RANGERS ATTEMPT COUP OVER SENATORS

NEW YORK RANGERS at OTTAWA SENATORS
Thursday, Mar. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Scotiabank Place – Kanata, ON
Rangers: 42-16-7 (91 pts)
Senators: 35-25-8 (78 pts)

* All information through NHL games on Mar. 6

TONIGHT’S GAME:

• The Rangers will face-off against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place (7:30 p.m.; TV: MSG Network; Radio: Bloomberg Radio),  to begin a back-to-back road set. The Blueshirts currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, and rank first in the league overall, with a record of 42-16-7 (91 pts.). The Rangers enter the contest having been defeated by the New Jersey Devils, 4-1, on Tuesday at Prudential Center, and are now 13-4-3 in their last 20 games. The Senators enter the contest with a 35-25-8 (78 pts.) record to rank seventh in the Eastern Conference, and have lost two of their last three games. Following the contest, the Rangers will face-off against the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow, Mar. 9, at United Center (8:30 p.m.), in their third game in four days.

• All-Time: 33-34-3-3 overall (14-21-0-2 at home; 19-13-3-1 on the road)
• 2011-12: Tonight is the fourth and final meeting this season, and the second at Scotiabank Place. New York is 1-1-1 overall (0-1-1 at home; 1-0-0 on the road) following a 3-0 loss on Jan. 12 at Madison Square Garden. Two of their three meetings have been decided by one goal, including one that required the shootout. The Rangers power play is 2-9 (22.2%) in the series. Marian Gaborik leads the Rangers in scoring with three goals and five points, while Derek Stepan has tallied a team-high, three assists (one goal, three assists). Henrik Lundqvist is 1-1-1 with a 2.92 GAA and .905 Sv%.
• Last Season:  New York was 2-1-1 overall (0-1-1 at home; 2-0-0 on the road). Three of the four contests were decided by two goals or less, including one that required the shootout on Mar. 24 at Madison Square Garden (1-2, OT). Brandon Prust and Derek Stepan tied for the team-high with two goals and three points apiece in the series. Henrik Lundqvist posted a 1.72 GAA and .936 SV% in four games.
• The Rangers have registered at least one point in 10 of their last 14 games against the Senators (8-4-2 over the span)
• Henrik Lundqvist has appeared in 26 consecutive games against Ottawa, dating back to Dec. 26, 2005
• New York ranks second with a 20-9-5 (45 pts.) record on the road; Ottawa ranks 23rd with a 17-13-3 (37 pts.) mark at home
• The Rangers are 9-5-1 vs. the Northeast Division; the Senators are 8-3-3 vs. the Atlantic Division
• New York lists no former Senators on their roster
• Ottawa lists two former Rangers on their roster: Alex Auld (2009-10); Matt Gilroy (2009-10 – 2010-11)

INDIVIDUAL CAREER LEADERS vs. SENATORS:

• Henrik Lundqvist — 26 GP, 11-12-2, 2.05 GAA, 1 SO
• Martin Biron — 30 GP, 14-9-2-2, 2.79 GAA, 2 SO
• Brad Richards — 34 GP, 13-12-25
• Marian Gaborik — 15 GP, 8-10-18
• Derek Stepan — 7 GP, 3-4-7
• Jeff Woywitka — 5 GP, 1-2-3

SPECIAL TEAMS:

The Rangers have tallied eight power play goals in the last 14 games, posting a 19.0% success rate over the span (8-42). The Blueshirts penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in 22 of the last 32 games (82-92, 89.1% over the span). The Rangers are tied for fifth in the NHL with seven shorthanded goals. The Blueshirts have posted a record of 19-1-4 in games when tallying a power play goal, and are 29-8-3 when not allowing a power play goal.

• Power Play: The Rangers did not tally a goal in two power play attempts (4:00) on Tuesday at New Jersey. New York ranks 29th overall (31-218, 14.2%) and 21st on the road (15-105, 14.3%). The Rangers are 3-14 (11:24) in five-on-three situations (last – 3/2 at TBL), and 1-8 (10:10) when four-on-three (last – 3/2 at TBL). Shorthanded goals allowed (3): 12/5 vs. TOR (Steckel); 12/8 vs. TBL (Moore); 12/17 at PHX (Korpikoski).
• Penalty Killing: The Blueshirts held the Devils scoreless in four shorthanded situations (8:00) on Tuesday at New Jersey. New York ranks fifth overall (183-211, 86.7%) and sixth on the road (105-120, 87.5%). The Rangers are 8-9 (4:34) in three-on-five situations (last – 2/16 vs. CHI), and 2-3 (2:24) when three-on-four (last – 2/16 vs. CHI). Shorthanded goals for (7): 10/20 at CGY (Prust); 12/8 vs. TBL (Anisimov); 12/10 at BUF (Hagelin); 12/10 at BUF (Callahan); 12/20 at NJD (Hagelin); 1/6 at PIT (Dubinsky); 2/12 vs. WSH (Prust).
• Four-on-Four: New York did not skate in a four-on-four situation on Tuesday at New Jersey. The Rangers are plus-six in 69 four-on-four situations (125:15), and even in two three-on-three situations (0:38). Four-on-four goals for (9): 10/18 at VAN (Gaborik); 10/20 at CGY (McDonagh); 10/27 vs. TOR (Girardi); 1/2 vs. FLA (Gaborik); 2/9 vs. TBL (Stepan); 2/9 vs. TBL (Richards); 2/14 at BOS (Anisimov); 2/19 vs. CBJ (Stepan), 2/25 vs. BUF (Callahan). Four-on-four goals allowed (3): 2/9 vs. TBL (Lecavalier); 2/25 vs. BUF (Stafford); 3/2 at TBL (Malone).

BACK-TO-BACKS

• The Rangers will begin their 12th of 14 scheduled back-to-back sets this season tonight at Ottawa. New York has posted a record of 8-0-3 (3-0-0 at home, 5-0-3 on the road) in the first game of the set, and are 8-1-2 (6-0-0 at home, 2-1-2 on the road) in the second game. Since 2009-10, New York is 29-9-4 in the second game of back-to-backs, with a 15-3-1 mark at MSG and 14-6-3 on the road over the span. Henrik Lundqvist has started on consecutive days 57 times in his career, posting a record of 36-14-7 with a 1.82 GAA, .935 SV% and six shutouts in the second game. The Rangers will close out the set tomorrow at Chicago.

ROAD WARRIORS

• The Rangers have registered at least one point in 12 of their last 15 road games (9-3-3 over the span), and are 15-5-3 in their last 23 games away from MSG.

PLACE IN HISTORY

• The Rangers’ .700 win% is the team’s best record through 65 games in 40 years, when the 1971-72 Blueshirts began the season with a 44-11-10 record (.754 win%), and is tied as the second best mark in franchise history. The Rangers reached the 40-win mark in 61 games, which is tied as the second fastest to 40-wins in franchise history.

MEASURING UP
The Rangers rank among the NHL leaders in several statistical categories…

• T-1st in points (91)
• 1st in win% (.700)
• T-2nd in wins (42)
• 1st in regulation/overtime wins (39)
• 1st in fewest regulation losses (16)
• 2nd in fewest goals against (132)
• 2nd in GAA (2.03)
• 1st in hits (1,926)
• 4th in blocked shots (1,067)
• 4th in +/- rating (plus-42)
• 4th in goal differential (plus-43)

QUICK HITS:

• This is the latest the Rangers have been in first place of the Eastern Conference standings since the 1995-96 season, when New York held the top position through games played on Mar. 15, 1996 (NYR game #68). *courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau
• New York has registered at least one point in 44 of their last 57 games (39-13-5), dating back to Oct. 29, after beginning the season with a 3-3-2 mark
• New York is 16-1-3 when leading after the first period and 26-0-3 when leading after the second
• The Rangers are tied for third in the league with a .250 win% when trailing after two periods (4-11-1), and their four third period comeback victories are tied for 10th in the NHL; New York has trailed entering the third period in 16 games this season, which is the fewest in the league
• New York leads the NHL with a .767 win% when out-shooting their opponent (23-6-1)
• The Rangers lead the league when scoring first, posting a 30-1-3 mark (.882 win%) in those contests; Their 30 wins rank third in the NHL

THE HOT LIST:

• Henrik Lundqvist — 11-3-1 with a 1.65 GAA, .940 SV% and 4 SO in his last 15 games
• Marian Gaborik — 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in the last 23 games; five points (three goals, two assists) in the last four games
• Derek Stepan — four-game point streak (two goals, three assists over the span); 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in the last 16 games
• Carl Hagelin — eight points (four goals, four assists) in the last 10 games; six points (three goals, three assists) in the last six games
• Dan Girardi — three assists in the last five games
• Michael Del Zotto — 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in his last 18 games; nine assists in his last 13 games
• Brad Richards — 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in the last 14 games; five assists in the last six games
• Stu Bickel — three assists and a plus-five rating in the last seven games; two assists and a plus-four rating in the last four games
• Artem Anisimov — 10 points (six goals, four assists) in the last 16 games

INJURIES:

• Michael Sauer (concussion, 12/5) — 41

Total Man-Games Lost: 187