TO GOAL OR NOT TO GOAL, THAT IS THE QUESTION

     VERSUS     

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
February 7, 2012 (Game 51, Home Game 24)
Madison Square Garden — New York, NY

                                                  1st   2nd   3rd   OT   Final
New Jersey Devils                 1      0        0       –      1
New York Rangers                0     0        0       –      0

Team Notes:

• The Rangers were defeated by the New Jersey Devils, 1-0, tonight at Madison Square Garden, and are now 16-5-1 in their last 22 games.
• New York has posted a record of 33-13-5 (71 pts) on the season, including a 16-6-2 mark at home.
• 11 of the last 15 meetings between the Rangers and Devils have been decided by two goals or less.
• The Blueshirts are now 18-8-3 overall, including a 9-4-1 mark at Madison Square Garden against the Devils since 2007-08.
• The Rangers’ .696 win% through 51 games is the team’s best start in 18 years, when the 1993-94 Blueshirts began the season with a 34-13-4 record (.706 win%), and is the fourth best start in franchise history.
• The Blueshirts’ 16-6-2 (34 pts) mark at MSG is their best start at home through 24 games since 1995-96 (18-2-4, 40 pts).
• The Blueshirts hold a three-point lead over Boston for first in the Eastern Conference, and are one point shy of Detroit for first in the league overall.
• The Rangers out-hit the Devils, 52-24, in the contest.  Their 52 hits were a team, season-high.  Seven different Rangers’ were credited with four or more hits, led by Brandon Prust and Brian Boyle, who registered six hits apiece.

Player Notes:

• Henrik Lundqvist made 21 saves and is now 24-11-4 overall, including a 12-6-2 mark at home.  The loss snapped his four-game winning streak, and he is now 4-1-0 with a 0.97 goals against average, .963 save percentage and two shutouts in the last five games.  Lundqvist has allowed one goal or less in 11 of his last 19 games, and has held opponents to two or fewer goals in 27 games this season.
• Lundqvist has now faced-off against Martin Brodeur in 32 career regular season games, posting a record of 21-6-5 with a 1.77 GAA, .934 Sv% and four shutouts over the span.
• Brian Boyle tied for the game-high with six hits, was credited with two blocked shots and won a game-high, 10 face-offs in 16 attempts (63%).  He has now registered 11 hits in the last two contests.

Post-Game Quotes:

John Tortorella on tonight’s game…

“Our start, it was a bit of a struggle, as far as some turnovers that allowed them to play in our half.  But after that I thought we found ourselves and played a pretty good game.”

Ryan Callahan on tonight’s game…

“I thought we played a great third period, we had a lot of chances and a lot of shots on net.  We controlled most of that period.  We need to have a better start.  I think that’s what hurts us the most is our start.  There are a lot of good things that went on in this game, even though we didn’t generate a goal, obviously, but we’ll take some positives out of it.”

Marian Gaborik on tonight’s game…

“In the first period I think they had a lot more momentum, but I think in the last five minutes of the first period we started coming. We were more physical and we didn’t give them much. We had some chances and they had some chances. In the third period I think we could’ve tied the game easily.”

Team Schedule:

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, Feb. 9, at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), to conclude their three-game homestand.  The game will be televised live on MSG Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio.