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).
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.
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.
Mar 25 - 6:08pm by JimCerny
