RANGERS THEME TODAY: ON THE ROAD AGAIN…

NEW YORK RANGERS at OTTAWA SENATORS
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017, 7:00 p.m. ET
Canadian Tire Centre – Ottawa, ON
Rangers: 16-11-3 (35 pts)
Senators: 9-13-7 (25 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 31st game of the 2017-18 season today, Dec. 13, against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre (7:00 p.m. ET – TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). New York has earned a win in seven of its last 10 games (7-2-1 record), and the Rangers have outscored their opponents, 36-22, over the last 10 games. The Blueshirts have won 13 of their last 18 games (13-4-1 record) and 15 of their last 22 contests (15-6-1 record). In addition, the Rangers have earned at least one point in 18 of their last 24 games (15-6-3 record). 

RANGERS VS. SENATORS

• All-Time: 41-42-3-4 (18-25-0-2 at home; 23-17-3-2 on the road)
• 2017-18: Today’s game is the second of three meetings between the Rangers and Senators, and the first of two meetings between the two teams at Ottawa. The Rangers have posted a 1-0-0 record (1-0-0 at home; 0-0-0 on the road), following their 3-0 win on Nov. 19 at MSG. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 20 shots he faced to earn a win and a shutout in the contest, while Mats Zuccarello registered two assists in the contest. Following today’s contest, the Rangers and Senators will play against each other on the following date: Feb. 17 (at Ottawa).
• The Rangers have won eight of 13 regular season meetings against the Senators since the start of the 2013-14 season (8-5-0 record).
• The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 11 of their last 15 regular season contests on the road against Ottawa, dating back to Jan. 10, 2009 (10-4-1 record).
• New York has allowed two goals or fewer in six of its last 10 regular season games against the Senators.

RANGERS-SENATORS CONNECTIONS

• Alain Vigneault’s first coaching staff position in the NHL was as an Assistant Coach with the Senators. Vigneault joined the Senators for their first NHL season in 1992-93 and was a member of Ottawa’s coaching staff for parts of four seasons (1992-93 – 1995-96).
• Mika Zibanejad played parts of five seasons with the Senators (2011-12 – 2015-16). He established career-highs in games played (81), goals (21), assists (30), and points (51) during his final season with Ottawa in 2015-16.
• Derick Brassard played parts of four seasons with the Rangers (2012-13 – 2015-16).
• Tom Pyatt was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round (107th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Pyatt was traded by the Rangers to Montreal as part of the deal in which the Blueshirts acquired the rights to Ryan McDonagh on June 30, 2009.
• Rick Nash and Derick Brassard were teammates with the Blue Jackets for parts of five seasons (2007-08 – 2011-12). Nash and Brassard were coached by Scott Arniel, who was the Blue Jackets Head Coach for parts of two seasons (2010-11 and 2011-12).
• Alexandre Burrows was coached by Alain Vigneault for seven seasons in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks (2006-07 – 2012-13), as well as part of one season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Manitoba Moose (2005-06).
• Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion served as an Amateur Scout with the Rangers for two seasons (2005-06 and 2006-07).
• Henrik Lundqvist and Erik Karlsson were both selected to the NHL’s First All-Star Team in 2011-12. Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s Best Goaltender, while Karlsson won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s Best Defenseman.
• Henrik Lundqvist and Dion Phaneuf were both members of the NHL’s All-Rookie Team in 2005-06.
• Mika Zibanejad and Fredrik Claesson were teammates in the Djurgardens organization in Sweden for three seasons (2009-10 – 2011-12). In addition, Zibanejad and Claesson helped Sweden win a gold medal at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship.
• Henrik Lundqvist, Erik Karlsson, and Johnny Oduya helped Sweden win a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Lundqvist and Karlsson also represented Sweden at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, while Lundqvist and Oduya also represented Sweden at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
• Marc Staal and Tom Pyatt are both natives of Thunder Bay, Ontario. In addition, Staal and Pyatt helped Canada win a gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2006 and 2007.
• Rick Nash and Dion Phaneuf helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2007 IIHF World Championship.
• Nick Holden and Matt Duchene were teammates with the Avalanche for three seasons (2013-14 – 2015-16). Holden, Duchene, and Paul Carey were all teammates with Colorado for parts of two seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15).
• Ondrej Pavelec and Johnny Oduya were teammates with the Thrashers/Jets for parts of three seasons (2009-10 – 2011-12).
• David Desharnais and Tom Pyatt were teammates with the Canadiens for part of two seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11).
• David Desharnais and Mike Condon were teammates with the Canadiens for one season (2015-16).
• Kevin Shattenkirk, Craig Anderson, and Matt Duchene were all teammates with the Avalanche for part of one season (2010-11).
• Michael Grabner and Dion Phaneuf were teammates with the Maple Leafs for part of one season (2015-16).
• Michael Grabner and Alexandre Burrows were teammates with the Canucks for part of one season (2009-10).
• Brady Skjei, Mike Condon, and Chris Wideman represented the United States at the 2016 IIHF World Championship. 

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. SENATORS

• Henrik Lundqvist – 38 GP, 16-18-3, 2.05 GAA, .931 SV%, 2 SO – Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in six of his last seven regular season appearances against Ottawa (4-3-0 record, 1.55 GAA, .943 SV%, 1 SO over the span).
• Mats Zuccarello – 13 GP, 5-6-11 – Zuccarello has posted four multi-point games in his last 10 regular season contests against the Senators, and he has recorded three assists/points in his last two games against Ottawa.
• Kevin Shattenkirk – 11 GP, 2-7-9 – Shattenkirk has registered a point in five of his last six games against the Senators (two goals, five assists), including an assist in three of his last four contests.
• Rick Nash – 19 GP, 9-2-11 – Nash has tallied eight points (six goals, two assists) in his last 13 regular season games against Ottawa.
• David Desharnais – 26 GP, 5-9-14 – Desharnais has recorded seven points (three goals, four assists) in his last 12 contests against the Senators.
• Chris Kreider – 14 GP, 4-6-10 – Kreider has tallied 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his last 11 regular season games against Ottawa.
• Ryan McDonagh – 19 GP, 3-7-10 – McDonagh has registered six points (one goal, five assists) in his last five regular season games against Ottawa.

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.

GAINING GROUND

Since Oct. 26, the Rangers…

• are tied for the NHL lead in wins (14)
• rank second in the NHL (and lead the Eastern Conference) in goal differential (plus-21; 74 goals for, 53 goals against)
• rank second in the NHL (and lead the Eastern Conference) in points percentage (.725)
• are tied for third in the NHL (and lead the Eastern Conference) in points (29)

The Rangers have played 20 games since Oct. 26, which are tied for the fourth-fewest in the NHL over the span. The Blueshirts, who were eight points out of first place in the Metropolitan Division and had played two more games than the team in first place (New Jersey) entering play on Oct. 31, are now only four points out of first place in the Metropolitan Division.

TEAM EFFORT

The Rangers are the only NHL team that has 14 players who have tallied 10 or more points this season, as well as the only NHL team that has nine players who have recorded six or more goals. In addition, the Blueshirts are one of two NHL teams that have 10 players who have recorded at least 15 points this season (along with Tampa Bay).

GOALS GALORE

The Rangers have registered at least three goals in 18 of the last 24 games, as well as four or more goals (including team goals awarded for a shootout win) in 15 of those contests (86 goals; 85 in regulation/overtime). The Blueshirts have tallied four or more goals in five of the last seven games (25 goals) and in six of the last nine contests (33 goals). The Rangers have tallied at least four goals in 16 games this season, which is tied for the most in the NHL. The Blueshirts have recorded 99 goals this season.

RESILIENT RANGERS

The Rangers have outscored their opponents, 44-31, when 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-13 goal differential when trailing ranks second in the NHL.

MAKING THE DIFFERENCE

The Blueshirts have posted a plus-10 goal differential this season, which ranks second among Metropolitan Division teams and ranks fourth among Eastern Conference teams.

ROAD WARRIORS

The Rangers rank second in the NHL in road wins since the start of last season (31). In addition, New York ranks second in the NHL – and leads the Eastern Conference – in road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season (103). 

KING HENRIK

Henrik Lundqvist enters the contest with 19,996 saves in his NHL career, and he is four saves away from becoming the 15th goaltender in NHL history to make 20,000 career saves. He has posted a 6-1-0 record, along with a 2.04 GAA, a .936 SV%, and 1 SO in his last eight appearances. Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in eight of his last 12 appearances, posting an 8-3-0 record, along with a 2.26 GAA, a .933 SV%, and 1 SO over the span. Lundqvist has made at least 30 saves in six of his last 10 appearances and in 11 of his last 21 appearances. He has been selected as one of the game’s Three Stars in 12 of his 25 appearances this season.

PAV’S PARTY

Ondrej Pavelec made a season-high 44 saves on Dec. 11 vs. Dallas. He has made at least 40 saves in each of his last two appearances and became the first Rangers goaltender to make 40 or more saves in two consecutive appearances since Dan Blackburn during the 2001-02 season. Pavelec has stopped 85 of 89 shots he has faced over his last two appearances (.955 SV% over the span).

UP FOR GRABS

Michael Grabner 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 ranks third in the NHL in even-strength goals this season (14), trailing only Nikita Kucherov (17) and Alex Ovechkin (15).

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello has tallied a point in seven of the last 10 games (four goals, six assists, plus-nine rating), and he has recorded 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) and a plus-12 rating in the last 18 contests. Since Nov. 11, Zuccarello is one of three NHL players who has recorded at least 13 points and a plus-11 rating (along with Anze Kopitar and Brayden Schenn).

FAST FACTS

Jesper Fast posted a three-game goal/point streak from Dec. 5 at Pittsburgh to Dec. 9 vs. New Jersey (three goals, one assist); the three-game goal streak was a career-high and the three-game point streak was tied for his career-high. He has tallied seven points (six goals, one assist) in the last nine games.

ON THE MARC

Marc Staal enters the contest with 719 career games played as a Ranger, and when he plays his next game, he will pass Andy Bathgate for sole possession of 11th place on the franchise’s all-time games played list.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play:

• The Rangers did not have a power play opportunity on Dec. 11 vs. Dallas.
• The Blueshirts rank ninth in the NHL in power play efficiency this season (20.2%; 20-for-99).

Penalty Kill:

• The Rangers were 3-for-3 (5:10) on Dec. 11 vs. Dallas.
• New York ranks ninth in the NHL in penalty kill efficiency this season (82.5%; 80-for-97).
• The Blueshirts have not allowed a power play goal in each of the last three games (10-for-10) and in four of the last five games (14-for-15; 93.3%).
• The Rangers have killed off 50 of their opponents’ last 57 power play opportunities (87.7%).

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• Henrik Lundqvist – 4 saves away from 20,000 in his NHL career
• Chris Kreider – 1 goal away from 100 in his NHL career; 1 point away from 200 in his NHL career
• Nick Holden – 1 point away from 100 in his NHL career

INJURIES (20 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

• Mika Zibanejad (concussion) – has missed six games

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

• Dec. 6 – Assigned Alexandar Georgiev to Hartford (AHL); Signed Marek Mazanec; Assigned Marek Mazanec to Hartford (AHL)

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

• Dec. 12, 1971 – Brad Park registered his first career NHL hat trick as the Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-1, at MSG.
• Dec. 12, 1976 – While skating in his 1,000th career NHL game, Rod Gilbert registered three assists as the Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 5-2, at MSG.
• Dec. 13, 1991 – Mark Messier recorded a hat trick and Brian Leetch registered three assists as the Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals, 5-3, in Washington.
• Dec. 13, 1992 – The Rangers recorded 10 goals in a 10-5 against the Montreal Canadiens at MSG. Alexei Kovalev, who was skating in his 18th career NHL game, registered four points (one goal, three assists), while Sergei Nemchinov and Doug Weight each tallied two goals and an assist.
• Dec. 13, 2005 – Petr Prucha tied a Rangers rookie record by registering a goal for the sixth consecutive game. Prucha tallied two goals against the Vancouver Canucks at MSG, giving him nine goals over the six-game stretch.

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