RANGERS AND PENS TO MIX IT UP AT MSG

NEW YORK RANGERS at PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, 7:30 p.m. ET
PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh, PA
Rangers: 14-10-2 (30 pts)
Penguins: 15-10-3 (33 pts)

BY: The New York Rangers

The New York Rangers’ 2017-18 Media Guide can be found via the following link: HERE

TODAY’S GAME

The Rangers play their 27th game of the 2017-18 season today, Dec. 5, against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Metropolitan Division matchup at PPG Paints Arena (7:30 p.m. ET – TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). Today’s game is the second of four consecutive contests the Rangers are playing against Metropolitan Division opponents. New York has earned a win in five of its last six games (5-1-0 record), and the Rangers have outscored their opponents, 24-11, over the last six games. The Blueshirts have won 11 of their last 14 games (11-3-0 record) and 13 of their last 18 contests (13-5-0 record). In addition, the Rangers have earned at least one point in 15 of their last 20 games (13-5-2 record). 

RANGERS VS. PENGUINS

• All-Time: 126-109-23-14 (70-52-9-7 at home; 56-57-14-7 on the road)
• 2017-18: Today’s game is the second of four meetings between the Rangers and Penguins, and the first of two meetings between the two teams at Pittsburgh. The Rangers have posted a 0-0-1 record (0-0-1 at home; 0-0-0 on the road), following the Penguins’ 5-4 win in overtime on Oct. 17 at MSG. J.T. Miller tied a single-game career-high with three points (one goal, two assists) in the contest, and David Desharnais recorded two points (one goal, one assist). Following today’s contest, the Rangers and Penguins will play against each other on the following dates: Jan. 14 (at Pittsburgh), Mar. 14 (at MSG).
• The Rangers have earned at least one point in 15 of their last 20 games against the Penguins, dating back to Apr. 3, 2013 (9-5-6 record over the span).
• New York has earned at least one point in five of its last seven road games against the Penguins, dating back to Feb. 7, 2014 (4-2-1 record over the span).

RANGERS-PENGUINS CONNECTIONS

• Carl Hagelin played four seasons with the Rangers (2011-12 – 2014-15).
• Matt Hunwick played one season with the Rangers (2014-15).
• Glen Sather played parts of two seasons with the Penguins (1969-70 and 1970-71).
• 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, and Ian Cole were all teammates with the Blues for parts of five seasons (2010-11 – 2014-15).
• Steven Kampfer and Carl Hagelin were teammates at the University of Michigan for three seasons (2007-08 – 2009-10) and helped the school win the CCHA Championship twice (2007-08 and 2009-10). Kampfer and Matt Hunwick were 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). Nash and Crosby were also both selected first overall in the NHL Entry Draft (Nash – 2002; Crosby – 2005).
• Henrik Lundqvist and Carl Hagelin helped Sweden earn a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
• Brendan Smith and Riley Sheahan were teammates with the Red Wings for parts of four seasons (2013-14 – 2016-17).
• Steven Kampfer and Greg McKegg were teammates with the Panthers for parts of two seasons (2015-16 and 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.
• Steven Kampfer and Ian Cole are both natives of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• Henrik Lundqvist and Sidney Crosby were both selected to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team in 2005-06. In addition, Lundqvist and Evgeni Malkin were both selected to the NHL’s First All-Star Team in 2011-12, while Lundqvist and Kris Letang were both selected to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team in 2012-13.

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. PENGUINS

• Henrik Lundqvist – 62 GP, 29-22-11, 2.51 GAA, .913 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 13 of his last 17 appearances against Pittsburgh, dating back to Apr. 3, 2013 (7-4-6 record, 2.57 GAA, .917 SV%, 2 SO over the span).
• Rick Nash – 29 GP, 14-9-23 – Nash has tallied 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in his last 11 games against Pittsburgh, and he has notched a goal/point in three of his last five contests against the Penguins (three goals, one assist). Including playoff games, Nash has recorded 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in his last 21 contests against Pittsburgh.
• Michael Grabner – 31 GP, 11-6-17 – Grabner has registered a goal in six of his last 12 games against Pittsburgh and has tallied nine points (six goals, three assists) over the span.
• Mats Zuccarello – 24 GP, 3-13-16 – Zuccarello has recorded 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in his last 18 contests against the Penguins.
• David Desharnais – 24 GP, 7-9-16 – Desharnais has registered a goal/point in each of the last three games against Pittsburgh (four goals, one assist), and he has recorded 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his last 13 contests against the Penguins.
• Ryan McDonagh – 28 GP, 5-9-14 – 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 five points (one goal, four assists) in his last five games against Pittsburgh, as well as seven points (two goals, five assists) in his last eight contests against the Penguins.
• J.T. Miller – 14 GP, 3-5-8 – Miller has registered five points (one goal, four assists) in the last three games against Pittsburgh.
• Kevin Hayes – 13 GP, 3-4-7 – Hayes has posted a multi-point game in two of his last six contests against Pittsburgh (one goal, three assists over the span). 

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).
• Kevin Shattenkirk is a native of New Rochelle, New York. He was a Rangers fan growing up, and his favorite player was Brian Leetch.

TEAM EFFORT

Through the first 26 games of the 2017-18 season, the Rangers have…

• 12 players who have tallied 11 or more points (one of two NHL teams – the other is Toronto)
• five players who have recorded 19 or more points (one of six NHL teams)
• eight players who have tallied five or more goals (one of seven NHL teams)
• six players who have recorded 11 or more assists (one of three NHL teams)

GOALS GALORE

The Rangers have registered at least three goals in 16 of the last 20 games, as well as four or more goals (including team goals awarded for a shootout win) in 13 of those contests (74 goals; 73 in regulation/overtime). New York ranks fourth in the NHL in goals since Oct. 17 (73).

MAKING THE DIFFERENCE

The Blueshirts have posted a plus-nine goal differential this season, which ranks third in the Metropolitan Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers have posted a plus-20 goal differential since Oct. 26, and rank second in the NHL (first in the Eastern Conference) in goal differential over the span.

RESILIENT RANGERS

The Rangers have outscored their opponents, 39-29, hen trailing in a game this season. The Blueshirts have recorded more goals when trailing than any other NHL team this season, and the team’s plus-10 goal differential when trailing ranks second in the NHL.

TWO GOOD

The Blueshirts have allowed two goals or fewer in five of the last seven games and in seven of the last 10 games. The Rangers allowed 31 goals over their last 13 contests (2.38 goals against per game over the span).

ON POINT

The Rangers are one of two NHL teams that have two defensemen who have tallied 13 or more assists this season (Shattenkirk – 14; McDonagh – 13).

KING HENRIK

Henrik Lundqvist has posted a 5-0-0 record, along with a 1.68 GAA, a .945 SV%, and 1 SO in the last six games, and he has stopped 131 of 137 shots he has faced at even strength over the span (.956 SV% at even strength). He has also allowed two goals or fewer in seven of his last 10 appearances, posting a 7-2-0 record, along with a 2.09 GAA, a .937 SV%, and 1 SO over the span. Lundqvist has made at least 30 saves in five of the last eight games and in 10 of his last 19 appearances. He is tied for second in the NHL in appearances this season (23), and he has been selected as one of the game’s Three Stars in 12 of his 23 appearances. Lundqvist has started each of the last 14 games, dating back to Oct. 31 vs. Vegas (he is expected to make his 15th consecutive start in today’s contest). He has posted an 11-2-0 record, along with a 2.36 GAA, a .927 SV%, and 1 SO in those 14 games, and he leads the NHL in wins over the span. Lundqvist has earned 13 wins this season, and he is the only goaltender in NHL history who has earned 13 or more wins in each of his first 13 NHL seasons.

TRUE BLUE

Lundqvist has earned 418 wins in his NHL career (all with the Rangers), and he is tied with Tony Esposito for the second-most wins a goaltender has earned with one franchise in NHL history (Esposito earned 418 wins with Chicago). The only goaltender in NHL history who has earned more career wins with one franchise than Lundqvist has with the Rangers is Martin Brodeur (688 with New Jersey).

UP FOR GRABS

Michael Grabner tallied a hat trick on Dec. 1 vs. Carolina. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Grabner became the first Ranger to register two empty-net goals in the same game since the start of the expansion era (1967-68). He leads the NHL with six empty-net goals this season, and his six empty-net goals are tied for the fourth-most in one season in NHL history. He is tied for second in the NHL in even strength goals (13) and is tied for 10th in the NHL in plus/minus rating (plus-11) in 2017-18, and he is also tied for the NHL lead in goals since Oct. 26 (12). Grabner ranks second in the NHL (min. 10 games played) in goals per 60 minutes of ice time this season (2.21). Since he joined the Rangers prior to the start of last season, Grabner is the only NHL player who has recorded at least 40 goals and a plus-30 rating. Grabner is expected to skate in his 500th career NHL game in tomorrow’s contest.

KREID-ING HIGH

Chris Kreider has tallied a goal/point in three of the last five games (five goals, one assist), and he has posted two multi-goal games over the span. He has also recorded seven points (five goals, two assists) in the last six games and 13 points (10 goals, three assists) in the last 18 games. Kreider enters the contest with 99 career NHL goals and 99 career NHL assists.

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello has registered a point in five of the last six games (one goal, five assists), and he has recorded 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in the last 14 contests. He leads the Rangers in assists this season (16).

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play:

• The Rangers were 2-for-7 (9:00) on Dec. 1 vs. Carolina.
• The Blueshirts rank eighth in the NHL in power play efficiency this season (22.0%; 20-for-91).
• The Rangers are 9-for-37 (24.3%) over the last 12 games and 12-for-48 (25.0%) over the last 15 games.

Penalty Kill:

• The Rangers were 2-for-2 (2:12) on Dec. 1 vs. Carolina.
• The Blueshirts have killed off 38 of their opponents’ last 44 power play opportunities (86.4%).

BLUESHIRT BULLETS

• J.T. Miller leads the Rangers in assists (14) and points (18), and is tied for the team lead in plus/minus rating (plus-nine) in games against Eastern Conference opponents this season.
• Kevin Hayes has registered a point in five of the last nine games (two goals, three assists), and he has posted a faceoff win percentage of 50.0% or better in each of the last five games (61.5%; 48-for-78 over the span).
• Jesper Fast has recorded three goals/points in the last five games. The Rangers have posted a 13-6-2 record when Fast has been in the lineup this season.
• Marc Staal has only been on the ice for six power play goals against in 79:18 of shorthanded ice time in 2017-18.
• Kevin Shattenkirk is tied for first among NHL defensemen in primary assists this season (10), and he leads Rangers defensemen in goals (five), assists (14), and points (19) in 2017-18.
• Boo Nieves is one of two NHL players (min. 10 games played) who have not been on the ice for a goal against this season.
• Jimmy Vesey has recorded a point in four of the last six games (one goal, three assists), and he has registered six points (three goals, three assists) in the last 10 games.
• Ryan McDonagh has tallied seven assists/points in his last eight games, and he is tied for fourth among NHL defensemen in even strength assists (10) and primary assists (eight) this season.
• Paul Carey has recorded two goals/points in the last five games.
• Brendan Smith leads NHL defensemen in minor penalties drawn this season (10).
• David Desharnais has tallied four points (one goal, three assists) in the last two games. He ranks fifth in the NHL (min. 200 faceoffs taken) in faceoff win percentage this season (58.3%; 119-for-204).
• Nick Holden has registered two assists and has posted a plus-four rating over the last six games.
• Rick Nash has recorded 12 points (six goals, six assists) and a plus-seven rating over the last 15 games, and he is tied for the team lead in minor penalties drawn this season (10).
• Brady Skjei has registered four assists/points in the last five games, and he has posted a plus-one rating or better in each of the last four games (plus-five rating over the span).
• Pavel Buchnevich leads the Rangers in points per 60 minutes of ice time this season (3.10), and he has recorded 10 points (four goals, six assists) in the last 11 games.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• Michael Grabner – 1 game away from 500 in his NHL career
• Chris Kreider – 1 goal away from 100 in his NHL career; 1 assist away from 100 in his NHL career; 2 points away from 200 in his NHL career
• Nick Holden – 1 point away from 100 in his NHL career
• Henrik Lundqvist – 66 saves away from 20,000 in his NHL career

INJURIES (15 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

• Mika Zibanejad (concussion) – has missed two games

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

• Nov. 30 – Acquired Peter Holland from Montreal in exchange for Adam Cracknell

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

• Dec. 4, 1927 – Frank Boucher tallied a natural hat trick and registered all of the Rangers’ three goals in a 3-1 win against the Detroit Cougars.
• Dec. 4, 1968 – Jean Ratelle registered two goals, including his 100th career NHL goal, as the Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 4-2.
• Dec. 4, 1995 – Mark Messier tallied three points (one goal, two assists), including his 1,400th career NHL point. The Rangers earned their first all-time win against Anaheim with a 5-1 victory at MSG.
• Dec. 5, 1965 – Emile Francis was named the 11th head coach in Rangers history. Francis is the all-time leader in wins (342) and games coached (654) in Rangers history.