FINAL NY RANGERS 3 NASHVILLE PREDATORS 5

Rangers Return From Break And Lose 5-3 In Nashville

Monday night in Nashville the Rangers returned to action playing their first game in six days, but still seemed to be on holiday break, falling to the Predators at Bridgestone Arena 5-3.
New York has now lost four of its last five games and is 2-6-1 in its last nine overall. The Rangers have not won on the road since November 21 in Florida, posting a 0-6-2 record in that span.
Not even the return of injured defensemen Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein was enough to spark a Rangers team that saw the game slip away Monday by allowing three consecutive third-period goals.
Henrik Lundqvist allowed five goals on 35 shots before being pulled in favor of Antti Raanta--who himself returned from a head injury which had caused him to miss the previous three games--at 12:07 of the third period.
The Rangers were fortunate to be trailing only 1-0 at the first intermission after being outshot 15-6 and out-attempted 29-12 during a fairly lopsided first period. Lundqvist, though, was extremely sharp in keeping the Predators at bay, especially when his club surrendered the first seven shots of the game.
However the Predators managed to break through late in the period with their red-hot power play striking on its first opportunity. With Derick Brassard in the box serving a roughing minor, Nashville's Filip Forsberg one-timed a Roman Josi feed into the back of the net with 64 seconds remaining in the opening period. It mraked Nashville's 11th power play goal in 40 opportunities during the month of December, the league's fourth-best power play this month.
The second period was played on a much more level playing field, with the Rangers holding a 14-11 shots advantage and both teams scoring once in the period, giving Nashville a 2-1 advantage after 40 minutes of play.
Jesper Fast redirected a Girardi shot past Predators goalie Pekka Rinne to pull New York even, 1-1, at the 6:59 mark of the second period. The goal was Fast's sixth of the season and came on a nearly identical play to one in the first period in which Rinne made a quick pad save after Fast deflected a shot while positoned between the circles.
The assist was Girardi's first point since December 6th and only his second in his last 14 games played dating to November 19. Of course Girardi had missed the previous five games leading into Monday's encounter because of swelling in his knee. On Monday Girardi skated freely and was very active in the offensive end. In fact he recorded New York's first shot of the game at 5:50 of the first, an excellent scoring opportunity from right out in front, set up by Dominic Moore after his own strong cycle with the puck.
New York nearly took the lead 13 minutes into the second, but Rinne made a clutch save on Dan Boyle's right-wing shot off a 3-on-2 rush. Shortly thereafter Nashville rushed the other way and James Neal snapped his 14th goal past Lundqvist as the Predators regained their one-goal lead, 2-1, at 13:48.
Rick Nash, who played with jump and recorded five shots on goal through two periods, came awfully close to tying things up again at 18:47 of the second when he powered to the net and fired a shot that got through Rinne, but was swatted away from the goal line by Calle Jarnkrok as Klein charged in from the right wing.
Trailing 2-1 Lundqvist kept the Rangers within striking distance with several big stops early in the third period. That and a bit of good fortune kept this a one-goal game.
It appeared that Forsberg had given the Predators a 3-1 lead at 5:18 when he banked a shot from behind the net off of Moore and Lundqvist and into the cage, but the Rangers challenged the on-ice ruling, claiming that Craig Smith had interfered with Lundqvist. After a lengthy video review the Rangers challenge was upheld and the goal was taken off the scoreboard.
Good luck did not remain on the Rangers side when Nashville's Smith scored two minutes later on a deflection and the goal at 7:34 was this time upheld by video review--officials declaring that Smith did not touch the puck with a high stick as Lundqvist had thought.
The wheels then came off for New York as Ryan Ellis netted a power play goal at 9:52 and Neal scored his second of the night--and 15th of the season--at 11:13, putting the Rangers in a 5-1 hole.
The Rangers showed some life, though, as Nash scored an unassisted goal at 13:20--his 11th this season--and J.T. Miller followed with his eighth at 16:02 to bring New York within two goals, 5-3.

 FINAL STATS
NY RANGERS 3 NASHVILLE PREDATORS 5
Scoring Summary
1st Period
18:56 NSH PPG - Filip Forsberg (10) Slapshot - ASST: Roman Josi (18) 1 - 0 NSH
2nd Period
06:59 NYR Jesper Fast (6) Tip-in - ASST: Dan Girardi (8), Chris Kreider (11) 1 - 1 Tie
13:48 NSH James Neal (14) Wrist shot - ASST: Mike Ribeiro (18), Colin Wilson (11) 2 - 1 NSH
3rd Period
07:34 NSH Craig Smith (8) Tip-in - ASST: Roman Josi (19), Mike Ribeiro (19) 3 - 1 NSH
09:52 NSH PPG - Ryan Ellis (4) Slapshot - ASST: Seth Jones (10), Mike Ribeiro (20) 4 - 1 NSH
11:13 NSH James Neal (15) Wrist shot - ASST: Calle Jarnkrok (7), Miikka Salomaki (1) 5 - 1 NSH
13:20 NYR Rick Nash (11) Snap shot - ASST: NONE 5 - 2 NSH
16:02 NYR J.T. Miller (8) Wrist shot - ASST: Derek Stepan (7) 5 - 3 NSH
Penalty Summary
1st Period
18:33 NYR Derick Brassard Roughing - 2 min against James Neal
2nd Period
14:56 NSH Colin Wilson Tripping - 2 min against Dominic Moore
3rd Period
08:29 NYR Dominic Moore Hooking - 2 min against Calle Jarnkrok
shots by period
Period NYR NSH
1st 6 15
2nd 14 11
3rd 9 9
Total 29 35
Team Stats
Category NYR NSH
Power Plays 0/1 2/2
Hits 21 14
Faceoff Wins 21 35
Giveaways 7 14
Takeaways 3 7
Blocked Shots 17 9
Penalty Minutes 4 2

RANGERS UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Next Game: Wednesday 12/30 @ Tampa Bay, Saturday 1/2 @ Florida, Tuesday 1/5 vs Dallas.

Stalberg Joins Girardi & Klein In Lineup Return Tonight

Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault confirmed following Monday's morning skate at Bridgestone Arena that both Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein will return to the lineup following extended injury absences tonight when the team faces off with the Predators in Nashville.

Girardi and Klein will not be the only veterans making a return this evening. Back up goaltender Antti Raanta will dress for the first time in four games following a head injury, and winger Viktor Stalberg draws back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch the previous two games.

"It's how it goes sometimes, but it's good to be back," Stalberg said prior to facing his former team this evening. "In the big scheme of things I feel good about my game, but the past few maybe it's not as good as I would have liked. We have a good team, so if you're not on your A Game you'll find yourself out of the lineup."

Stalberg, who signed with the Rangers as a free agent his past summer after a pair of admittedly unfulfilling seasons with the Predators, has scored three goals, added six assists, totaled nine points, and owns a +6 plus/minus rating this year so far in 30 games played. The last time he was scratched from the lineup prior to the previous two matches--December 11 at Edmonton--Stalberg responded with assists in each of his next two outings.

"For me it's getting back to being a little more physical out there, playing more the way I did earlier in the year," explained the 29 year-old Stalberg. "Sometimes you get away from how you're supposed to play in the middle of the season, but I think I want to be more of a factor every time I'm out on the ice, be more physical and bring more energy."

Stalberg will play at even strength on a line with Dominic Moore and Tanner Glass tonight. Vigneault also stressed that he will play a big role on the penalty kill against the red-hot Nashville power play which is quarterbacked by two of the top quarterbacks in the league, Shea Weber and Roman Josi.

"They're good, one of the top (group of) defensemen in the league, and that's where they generate so much of their offense from," offered Stalberg. "Their forwards have not done much this season, but their defensemen have been really good. They are not easy to play against."

**************************

Klein, another former Predator, will return to the Rangers lineup this evening after missing 11 straight games with an oblique injury. He told reporters that not rushing back and taking advantage of the full five-day Christmas holiday break really was key to his recovery.

"I think the extra five days off just to help make sure I was ready is a real positive," Klein told reporters after the morning skate. "I was able to skate on my own and work out a few times over the break and keep fresh; and I felt really good out there this morning."

Klein will pair with Keith Yandle on the blue line, while Girardi will skate alongside Ryan McDonagh.

Vigneault joked after the skate, "I looked at Danny the past two days...he's almost brand new, or as brand new as that old body can be!"

Jim Cerny
BlueshirtsUnited.com

Rest of the League Weekly Report

Canadiens & Oilers trade goalies: The Montreal Canadiens on Monday traded goalie Zack Kassian for Oilers goalie Ben Scrivens.

Fowler Injured For Ducks: Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler has a sprained knee, and the club has recalled top prospect Shea Theodore, the Ducks announced Monday.
Fowler was injured in the first period of Anaheim's 4-2 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday. The Ducks will determine his recovery time later in the week, but he isn't expected to be on their three-game road trip beginning Tuesday in Calgary.

Rangers vs. Predators 12.28.15: Pregame Notes

Photo by Frederick Breedon/ National Hockey League

NEW YORK RANGERS at NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Monday, Dec. 28, 2015, 8:00 p.m. ET

Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN

Rangers: 20-12-4 (44 pts)

Predators: 17-12-6 (40 pts)

TONIGHT'S GAME

The Rangers play their 37th game of the 2015-16 season and begin a three-game road trip tonight, Dec. 28, against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena (8:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). Tonight's game is the Blueshirts' ninth contest against a Western Conference opponent in December this season. The Blueshirts enter the contest with a 20-12-4 record this season (44 points).

RANGERS VS. PREDATORS

·         All-Time: 11-7-1-2 (5-5-1-1 at home; 6-2-0-1 on the road)

·         2015-16: Tonight's game is the second of two meetings between the Rangers and Predators, and the only meeting between the two teams in Nashville. The Rangers have posted a 1-0-0 record (1-0-0 at home; 0-0-0 on the road) against the Predators. New York defeated Nashville, 3-0, on Nov. 23 at MSG. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 31 shots he faced to earn a win/shutout in the contest. Kevin Hayes registered two points (one goal, one assist) in the game, while Rick Nash tallied the game-winning goal.

·         The Rangers have earned at least one point in six of their last seven road games against the Predators, dating back to Jan. 23, 2003 (5-1-0-1 record).

·         New York has registered a win in each of its last two games against Nashville (Nov. 23, 2015 - 3-0 at MSG; Mar. 2, 2015 - 4-1 at MSG). The Blueshirts have also recorded a win in five of their last seven games against the Predators, dating back to Nov. 27, 2010 (5-2-0 record).

·         The Rangers have posted a shutout in three of their last six games against Nashville.

RANGERS-PREDATORS CONNECTIONS

·         Kevin Klein played parts of nine seasons with the Predators (2005-06 - 2013-14).

·         Viktor Stalberg played parts of two seasons with Nashville (2013-14 - 2014-15).

·         Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette played 12 games with the Rangers during the 1988-89 season.

·         Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan, and Craig Smith were all teammates at the University of Wisconsin for one season (2009-10).

·         Colin Wilson's father, Carey, played parts of two seasons with the Rangers (1988-89 - 1989-90). Colin was born when his father was a member of the Rangers, and he is a native of Greenwich, CT.

·         J.T. Miller and Seth Jones helped Team USA capture a gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship. Their head coach in the tournament was Predators Assistant Coach Phil Housley.

·         Predators Assistant General Manager Paul Fenton skated in eight games with the Rangers during the 1986-87 season. 

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. PREDATORS

·         Henrik Lundqvist - 8 GP, 5-3-0, 1.50 GAA, .947 SV%, 2 SO - In three career appearances on the road against the Predators, Lundqvist has posted a 3-0-0 record, along with a 1.30 GAA and a .951 SV%. In addition, he has posted two shutouts in his last three appearances against Nashville.

·         Rick Nash - 56 GP, 24-16-40 - Nash enters the contest with a four-game goal/point streak against the Predators (four goals over the span). Nash has also recorded a goal in five of his last six games against Nashville, and he has tallied 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in his last 16 contests against the Predators.

·         Keith Yandle - 29 GP, 6-18-24 - Yandle has notched a point in 14 of his last 20 regular season games against Nashville, registering 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) over the span.

YEAR IN REVIEW

The Rangers are tied for the NHL lead in regular season wins in the 2015 calendar year (53; 53-23-7 record in 83 regular season games in 2015). The Blueshirts have earned more regular season and playoff wins combined than any other NHL team in 2015 (64). The Rangers led the NHL in regular season and playoff wins combined in the 2014 calendar year (58).

ROAD WARRIORS

The Rangers lead the NHL in road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season (59). In addition, the Blueshirts rank second in the NHL - and lead Eastern Conference teams - in road points since the start of the 2013-14 season (125). 

GOALS GALORE

The Rangers have tallied three or more goals in five of their last seven games (23 goals over the span). The Blueshirts have registered three or more goals in 22 of 36 games in 2015-16, including four or more goals in 15 contests. New York ranks fifth in the NHL in goals per game this season (2.86). 

ON POINT

Blueshirts defensemen have registered 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) over the last seven games. At least one Rangers defenseman has registered a point on seven of the team's last nine goals.

SHOOT TO SCORE

The Rangers have registered three or more goals while recording 30 or fewer shots on goal in the same contest in 18 of 36 games this season. New York is tied for fifth in the NHL in shooting percentage in 2015-16 (10.2; 103 goals on 1,008 shots on goal). 

AV SQUAD

Alain Vigneault enters tonight's game tied with Colin Campbell for ninth place on the Rangers' all-time wins list among head coaches (118). In addition, he is one win away from tying Phil Watson for eighth place on the franchise's all-time wins list among head coaches. Vigneault leads all Rangers head coaches (min. 100 games coached) in points percentage in franchise history (.633), and he leads all NHL head coaches in wins since the start of the 2006-07 season (431).

KING HENRIK

Henrik Lundqvist ranks second in the NHL in saves (827), ranks fifth in wins (16), ranks eighth in even strength SV% (.937), and is tied for eighth in SO (two) in 2015-16. Lundqvist has been selected as one of the game's Three Stars more times than any other NHL player this season (17). Entering this season, Lundqvist, who has posted a .924 SV% thus far in 2015-16, was the only NHL goaltender who registered a save percentage of .920 or better in each of the previous six seasons (2009-10 - 2014-15).

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello is tied for second in the NHL in goals when the score is tied this season (eight). Zuccarello has tallied all of his 15 goals and 28 of his 30 points in 2015-16 when the Rangers have either led by one goal, trailed by one goal, or were tied in the contest, and he is tied for third in the NHL in goals when the score differential in the game is one goal or fewer. He is one of nine NHL players who have recorded at least 15 goals, 11 even strength goals, and 30 points this season.

Zuccarello has tallied 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in the last 26 games, and he has posted a 26.8 shooting percentage over the span. Zuccarello ranks second in the NHL in shooting percentage this season (24.2).

MATS ZUCCARELLO SHOT BREAKDOWN IN 2015-16
SHOT TYPE	GOALS/SHOTS ON GOAL (SHOOTING %)
Wrist Shot	7-for-40 (17.5%)
Snap Shot	5-for-11 (45.5%)
Slap Shot	1-for-7 (14.3%)
Backhand	2-for-3 (66.7%)
Tipped Shot	0-for-1 (0.0%)
TOTAL	15-for-62 (24.2%)

Zuccarello’s 15 goals this season equal his total from 2014-15 and are four shy of his career-high of 19, which he established during the 2013-14 season.

BRASS BONANZA

Derick Brassard is one of three NHL players who have registered at least 10 goals, 20 takeaways, and a 50.0 faceoff win percentage (min. 600 faceoffs taken) this season (along with Jonathan Toews and Patrice Bergeron). In addition, Brassard has registered more goals than Toews or Bergeron (Brassard has 13, Bergeron has 12, and Toews has 11). Brassard has recorded 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the last 12 games and has notched 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in the last 28 games. He is tied for fifth among NHL centers in goals (12) and is tied for seventh among NHL centers in points (25) since Oct. 24.

BOYLE-ING POINT

Dan Boyle enters the contest with a three-game point streak (two goals, one assist) and he has notched a power play point in each of the three games. He has also tallied a goal in four of the last eight contests (four goals, three assists over the span). Boyle is tied for first among NHL defensemen in goals (four) and is tied for fifth among NHL defensemen in points (seven) since Dec. 9, and he has registered five of his seven points over the span in either the third period or overtime. He has been on the ice for 16 of the Rangers' 22 power play goals this season (including each of the team's last seven power play goals), and he has recorded a point on five of the Blueshirts' last six power play goals (two goals, three assists).

TOO HOT TO YANDLE

Keith Yandle is tied for sixth among NHL defensemen in assists (18) this season. Yandle leads the Rangers in assists and he leads team defensemen in points (19) in 2015-16. Yandle has registered four assists in the last five games, five assists in the last seven games, and nine assists in the last 16 games.

STEPAN UP

Derek Stepan has led Rangers forwards in ice time in each of the three games he has played since returning to the lineup, and he has averaged 19:13 of ice time in the three contests. The Blueshirts have posted a 17-7-2 record when Stepan has been in the lineup this season. 

CAPTAIN MAC

Ryan McDonagh has recorded seven points (two goals, five assists) in the last nine games and 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in the last 24 contests. The Rangers captain has led the team in ice time in each of the last six games and in 21 of 36 games this season. McDonagh is one of five NHL players who are averaging at least 22:00 of ice time, 3:00 of shorthanded ice time, and 2:00 of power play ice time in 2015-16.

MOORE STATS

Dominic Moore leads the NHL in faceoff win percentage (min. 200 faceoffs taken) since Nov. 15 (59.7%; 129-for-216 in 19 games over the span). In addition, Moore has won 194 of 339 faceoffs he has taken over his last 32 games (57.2%), and he ranks 14^th in the NHL (min. 300 faceoffs taken) in faceoff win percentage this season (56.0%; 201-for-359). He has tallied a point in three of the last six games, registering four points (one goal, three assists) over the span.

SPECIAL TEAMS

·         The Rangers have posted a 6-1-2 record when outscoring opponents on special teams this season.

·         New York has posted a 23-2-3 record when outscoring opponents on special teams since the start of the 2014-15 season.

Power Play:

·         The Rangers were 1-for-5 (9:30) on Dec. 22 vs. Anaheim.

·         The Blueshirts are tied for fourth in the NHL on the power play in 2015-16 (21.6%; 22-for-102).

·         New York has tallied a power play goal in each of the last three games (3-for-12; 25.0%), in six of the last seven games (6-for-26; 23.1%), in 14 of the last 21 games (16-for-65; 24.6%), and in 19 of the last 30 games (21-for-86; 24.4%).

·         Over the last 30 games, the Rangers rank second in the NHL on the power play.

Penalty Kill:

·         The Rangers were 4-for-4 (8:00) on Dec. 22 vs. Anaheim.

·         New York ranks eighth in the NHL on the penalty kill this season (82.4%; 98-for-119). 

UPCOMING MILESTONES

·         Rick Nash - 1 goal away from 100 as a Ranger; 4 games away from 900 in his NHL career

·         Derek Stepan - 5 goals away from 100 in his NHL career

·         Dan Boyle - 7 points away from 600 in his NHL career

INJURIES (35 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

·         None

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

·         Dec. 23 - Assigned Magnus Hellberg and Chris Summers to Hartford (AHL)

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

·         Dec. 27, 1996 – Brian Leetch registered his 611^th career point, passing Ron Greschner to become the franchise’s all-time leader in points by a defenseman. Leetch tallied two assists as the Rangers defeated the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, 3-2, at MSG.

·         Dec. 28, 1932 – Harry Howell was born in Hamilton, Ontario.

·         Dec. 28, 1958 – The Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 5-3, at MSG, ending Montreal’s six-game winning streak and 13-game unbeaten streak. Gump Worsley made 20 saves for the Blueshirts, while Red Sullivan registered three points (one goal, two assists) and Camille Henry notched two points (one goal, one assist).

·         Dec. 28, 2005 – Martin Straka, Michael Nylander, and Jaromir Jagr each tallied four points, and the Rangers registered six unanswered goals in a 6-2 win against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.

NYR GAME DAY: WHAT TO WATCH FOR RANGERS VS PREDATORS

W2W4: Rangers vs. Predators 12.28.15

Who: New York Rangers vs. Nashville Predators
Where: Bridgestone Arena
When: Monday night at 8:00 PM
Watch: MSG Network beginning at 7:30 PM
Listen: ESPN-98.7 FM and NewYorkRangers.com
****************************
The Skinny:
A seemingly refreshed New York Rangers (20-12-4, 44 pts) team plays its first game in six days Monday night, opening up a three-game road trip in Nashville with a contest against the Predators (17-12-6, 40 pts). The Rangers last played a week ago Tuesday, a must-have 3-2 overtime victory over the Anaheim Ducks at Madison Square Garden. The win snapped a three-game losing streak in which New York had surrendered a whopping 17 goals; and while it was not a perfect game all around, it was a much better defensive effort overall. With that victory New York comes out of the holiday break Monday 2-3-0 in its last five games, though just 3-9-2 since defeating the Predators 3-0 at MSG back on November 23. Derick Brassard scored twice and added an assist in last Tuesday’s victory and he enters action on Monday with 13 points (7-6-13) in his last 12 games, second on the team with 28 points this season. Mats Zuccarello scored the overtime winner against the Ducks and comes in Monday leading the Rangers with 30 points on the season. Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped 17 of 19 shots against the Ducks, makes the start against the Predators and likely will have two key members of the Rangers defense corps back in the lineup playing in front of him again. It is expected that both Dan Girardi—who missed five games with swelling in his knee—and Kevin Klein—who sat out 11 straight games due to an oblique injury—will play against the Predators. In addition, Antti Raanta—who missed three games before the break with a head injury—will serve once again as Lundqvist’s back up in Nashville. It has been more than a month since the Rangers have won a game on the road—they have gone 0-5-2 since a November 21 overtime win in Florida--and Monday they face a Predators team that is 11-5-3 on home ice and is concluding a four-game home stand in which they own the first two games before falling Saturday to the Detroit Red Wings, 3-2. Overall Nashville is 2-3-1 in its last six contests. However though they sit in fifth place in the tough Central Division, they are still sixth overall in the Western Conference. Nashville's power play has been red hot of late, converting on 10 of 39 opportunities during the month of December for a 25.6 percent success rate, meaning the Rangers penalty kill will be put to the test. The Predators generate plenty of their offense from the back end where defenseman Roman Josi leads the team with 26 points and Shea Weber is right behind with 25 points, including ten goals, eight of which have come on the power play. Nashville's offense could receive a boost up front as it appears veteran Mike Fisher could return from a lower body injury after not playing since December 1.

Head To Head:
This is the second and final meeting this season between the Rangers and Predators. The Blueshirts skated to a 3-0 victory over the Predators on November 23 at Madison Square Garden. In that contest Henrik Lundqvist sparkled in goal for New York, stopping all 31 shots he faced, including 14 in the first period when the Rangers were outshot 14-3. Rick Nash, Derek Stepan and Kevin Hayes scored for the Rangers, with Hayes also adding an assist to his ledger. New York killed off five consecutive Nashville power plays, including a four-minute double-minor against Stepan late in the opening period. In the Rangers most recent visit to Music City, they were handed a 3-2 defeat on February 7 last season. Nash and Ryan McDonagh scored for the Rangers in that contest. Prior to that loss New York had won four straight games in Nashville.

Players To Watch:
Rangers-Kevin Klein: Prior to suffering an oblique injury on November 30 against the Carolina Hurricanes, Kevin Klein was arguably the Rangers best and most consistent defenseman this season. He had been solid in his own end of the ice, often moving up to pair with Ryan McDonagh on the team’s top defense pairing, and logging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game. His +11 plus/minus rating was one of the top marks in the league at the time of his injury and currently stands as best on the Rangers. Offensively he earned some power play time, and had registered three goals, three assists and six points in 25 games. Now after an 11-game absence it appears that Klein is set to return to the lineup, and will do so against his former team, the Nashville Predators, for whom he appeared in 403 games prior to being traded to the Rangers in January of 2014. However core-body injuries are tricky things, and Klein admitted that his recovery took longer than first anticipated. Klein likely will pair with Keith Yandle Monday night, and the Rangers certainly hope he is all the way back from the frustrating injury.

Predators-Shea Weber: The captain of the Predators has been scoring at a scorching pace during the  month of December, totaling 15 points so far this  month, while still playing a rock solid defensive game. Weber has 25 points in 35 games this season and has already reached ten goals. He ranks second on the team in goals and points, and is seventh among NHL defensemen in scoring and third in goals scored. His eight power play goals leads Nashville and rank second among all NHL defensemen and fifth overall among all of the league's players. Weber, who has six points (1-5-6) in his last four games, has now reached double figures in goals in seven straight seasons and eight times overall in his career, while he is on pace to challenge his career-best of 56 points set in the 2013-14 season. The perennial Norris Trophy contender is likely headed to another NHL All Star Game in late January, this one to be held in Nashville, and is a player the Rangers will have to defend closely throughout Monday's contest.

NYR TODAY 12/28

NEW YORK RANGERS GAME DAY! NEXT STOP NASH-ville! The New York Rangers take on the Predators in the first of a 3 game Road Trip 8:00 PM, MSG Network. Let's Go Rangers!!!

 NYR Alumni Birthdays 12/28; Bucky Buchanan C (1948-1949), Harry Howell D (1952-1969), Terry Sawchuck G (1969-1970) 

TODAY IN NYR HISTORY December 28
1962: Red Sullivan becomes the tenth head coach in Rangers history.

Remembering The Tragedy of Terrance Gordon "Terry" Sawchuk 12/30/1929 - 5/31/1970

Retro Rangers: The Sawchuk Tragedy.

George Grimm

February 13, 2013

Terry Sawchuk was one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history. During hockey’s “Golden Era” of the six-team league, Terry’s records stood above those of his netminding brethren that included Glenn Hall, Jacques Plante, Johnny Bower and Gump Worsley.

Terry played for 21 seasons in the NHL. He started out in Detroit where he won the Calder trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year in 1951. He then went to Boston, returned to Detroit, moved to Toronto went to Los Angeles in the expansion draft, returned to Detroit for a third time and finished his career as a New York Ranger.

In the spring of 1969, Rangers GM Emile Francis was looking for a backup for Ed Giacomin to replace Don Simmons who had retired at the end of the previous season. Sawchuk seemed to be the perfect candidate. So on June 17, 1969 Francis swung a deal that sent winger Larry Jeffery to Detroit for the 40-year old Sawchuk and minor-leaguer Sandy Snow.

“The best goalkeeper I ever saw in the National Hockey League was Terry Sawchuk. He’s my number one guy”, Francis told me recently. “I picked him up at the end because I was developing (Gilles) Villemure. I knew I was going to use Giacomin about 60 games and I didn’t want Villemure sitting around playing 10 or 12 games, we were playing 72 games back then. So I left Villemure in Buffalo to develop and I brought in Sawchuk, because I knew it would probably only be for a year.”

Emile was surprised by Sawchuk’s physical condition when he reported to training camp that September. “When I first played against him, he weighed 220 pounds, but when I picked him up in New York, he weighed 170 pounds. Francis explained. “He had been sick and lost a lot of weight and had a lot of family problems. But he was a great goalkeeper. The first year he played with the Red Wings they won the playoffs in eight straight games and he had four shutouts. His goals against average was 1.0”.

Physical condition aside, Terry did not let Emile down. He played 8 regular season games posting a 3-1-2 record with a 2.91 goals against average. He also recorded the 103rd shutout of his storied career on February 1st, 1970 in a 6-0 win over the Penguins at Madison Square Garden. “I’m old and tired but I try my best” Sawchuk told reporters after the game. Some of his teammates good-naturedly kidded that the shutout might have been Sawchuk’s last. Unfortunately, they were right. Ironically, Sawchuk’s very first shutout also came in New York at the “old” Garden, in a 1-0 defeat of the Rangers by Detroit on January 15, 1950, Terry’s rookie year.

Sawchuk, “Ukey” to his friends, due to his Ukrainian heritage, also made three appearances in the playoffs that season, totaling 80 minutes and posting a 4.50 GAA. His final appearance as a Ranger came on April 14th in Game 5 of the quarter-finals against the Bruins in Boston. With the Rangers losing 3-2, Francis wanted to slow the pace of the game and replaced Giacomin with Sawchuk. After allowing Terry the league mandated warm-up period, Giacomin returned to the net following the next faceoff. The Rangers ultimately lost the game 5-3 and the series in six games.

Six weeks later Terry Sawchuk was dead.

At the start of the season Sawchuk had rented a house with teammate Ron Stewart in Atlantic Beach, Long Island, where most of the Rangers stayed during the season. The two were old friends having previously won Stanley Cups and roomed together in Toronto. They had a lot in common. Both were divorced, both liked to drink and both were known to lose their temper when drinking.

The problem started on April 29th, 13 days after the Rangers were eliminated from the playoffs. Stewart and Sawchuk were drinking at the E & J pub which was a local hangout that the players frequented. The pair began to argue about whose responsibility it was to clean the house before returning the keys to the owner. Stewart also claimed that Sawchuk owed him some money for household expenses. They began pushing each other in the bar and were asked to leave. The argument continued outside the bar until the bartender told them to go home. They each drove separately back to the house at 83 Bay Street where they started arguing again on the lawn in front of two witnesses, Stewart’s girlfriend Rosemary Sasso, a registered nurse and Ben Weiner a friend of Sawhcuk’s. Sawchuk moved to grab Stewart, but was pulled back by Weiner. Unfortunately the two men stumbled and both fell on Stewart. It is not known whether Sawchuk fell on Stewart’s knee or a barbeque grill, but he immediately doubled over in pain. Seeing that Terry was in trouble Sasso called Dr. Denis Nicholson who found Sawchuk pale, in shock and with very low blood pressure.

Sawchuk was taken to Long Beach Hospital where tests revealed that he had suffered damage to his gall bladder and liver. He then underwent surgery to remove his gall bladder. A few days later he had another operation to repair his liver.

Terry was in the hospital for three weeks before it became known to the public. The story was broken on May 22nd by Gerry Eskenazi of the New York Times. There were rumors of a cover-up but in actuality Terry didn’t want anyone to know because his father had been in an auto accident and was in a Detroit hospital and Terry didn’t want him to worry.

Terry took a turn for the worse on May 29th and was transferred to New York Hospital, which specialized in acute illnesses. Tests found internal bleeding and Sawchuk once again underwent surgery to further repair his liver.

Following the surgery, Sawchuk regained consciousness briefly but died in his sleep from a blood clot on May 31st.

“The whole Sawchuk affair was one of the toughest things I had ever faced in my whole life,” recalled Francis. “They called me back, I was out scouting in Quebec and I had to go to the hospital” Emile recalled. “He underwent a five hour operation that lasted until midnight and the doctor came out and said ‘you might as well go home because there’s nothing you can do here, we’ll call you if anything changes’.” “They called me at six in the morning to tell me he died. I’ll never forget it was Memorial Day weekend in New York and I had to go to get his body from the morgue on Second Avenue. and honest to God there were 30 people lying on the floor in bags like we carry hockey sticks in. The guy that took me down there, I could tell he’d been drinking, I could smell it. He said ‘Okay which one is the body you came to claim?’ I mean I could have nailed him right there. I looked over and I see Terry’s head sticking out from one of the bags with a tag around his neck to identify him. God damn that’s where he ended up on the floor in a morgue in New York City on Memorial Day weekend. And I said to myself, if this guy only knew that’s the greatest goalkeeper ever. I mean I was sick, believe me”

Stewart took the news very hard and now faced criminal charges. The Rangers hired noted attorney Nicholas Castellano to represent him, but a grand jury in Mineola, New York, eventually found no reason to bring charges and the case was closed.

Francis also felt bad for Stewart who at 38 was on the down side of his career. Rather than release or trade the veteran winger and make him feel like an outcast, he brought him back to play the next season with the Rangers. “It was the right thing to do,” Francis told reporters at the time, “and I would do it again.” Francis eventually chose Stewart to coach the Rangers at the start of the 1975-76 season.

Despite the notoriety of the case, the press left Stewart to himself and didn’t make an issue out of the tragedy. Francis recalls only one incident of anyone ever confronting or taunting Stewart. “Stewie was still playing for us,” Francis said, “and a guy in Toronto poked his head into our bus behind Maple Leaf Gardens and called Stewie ‘a murderer’. Vic Hadfield pounced off the bus and threw the guy into a snow bank.”

Overall, Sawchuk played in 971 regular season games in the NHL posting a 447 – 330-172 record with 103 shutouts and a 2.52 GAA. In 106 playoff games he went 54-48 with 12 shutouts and a 2.54 GAA He won four Stanley Cups and four Vezina trophies and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1971.

“Terry was one of the greatest, maybe even the greatest, but you just never know in real life” Francis concluded. “It was a tragedy that far transcended hockey.”

Note: In addition to personal interviews, information for this article was gathered from Shutout – The Legend of Terry Sawchuk by Brian Kendall.

NYR Morning Skate Report

MORNING SKATE REPORT 12/27:
At practice: Nash-Brass-Zucc Kreider-Step-Fast Miller-Lindberg-Hayes Glass-Moore-Stalberg; McD-G Staal-Boyle Yandle-Klein. Emerson Etem and Dylan McIlrath have been an extra D-pair.

"Unless something drastic happens..I expect both of them to play"-AV says of Girardi & Klein return to ‪#‎NYR‬ lineup tomorrow.

Dan Girardi practices with #NYR today, says he "felt OK out there"..decision tomorrow morning on if he returns to lineup vs. Predators. Girardi says right knee still sore, swelling down. He says it's a crack in his kneecap. Says he can't hurt it further.

"The Christmas break came at the right time for me"- Raanta who also returned to practice today after being sidelined w/ head injury. Antti Raanta also says he's feeling better. Said first couple of days after head injury were tough but cleared up. Raanta worked with Henrik Lundqvist and goalie coach Benoit Allaire.

AV also says Viktor Stalberg will be back in to face his former team, the Preds.