NEW YORK RANGERS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, 7:00 p.m. ET
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Rangers: 1-5-0 (2 pts)
Penguins: 3-2-1 (7 pts)
BY: The New York Rangers
The New York Rangers’ 2017-18 Media Guide can be found via the following link: HERE
TOMORROW’S GAME
The Rangers play their seventh game of the 2017-18 season tomorrow, Oct. 17, against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Metropolitan Division matchup at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m. ET – TV: MSG Network; Radio: WOR 710 AM). Tomorrow’s game is the second contest of the Blueshirts’ season-long, six-game homestand, and the Rangers will play six of their next seven games at MSG. In addition, tomorrow’s contest is the third of four consecutive games the Rangers are playing against Metropolitan Division opponents.
RANGERS VS. PENGUINS
All-Time: 126-109-23-13 (70-52-9-6 at home; 56-57-14-7 on the road)
2017-18: Tomorrow’s game is the first of four meetings between the Rangers and Penguins, and the first of two meetings between the two teams at MSG. Following tomorrow’s contest, the Rangers and Penguins will play against each other on the following dates: Dec. 5 (at Pittsburgh), Jan. 14 (at Pittsburgh), Mar. 14 (at MSG).
2016-17: The Rangers posted a 2-2-1 record (1-1-1 at home; 1-1-0 on the road). Rick Nash (three goals, one assist), Michael Grabner (two goals, two assists), and Ryan McDonagh (one goal, three assists) tied for the team lead with four points in the season series, while J.T. Miller and Nick Holden each tallied three points (one goal, two assists) in five games.
The Rangers have earned at least one point in 14 of their last 19 games against the Penguins, dating back to Apr. 3, 2013 (9-5-5 record over the span).
RANGERS-PENGUINS CONNECTIONS
Glen Sather played parts of two seasons with the Penguins (1969-70 and 1970-71).
Carl Hagelin played four seasons with the Rangers (2011-12 – 2014-15).
Chris Summers played parts of two seasons with the Rangers (2014-15 and 2015-16) and played parts of three seasons in the Rangers organization with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL (2014-15 – 2016-17).
Matt Hunwick played one season with the Rangers (2014-15).
Mike Sullivan served as an Assistant Coach with the Rangers for four seasons (2009-10 – 2012-13). Sullivan was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round (69th overall) of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft.
Greg McKegg’s great uncle is Lou Fontinato, who played parts of seven seasons with the Rangers (1954-55 – 1960-61).
Kevin Shattenkirk and Ryan Reaves were teammates with St. Louis for parts of seven seasons (2010-11 – 2016-17). Shattenkirk, Reaves, Adam Cracknell, and Ian Cole were all teammates with the Blues for parts of four seasons (2010-11 – 2013-14).
Steven Kampfer and Chris Summers are both natives of Ann Arbor, Michigan and were teammates at the University of Michigan for four seasons (2006-07 – 2009-10). Kampfer, Summers, and Carl Hagelin were all teammates at the University of Michigan for three seasons and helped the school win the CCHA Championship twice (2007-08 and 2009-10). Kampfer, Summers, and Matt Hunwick were all teammates at the University of Michigan in 2006-07.
Rick Nash and Sidney Crosby helped Canada earn a gold medal at the Winter Olympics twice (2010 and 2014).
Henrik Lundqvist and Carl Hagelin helped Sweden earn a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Steven Kampfer and Greg McKegg were teammates with the Panthers for parts of two seasons (2015-16 and 2016-17).
Adam Cracknell and Antti Niemi were teammates with Dallas for one season (2016-17).
Michael Grabner and Matt Hunwick were teammates with the Maple Leafs for one season (2015-16).
Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Ian Cole represented the United States at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship, and all three players helped the United States earn a silver medal at the 2007 IIHF World U18 Championship.
Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Paul Carey, and Brian Dumoulin all helped Boston College win the National Championship in 2011-12.
Ryan McDonagh and Justin Schultz were teammates at the University of Wisconsin for one season (2009-10).
Chris Kreider and Brian Dumoulin helped the United States earn a bronze medal at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship.
J.T. Miller and Josh Archibald represented the United States at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Phil Kessel was selected by Boston in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft; Boston’s General Manager was Jeff Gorton.
J.T. Miller is a native of East Palestine, OH (near the border between Pennsylvania and Ohio), and he grew up a Penguins fan.
Marc Staal and Matt Murray are both natives of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. PENGUINS
Henrik Lundqvist – 61 GP, 29-22-10, 2.47 GAA, .915 SV%, 4 SO – Lundqvist has appeared in more games against the Penguins than against any other opponent in his NHL career. Lundqvist has helped the Rangers earn at least one point in 12 of his last 16 appearances against Pittsburgh, dating back to Apr. 3, 2013 (7-4-5 record, 2.42 GAA, .921 SV%, 2 SO over the span).
Rick Nash – 28 GP, 14-9-23 – Nash has tallied 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in his last 10 games against Pittsburgh, and he has notched a goal/point in three of his last four contests against the Penguins (three goals, one assist). Including playoff games, Nash has recorded 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in his last 20 contests against Pittsburgh.
Michael Grabner – 30 GP, 10-6-16 – Grabner has registered a goal in five of his last 11 games against Pittsburgh and has tallied eight points (five goals, three assists) over the span.
Mats Zuccarello – 23 GP, 3-12-15 – Zuccarello has recorded 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in his last 17 contests against the Penguins.
David Desharnais – 23 GP, 6-8-14 – Desharnais has registered three goals/points in his last two games against Pittsburgh, and he has recorded nine points (four goals, five assists) in his last 12 contests against the Penguins.
Ryan McDonagh – 27 GP, 5-8-13 – McDonagh’s five goals against the Penguins are tied for the most he has recorded against one opponent in his NHL career. He has tallied four points (one goal, three assists) in his last four games against Pittsburgh, as well as six points (two goals, four assists) in his last seven contests against the Penguins.
Kevin Hayes – 12 GP, 3-4-7 – Hayes has posted a multi-point game in two of his last five contests against Pittsburgh (one goal, three assists over the span).
Mika Zibanejad – 11 GP, 2-4-6 – Zibanejad has registered six points (two goals, four assists) in his last eight games against Pittsburgh, including three assists/points in his last three contests.
RANGERS CONNECTIONS (IN ADDITION TO CURRENTLY PLAYING WITH THE BLUESHIRTS)
Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Shattenkirk have represented the United States together in several tournaments, including the 2014 Winter Olympics, the 2011 IIHF World Championship, the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship, and the 2007 IIHF World U18 Championship. McDonagh, Shattenkirk, and Chris Kreider were all teammates with Team USA at the 2011 IIHF World Championship.
Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Brendan Smith were all selected in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft (McDonagh – 12th overall by Montreal; Shattenkirk – 14th overall by Colorado; Smith – 27th overall by Detroit).
Ryan McDonagh and Brendan Smith were teammates at the University of Wisconsin for three seasons (2007-08 – 2009-10).
Paul Carey, Chris Kreider, and Kevin Hayes were all teammates at Boston College for two seasons (2010-11 and 2011-12) and helped Boston College win the National Championship in 2011-12; Carey and Kreider were teammates for three seasons (2009-10 – 2011-12) and helped Boston College win two National Championships (2009-10 and 2011-12).
Kevin Hayes and Jimmy Vesey were friends growing up in Massachusetts.
J.T. Miller and Jimmy Vesey helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Kevin Hayes and Brady Skjei represented the United States at the 2017 IIHF World Championship.
Michael Grabner’s first head coach in the NHL was Alain Vigneault (2009-10 with Vancouver).
Paul Carey and Nick Holden were teammates with Colorado for parts of two seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15).
Paul Carey and Kevin Shattenkirk were teammates with Washington for part of one season (2016-17).
Nick Holden and Rick Nash were teammates with Columbus for part of one season (2010-11).
Adam Cracknell and Kevin Shattenkirk were teammates with the Blues for parts of four seasons (2010-11 – 2013-14).
Adam Cracknell was coached by Lindy Ruff in Dallas during the 2016-17 season.
Kevin Shattenkirk is a native of New Rochelle, New York. He was a Rangers fan growing up, and his favorite player was Brian Leetch.
HOME COOKING
New York continues its season-long, six-game homestand tomorrow. The homestand is the Rangers’ longest since their franchise-record, nine-game homestand from Dec. 7, 2013 – Dec. 23, 2013. The Rangers play 10 of their first 13 games, as well as 13 of their first 18 games, this season at MSG.
10-IN-10
The Rangers are playing 10 home games in October this season. Since the start of the 2015-16 season, New York has posted an 11-5-1 record at MSG in October.
SHOOTING GALLERY
The Blueshirts have registered at least 30 shots on goal in each of the last three games and in five of six games in 2017-18. The Rangers rank 11th in the NHL in shots on goal per game in 2017-18 (33.5).
HOT AT THE DOT
The Rangers have won 52.4% of faceoffs taken through six games this season (192-for-366), including 53.4% of faceoffs taken in the defensive zone. New York ranks 11th in the NHL in faceoff win percentage thus far this season.
STAYING DISCIPLINED
The Blueshirts are tied for 11th in the NHL in fewest penalty minutes per game thus far this season (9:00). The Rangers recorded the third-fewest penalty minutes in the NHL (593) and were tied for fifth in the league in fewest times shorthanded (223) in 2016-17.
AV SQUAD
Alain Vigneault leads all NHL head coaches in wins since 2006-07 (506). Vigneault has earned 615 career wins as an NHL head coach, and he is two wins away from tying Jacques Lemaire for 13th place on the league’s all-time wins list among head coaches. Vigneault leads all Rangers head coaches (min. 100 games coached) in points percentage in franchise history (.620).
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his last three appearances, posting a 1-2-0 record, along with a 1.36 GAA, a .959 SV% (94 saves on 98 shots), and 1 SO in the three contests. He enters the game with 406 career NHL wins, and he is one win away from tying Glenn Hall for ninth place on the NHL’s all-time wins list. Lundqvist earned his 62nd career NHL shutout on Oct. 8 vs. Montreal, passing Turk Broda for sole possession of 16th place on the NHL’s all-time shutouts list.
MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad recorded a goal/point in each of the Rangers’ first four games in 2017-18, tallying five goals in the four contests. Zibanejad’s four-game goal streak was a career-high, and he became the second player in Rangers history to record a goal in each of the team’s first four games of a season (Rick Nash – 2014-15). He is tied for the NHL lead in power-play goals (four), is tied for fourth in goals (five), is tied for sixth in power play points (four), and ranks ninth in shots on goal (23) this season. Zibanejad is also tied for second in the NHL in games with a goal this season (four).
RICK ROLLING
Rick Nash tallied his first goal of the 2017-18 season on Oct. 14 vs. New Jersey. Nash, who enters the contest with 995 career NHL games played, is tied for third in the NHL in takeaways (eight) and ranks sixth in the NHL in shots on goal (25) this season.
IT’S MILLER TIME
J.T. Miller ranks second in the NHL (min. 60 faceoffs taken) in faceoff win percentage this season (65.0%; 39-for-60), and he has posted an 81.3% faceoff win percentage of defensive zone faceoffs (13-for-16). He has recorded an assist/point in three of the last five games (one goal, three assists over the span).
SHATT STATS
Kevin Shattenkirk has tallied a point in four of six games this season (two goals, three assists thus far in 2017-18). He is tied for third among NHL defensemen in power-play points this season (four), and he is tied for the team lead in points in 2017-18 (five).
WELCOME MATS
Mats Zuccarello tallied five points (one goal, four assists) through the first two games this season and became the first Ranger to register five points in the first two games of a season since Bernie Nicholls in 1990-91.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play:
The Rangers were 0-for-3 (6:00) on Oct. 14 vs. New Jersey.
The Blueshirts rank 12th in the NHL in power-play efficiency this season (21.7%; 5-for-23).
The Rangers have tallied a power play goal in three of six games this season.
Penalty Kill:
The Rangers were 4-for-5 (8:20) on Oct. 14 vs. New Jersey.
New York has only allowed two power-play goals in its last four games (11-for-13; 84.6% over the span).
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Ondrej Pavelec – 2 saves away from 10,000 in his NHL career
Rick Nash – 5 games away from 1,000 in his NHL career
Marc Staal – 5 games away from 700 in his NHL career
Kevin Shattenkirk – 4 games away from 500 in his NHL career
Chris Kreider – 4 assists away from 100 in his NHL career
Brady Skjei – 7 games away from 100 in his NHL career
Mika Zibanejad – 7 points away from 200 in his NHL career
Nick Holden – 5 points away from 100 in his NHL career
INJURIES
(5 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
None
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Oct. 10 – Assigned Filip Chytil to Hartford (AHL); Released Andrew Desjardins from Professional Tryout (PTO)
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
Oct. 16, 1996 – Alexei Kovalev recorded a hat trick and Wayne Gretzky tallied three assists as the Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 8-1, at MSG.
Oct. 17, 1956 – Gump Worsley stopped all 27 shots he faced to earn a win and a shutout as the Rangers defeated the Boston Bruins, 2-0, at MSG.
Oct. 17, 1971 – The G-A-G line registered nine points, as Rod Gilbert tallied four assists, Vic Hadfield notched three points (two goals, one assist), and Jean Ratelle recorded two goals as the Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 8-4, at MSG.
Oct. 17, 1998 – Wayne Gretzky registered two points (one goal, one assist), including his 2,800th career NHL point, as the Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins played to a 3-3 tie.
Oct. 17, 2005 – Henrik Lundqvist earned his first career NHL shutout, stopping all 23 shots he faced as the Rangers defeated the Florida Panthers, 4-0, at MSG. Jaromir Jagr recorded two goals and Martin Rucinsky tallied three assists in the contest.
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