NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
March 24, 2012 (Game 75, Away Game 37)
Air Canada Centre – Toronto, ON
1st 2nd 3rd SO F
New York Rangers 1 1 1 1 4
Toronto Maple Leafs 1 1 1 0 3
Team Notes:
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The Rangers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3, in the shootout tonight at Air Canada Centre, and have now won three of their last four games. Ryan Callahan notched the game-deciding goal in the third round of the shootout, and Brad Richards also converted his shootout attempt. The Blueshirts are now 7-6-0 against Original Six opponents this season.
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New York improved to 47-21-7 (101 pts.) overall, including a 21-11-5 mark on the road. The Rangers increased their lead over Pittsburgh atop the Eastern Conference standings to three points, and now rank first in the league overall with 101 points.
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With the win, the Rangers eclipsed the 100-point mark for the seventh time in team history, and the first time since registering 100 points in 2005-06. The Blueshirts’ 101 points are the most the team has posted since winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 1993-94 with 112 points. The Rangers’ 47 wins are also tied as the fifth most in franchise history.
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New York has posted a combined record of 17-4-5 in back-to-back games this season, including a 9-2-2 (6-0-0 at home, 3-2-2 on the road) mark in the second game. Since 2009-10, New York is 30-10-4 in the second game of back-to-backs, with a 15-7-3 mark on the road over the span.
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The Rangers’ penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in 10 of the last 13 games (33-36, 91.7%), and are 38-42 (90.5%) in the last 15 contests.
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The Blueshirts were credited with a season-high, 55 hits, led by Derek Stepan and Ryan Callahan who registered six hits apiece. The Rangers also recorded 20 blocked shots in the contest, including a game-high, four blocked shots from Michael Del Zotto.
Player Notes:
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Marian Gaborik notched two goals, tied for the game-high with five shots, and was credited with four hits and two blocked shots in 21:07 of ice time. He leads the Rangers in scoring against Original Six opponents this season with six goals and 11 points.
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Brad Richards tallied two assists and converted his shootout attempt in 22:13 of ice time. He has now tallied 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in the last 16 games , including 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in the last 10 games. Richards leads the NHL in scoring during the month of March with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists).
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Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves through regulation and overtime, and stopped two of three shootout attempts to improve to 35-16-5 overall with a 15-8-3 mark on the road. Lundqvist has now started on consecutive days 58 times in his career, posting a record of 37-14-7 with a 1.84 GAA, .934 Sv% and six shutouts in the second game.
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Brandon Dubinsky notched a goal and registered four shots on goal and three hits in the contest. He has recorded four points (two goals, two assists) in the last four games.
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Tim Erixon recorded an assist and was credited with three hits in 9:41 of ice time. He has tallied two assists in the last two games.
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John Mitchell registered the lone assist on Dubinsky’s second period goal, and has now recorded an assist in each of the last two road games.
Team Schedule:
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The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, Mar. 27, at Xcel Energy Center (8:00 p.m.), to begin a back-to-back road set. The game will be televised live on MSG Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio.
