among NHL defensemen in primary assists (16), is tied for sixth in even strength assists (17), and ranks seventh in assists (26) in 2016-17.

DAN'S THE MAN
Dan Girardi enters the contest with 771 career games played as a Ranger, and he is one game away from tying Adam Graves for ninth place on the franchise's all-time games played list. Girardi ranks fourth in the NHL in blocked shots this season (126).

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play:

• The Rangers were 0-for-1 (2:00) on Jan. 31 vs. Columbus.
• New York has tallied a power play goal in six of the last 14 games (10-for-46; 21.7%).
• The Blueshirts are tied for 12th in the NHL in power play efficiency this season (20.5%; 31-for-151). 

Penalty Kill:

• The Rangers were not shorthanded on Jan. 31 vs. Columbus.
• New York has not allowed a power play goal in four of the last five games (90.0%; 9-for-10).
• New York ranks second in the NHL in shorthanded goals in 2016-17 (seven).

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• Ryan McDonagh - 2 points away from 200 in his NHL career/as a Ranger
• Mika Zibanejad - 2 assists away from 100 in his NHL career
• Alain Vigneault - 3 wins away from 600 as a head coach in the NHL
• Brandon Pirri - 4 points away from 100 in his NHL career
• Henrik Lundqvist - 5 wins away from 400 in his NHL career/as a Ranger

INJURIES (131 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

• Kevin Hayes (lower-body injury) - has missed three games

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

None

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

• Feb. 1, 1970 - Terry Sawchuk earned his final career NHL win and final career NHL shutout, stopping all 29 shots he faced as the Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-0, at MSG. Sawchuk, who passed away in May of 1970, was the NHL's all-time leader in wins (447) and shutouts (103) at the time of his death.
• Feb. 2, 1969 - Brad Park established a single-game Rangers rookie record with four assists as the Blueshirts defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 7-3, at MSG. The G-A-G line (Vic Hadfield, Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert) registered 11 points in the contest.
• Feb. 2, 1980 - Phil Esposito registered his 700th career NHL goal, becoming the second player (at the time) to accomplish the feat (along with Gordie Howe). Esposito tallied two goals to help the Rangers defeat the Washington Capitals, 6-3.
• Feb. 2, 1994 - A Rangers player recorded a hat trick for the second consecutive game, as Adam Graves tallied three goals and Mark Messier recorded an assist on all four of the Blueshirts' goals in a 4-4 tie against the New York Islanders at MSG.
• Feb. 2, 2002 - Brian Leetch skated in his final NHL All-Star Game. Leetch was an 11-time NHL All-Star and played in nine All-Star Games in his career (he missed two due to injury).

- New York Rangers

NYR TODAY Thursday 2/2: Rangers vs Sabres Preview, Alumni Birthdays, Today in Rangers History

NEW YORK RANGERS GAME DAY PREVIEW

NEW YORK RANGERS (31-18-1) vs BUFFALO SABRES (20-20-9)
First Niagara Center, Buffalo 7:30 PM TV: NBCSN, MSG RADIO: WEPN 98.7 FM NY

The Rangers take on the Sabres tonight in Buffalo. This will be the third and last meeting between the two teams this season. Buffalo has won the two previous meetings, 4-3 in Buffalo back in December and 4-1 at MSG in January.

The Rangers coming off a loss at home 6-4 against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday look to turn things around. Coach Vigneault has changed up his lines including reuniting Rick Nash, Jimmy Vesey and Derek Stepan who have clicked earlier in the season.

Henrik Lundqvist who was pulled early in the second period in the previous contest after surrendering 3 goals will get the start tonight in Buffalo. Lifetime Lundqvist is 17-12-2 in 32 Games Played against the Sabres.

Brandon Pirri who practiced yesterday as an extra defenseman looks to be a healthy scratch for the Rangers along with Adam Clendening. Center Kevin Hayes will remain out with a lower body injury. Hayes is still at the beginning stages of rehabbing the injury and is probably a week away from returning to the lineup.

Rangers Projected Lineup vs Buffalo

Forwards:
Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Mats Zuccarello
Jimmy Vesey, Derek Stepan, Rick Nash
Michael Grabner, JT Miller, Jesper Fast
Pavel Buchnevich, Oscar Lindberg, Matt Puempel

Defense:
Ryan McDonagh - Dan Girardi
Marc Staal - Nick Holden
Brady Skjei - Kevin Klein

Starter:
Henrik Lundqvist

Backup:
Antti Raanta

Scratches:
Brandon Pirri, Adam Clendening

Injured:
Kevin Hayes (lower body)

NYR GAME DAY STATS:

NYR TEAM LEADERS:
GOALS: MICHAEL GRABNER 22
ASSISTS: MATS ZUCCARELLO 29
POINTS: MATS ZUCCARELLO, DEREK STEPAN 38
+/-: MICHAEL GRABNER +21
GWG: J.T. MILLER 5
PPG: BRANDON PIRRI, CHRIS KREIDER 5
PPP: RYAN McDONAGH, DEREK STEPAN 10
SHG: J.T. MILLER 3

GOALIE STATS:
WINS: HENRIK LUNDQVIST 21
GAA: ANTTI RAANTA 2.34
SO: ANTTI RANTA 2
SV%: ANTTI RAANTA .918
HENRIK LUNDQVIST  21-13-1 GAA: 2.78 SV%: .905 SO: 2
ANTTI RAANTA 10-4-0 GAA: 2.34 SV%: .918 SO: 2

NYR TEAM STATS

31-18-1
10th Overall NHL
4th Metropolitan Division
WINS: 31 (Rank #5)
POINTS: 63 (Rank #10)
WIN%: 0.630 (Rank #7)
GOALS FOR: 169 (Rank #2)
GOALS AGAINST: 134 (Rank #12)
POWER PLAY GOALS: 31 (Rank #13)
POWER PLAY %: 20.53 (Rank #14)
POWER PLAY GOALS AGAINST: 24 (Rank #4)
PENALTY KILL: 82.22 (Rank #15)
SHORT HANDED GOALS: 7 (Rank #2)
SHORT HANDED GOALS AGAINST: 2 (Rank #4)
SHUTOUTS: 5 (Rank #4)
EMPTY NET GOALS: 9
SHOOTOUTS: 2/3

NYR Alumni Birthdays February 2:

Jody Hull RW (1990-1991) Alex Levinsky D (1934-1935)

Today in NYR History February 2:

1980: Phil Esposito of the New York Rangers becomes the second player in NHL history to score 700 goals when he gets Nos. 699 and 700 in the Rangers' 6-3 victory against the Washington Capitals in Landover, Maryland. He scores No. 699 with a second-period goal past Wayne Stephenson, then joins Gordie Howe in the NHL's 700-goal club early in the third period by taking a pass from Don Maloney and beating Stephenson with a wrist shot.

2010: The Rangers acquire Brandon Prust and Olli Jokinen from the Calgary Flames for Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik. 

Rangers Notes: Practice Wednesday 2/1

Alain Vigneault announced that Henrik Lundqvist will start against the Sabres tomorrow.

Alain Vigneault worked on changing up line pairings today.
The following are the line combinations used:
Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Mats Zuccarello
Jimmy Vesey, Derek Stepan, Rick Nash
Michael Grabner, JT Miller, Jesper Fast
Pavel Buchnevich, Oscar Lindberg, Matt Puempel

On defense:
Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi
Marc Staal and Nick Holden

Brandon Pirri skated as a spare defenseman and could be possible scratch tomorrow in Buffalo.
Brady Skjei and Kevin Klein

Alain Vigneault spoke with the media on Wednesday after Rangers practice and said (NYR):

On last night, "if you analyze last night's game and I am one of the fortunate ones who will watch it once, maybe twice to break things down..you look at the game and our first period, we came out and we were good. I'm sure Hank would like to have back that first goal, it seemed to have eyes, maybe Nick could have blocked it, maybe Hank could have been out in front of the net more to block that angle. We played a strong period, a real strong third period. In the second period we had that five minute span where we gave up four scoring chances, all four went in the net but there is no doubt that we need to stop those kinds of breakdowns but we also need a timely save. That is what I mentioned last week and the week prior. That is what we got in Toronto and in Detroit, we are no different than any other team. We can't play a perfect game and when there is a breakdown or miscue or turnover you need your goalie to step up. Hank has done that many times in the past and we need him to do it. Once that happens it snowballs, we are playing well and getting chances and looks and maybe we capitalize earlier before the game is out of reach and start capitalizing in the third."
"I will say that, and it's what I love about this group, they are very accountable. No finger pointing and I am not pointing fingers at Hank or anybody. We are all in this together and all trying to find solutions. When things happen like last night and the first one is one we would like to have back and the third one is off the mitt and then it's 3-0 and the mind starts to think that you can't make another mistake. You don't want to play this game with that in the back of your head, you want to play on your toes and going North/South and attacking and making the plays that are in front of you, not forcing anything but making the plays that are there. I think that is what happens in those situations but again, you break down the game and how we played and it's not a perfect game but it's not a 6-4 game for sure. What we need to do is what we did today, the group came here to work and a lot of the guys were in the video room before, they were in pairs, our 35 minute practice was intense and right to the T of what we needed to work on and we are going to Buffalo and we will be ready and try to compete real hard."
"Right now it seems like we are giving up more goals at home then on the road. We don't play any differently. We are having more success on the road right now, I'm not concerned about home right now because tomorrow we are in Buffalo, I am concerned about Buffalo and then we will focus on home."
On the starter for tomorrow and putting Raanta in last night, "Hank is playing tomorrow...that was just performance based and it was time to put Antti in."
On the lines today, "I haven't had a chance to watch Buffalo vs Montreal, I will watch that on the flight but I would say that what you saw today is what you will see tomorrow."
On Marc Staal, "I thought it was alright. He had one practice with the team, skated a few times on his own. Timing and execution with the puck will get better and he had a real hard practice today."
On the lines being switched up, "trying to get something going, I'm just mixing up the candies trying to get something going and at the beginning, if you remember, Kreids and Mika had real good chemistry. Step and Nasher have always played well together. Trying to mix things up and it gave us a spark but we came up short."
On the lines for tomorrow, "I liked what I saw but am still giving myself the benefit of the doubt of watching Buffalo and their lineup and how they are playing right now. Kreids, Step and Zuccy have been our best and most consistent line for the last 20-25 games and breaking them up would not be easy but I am just taking one piece out and flip/flopping centers and Mika and Kreids have had success together. We will see after watching the tape what I come up with."
On breaks, "Having gone through these breaks and coming off a streak and going on a break and then coming back, you never know how your group will react. Hank was on a roll after a tough stretch and he doesn't get on the ice for 4-5 days and this happens last night. If you look at the body of work of this group, I am very confident. The way we are playing, I know that we have had some of these games but when I analyze it and break it down and look at it there isn't a lot of areas that I would really change. Just a couple of better decisions with and without the puck that would make us more solid for 60 minutes."
On timeouts, "I know that last night Torts called one, different scenario, still has a four goal lead. Because of now when you call the timeout, if you want a review on something and you have used your timeout, you can't use it anymore. It's like icings. In the past you would see a lot of coaches use their timeouts after icings and a lot of time now we are trying to buy a little time and standing up on the bench and some guys with more experience are coming to change their sticks. You need to be very careful when you use it because there might be something more serious down in the game where if you don't have it you are stuck. It depends on the situation."
On last night, "Off the bat, when we started on the PP and had those great looks, we needed that big goal, that timely goal and get rewarded for our effort. We didn't get either, the goal or the save."
It's not one thing, "the way we started last night and I have liked how we have started our games, a lot of times we are behind but if you look at the way we start and the momentum we generate, that PP last night we had 4-5 shifts in their zone and getting some real good looks. We needed a timely goal and timely save and they are such a huge part of this game."

Rangers vs. Blue Jackets 11.31.17: Postgame Notes

Team Notes

• GOALS GALORE - The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in goals (171 - includes two team goals awarded for shootout wins) and goals per game (3.38) this season. The Rangers have recorded 56 goals over the last 15 games, registering at least four goals in 10 of the 15 contests.

• TEAM EFFORT - Four different Rangers registered a goal and 10 different Blueshirts tallied a point in tonight's contest.
• THIRD PERIOD TALLIES - The Rangers recorded four goals in the third period of tonight's game and have registered 67 goals in the third period this season. As of the conclusion of tonight's game, the Blueshirts are tied for the NHL lead in goals in the third period in 2016-17.
• 20/20 VISION - Two Rangers rookies have registered at least 20 points this season (Brady Skjei and Jimmy Vesey). Prior to 2016-17, the last season in which two Rangers rookies tallied 20 or more points was 2010-11 (Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello).
• 30-FOR-30 - Six Blueshirts have registered at least 30 points through the first 50 games of the 2016-17 season (Zuccarello, Stepan, Miller, Hayes, Kreider, and Grabner).
• SHOOTING GALLERY - The Rangers registered 37 shots on goal in tonight's game, including 19 shots on goal in the third period. New York has recorded at least 30 shots on goal in each of the last two games, seven of the last nine games, and 10 of the last 15 contests.
• HOT AT THE DOT - The Blueshirts won a season-high 41 faceoffs in tonight's game and posted a 54.7% faceoff win percentage in the contest (41-for-75). All four Rangers who took two or more faceoffs in the contest posted a 50.0% faceoff win percentage or better.
• FULL HOUSE - Tonight's game was the Rangers' 211th consecutive regular season sellout and the Blueshirts' 252nd consecutive sellout (regular season and playoffs combined). The Rangers' sellout streak dates back to Nov. 3, 2011.

Blueshirt Breakdown

• Michael Grabner registered a goal and recorded three shots on goal. As of the conclusion of tonight's game, Grabner leads the NHL in even strength goals in 2016-17 (21). He also leads the Rangers in goals this season (22). Thus far in 2016-17, 29 of Grabner's 30 points have either been a goal or the primary assist on a goal. Grabner has registered 10 points (eight goals, two assists) over the last 10 games. In addition, he has tallied a goal/point in each of the Rangers' three games against the Blue Jackets in 2016-17 (five goals, one assist in the three contests).
• Chris Kreider recorded a goal, registered five shots on goal, and posted a plus-two rating in 18:08 of ice time. He has tallied 22 points (15 goals, seven assists) in the last 26 games, including 14 points (10 goals, four assists) in the last 15 contests. Kreider ranks second on the Rangers in goals in 2016-17 (19). Kreider has tallied 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in 23 games at Madison Square Garden this season, and he leads the Rangers in goals and points at home in 2016-17.
• Jimmy Vesey tallied a goal, registered three shots on goal, and posted a plus-one rating in 15:06 of ice time. As of the conclusion of tonight's game, Vesey ranks fourth among NHL rookies in goals this season (12).
• Kevin Klein registered a goal and tied for the team-high with four hits in 20:39 of ice time. Since he made his Rangers debut on Jan. 23, 2014, Klein leads Rangers defensemen in even strength goals (20) and ranks second among Rangers defensemen in goals (20).
• J.T. Miller notched an assist and won eight of 16 faceoffs (50.0%) in tonight's contest. Miller has tallied a point in 11 of the last 13 games, registering 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) over the span. He leads the Rangers in games with a point this season (28).
• Derek Stepan registered an assist, led all skaters with 13 faceoff wins (13-for-24; 54.2%), recorded three shots on goal, and posted a plus-two rating in 19:51 of ice time. He is tied for the team lead in points this season (38; 12 goals, 26 assists), and he has notched 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in the last 17 games.
• Rick Nash notched an assist, tied for the team-high with four hits, and recorded three shots on goal in 17:37 of ice time. Nash has registered five points (one goal, four assists) in the last seven contests, and he has also recorded 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in his last 30 games.
• Brady Skjei tallied an assist and led all skaters with six shots on goal. He has recorded four points (one goal, three assists) over the last five games, and he ranks second among Rangers defensemen in assists this season (19).
• Mika Zibanejad registered an assist, won 12 of 21 faceoffs (57.1%), and recorded two shots on goal. Zibanejad has tallied 10 points (five goals, five assists) in the 15 games he has played at Madison Square Garden this season. In addition, he has registered three points (two goals, one assist) in the six games he has played since returning to the Rangers' lineup.
• Nick Holden tallied an assist while skating in a team-high 22:34 of ice time. He has registered nine points (four goals, five assists) in the last 14 games, as well as 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 50 games this season.
• Alain Vigneault coached his 296th career game as the Rangers' Head Coach in tonight's contest, passing Phil Watson for sole possession of sixth place on the franchise's all-time games coached list. Vigneault also coached his 1,102nd career game in the NHL in tonight's contest, tying Billy Reay for 17th place on the NHL's all-time games coached list.
• Dan Girardi skated in his 771st career game with the Rangers in tonight's contest, and he is one game away from tying Adam Graves for ninth place on the franchise's all-time games played list.

- New York Rangers

NYR TODAY Wednesday 2/1: Alumni Birthdays, Today in Rangers History

NYR Alumni Birthdays February 1:

Bob Blackburn D (1968-1969) Mark Hardy D (1988-1993) Charlie Mason RW (1934-1936) Jayson Megna C/RW (2015-2016) Wayne Rivers RW (1968-1969)

Today in NYR History February 1:

1970: Terry Sawchuk makes 29 saves for his 447th (and final) NHL victory and 103rd shutout, helping the Rangers defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0 at Madison Square Garden. Sawchuk retires in April 1970 holding the NHL records in each category.

2012: Henrik Lundqvist stops 34 shots throughout regulation and overtime, and denies all four shooters in the Rangers' 1-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres.