RANGERS THINKING ABOUT BOTTLING CAPS AT MSG

NEW YORK RANGERS vs. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, 8:00 p.m. ET
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Rangers: 19-13-4 (42 pts)
Capitals: 22-13-2 (46 pts)

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

TONIGHT’S GAME

The Rangers play their 37th game of the 2017-18 season tonight’s, Dec. 27, against the Washington Capitals in a Metropolitan Division matchup at Madison Square Garden (8:00 p.m. ET – TV: NBCSN; Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). The Rangers have earned at least one point in four of the last five games (3-1-1 record) and in six of the last eight games (4-2-2 record). New York has earned a win in 10 of its last 16 games (10-4-2 record), and the Rangers have outscored their opponents, 54-37, over the last 16 games. The Blueshirts have won 16 of their last 24 games (16-6-2 record) and 18 of their last 28 contests (18-8-2 record). In addition, the Rangers have earned at least one point in 22 of their last 30 games (18-8-4 record).

RANGERS VS. CAPITALS

• All-Time: 96-94-18-7 (52-42-9-4 at home; 44-52-9-3 on the road)
• 2017-18: Tonight’s game is the second of four meetings between the Rangers and Capitals, and the first of two meetings between the two teams at MSG. The Rangers have posted a 0-1-0 record (0-0-0 at home; 0-1-0 on the road), following the Capitals’ 4-2 win on Dec. 8 at Washington. Jesper Fast and Michael Grabner each recorded a goal in the contest, and Henrik Lundqvist made 36 saves. Following tonight’s contest, the Rangers and Capitals will play against each other on the following dates: Mar. 26 (at MSG), Mar. 28 (at Washington).
• The Rangers have earned at least one point in 18 of their last 28 games against Washington, dating back to Dec. 12, 2010 (16-10-2 record). In addition, the Blueshirts have registered at least one point in nine of their last 15 contests against the Capitals, dating back to Jan. 19, 2014 (8-6-1 record).
• The Blueshirts have tallied three or more goals in nine of their last 15 games against Washington.

RANGERS-CAPITALS CONNECTIONS

• Kevin Shattenkirk played a part of one season with Washington (2016-17).
• Paul Carey played parts of two seasons with the Capitals (2015-16 and 2016-17).
• Jim Schoenfeld was Washington’s Head Coach for parts of four seasons (1993-94 – 1996-97).
• Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan played with the Rangers during the 1985-86 season.
• Christian Djoos is the son of Per Djoos, who played parts of two seasons with the Rangers (1991-92 and 1992-93).
• Henrik Lundqvist and Nicklas Backstrom have represented Sweden in several tournaments, including the Olympics, World Cup of Hockey, and World Championships. Lundqvist and Backstrom helped Sweden earn a gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championship and a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
• Henrik Lundqvist and Alex Ovechkin were both selected to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team in 2005-06.
• Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby have both won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s Best Goaltender (Lundqvist – 2011-12; Holtby – 2015-16). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Lundqvist and Holtby have started more winner-take-all games against each other than any other goaltender duo in NHL history (three; Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2012, Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in 2013, and Game 7 of the Second Round in 2015).
• Kevin Shattenkirk and T.J. Oshie were teammates with the Blues for parts of five seasons (2010-11 – 2014-15) and with the Capitals for part of one season (2016-17). Shattenkirk, Oshie, Ryan McDonagh, John Carlson, and Brooks Orpik all represented the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
• David Desharnais and Lars Eller were teammates with the Canadiens for six seasons (2010-11 – 2015-16). In addition, Desharnais, Eller, and Devante Smith-Pelly were all teammates with Montreal for parts of two seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16).
• Mika Zibanejad and Alex Chiasson were teammates with the Senators for two seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16).
• Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Chiasson were teammates with Boston University for one season (2009-10).
• Rick Nash and Alex Ovechkin are the only two NHL players who have registered 20 or more goals in at least 12 different seasons since 2003-04. In addition, Nash and Ovechkin were both selected with the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft (Nash – 2002; Ovechkin – 2004).
• Marc Staal, T.J. Oshie, and Matt Niskanen were all selected in the first round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
• Brady Skjei and Tom Wilson were both selected in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
• Chris Kreider and John Carlson helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship.
• Paul Carey and John Carlson were teammates with the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League (USHL) for one season (2007-08).
• Marc Staal and Taylor Chorney are both natives of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. CAPITALS

• Henrik Lundqvist – 37 GP, 21-12-4, 2.65 GAA, .908 SV%, 4 SO – In his last 20 appearances against the Capitals (dating back to Dec. 12, 2010), Lundqvist has posted a 12-6-2 record, along with a 2.28 GAA, a .921 SV%, and 3 SO.
• Ondrej Pavelec – 29 GP, 10-15-2, 2.89 GAA, .907 SV%, 3 SO – Pavelec has appeared in more games and has earned more shutouts against Washington than against any other opponent in his NHL career. He stopped all 28 shots he faced to earn a win and shutout in his last appearance against the Capitals on Mar. 21, 2015.
• Rick Nash – 26 GP, 13-12-25 – Nash has registered 10 points (six goals, four assists) in his last 12 games against Washington, including four points (one goal, three assists) in his last five contests against the Capitals.
• Ryan McDonagh – 26 GP, 2-17-19 – McDonagh has recorded more career assists and points against Washington than against any other NHL opponent. McDonagh has registered a point in seven of his last eight games against the Capitals (one goal, eight assists over the span).
• Kevin Hayes – 14 GP, 4-5-9 – Hayes has posted four multi-point games in 14 career contests against Washington.
• Mats Zuccarello – 19 GP, 1-8-9 – Zuccarello has tallied a point in seven of his last 13 games against the Capitals (one goal, seven assists).
• Mika Zibanejad – 16 GP, 4-4-8 – Zibanejad has recorded a point in three of his last four games against Washington (one goal, two assists) and has registered five points (two goals, three assists) in his last seven contests against the Capitals.

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 third in the NHL in wins (17); trailing only Tampa Bay (18) and Washington (18)
• rank second in the NHL in goal differential (plus-24; 92 goals for, 68 goals against); trailing only Tampa Bay (plus-30)
• rank third in the NHL in points percentage (.692); trailing only Tampa Bay (.740) and Nashville (.712)
• are tied for fifth in the NHL in points (36); trailing only Winnipeg (38), Nashville (37), Tampa Bay (37), and Washington (37)

HOME COOKING

The Rangers have earned at least one point in 13 of their last 15 home games, dating back to Oct. 26 (12-2-1 record). The Blueshirts have outscored their opponents, 58-33, over the last 15 home games. The Rangers have earned at least one point in 17 of 23 home games this season (14-6-3 record). New York is tied for the NHL lead in points (31) and is tied for third in the NHL in wins (14) at home in 2017-18.

TEAM EFFORT

The Rangers are the only NHL team that has 14 players who have recorded 13 or more points this season. The Blueshirts are also the only NHL team that has eight players who have registered eight or more goals thus far in 2017-18.

GOALS GALORE

The Rangers have recorded at least three goals in 22 of the last 30 games, as well as four or more goals (including team goals awarded for a shootout win) in 17 of those contests (104 goals; 103 in regulation/overtime). The Blueshirts have tallied four or more goals in seven of the last 13 games (43 goals) and in eight of the last 15 contests (51 goals).

MAKING THE DIFFERENCE

The Blueshirts have posted a plus-13 goal differential this season, which is the best among Metropolitan Division teams and ranks third among all Eastern Conference teams.

THIRD PERIOD TALLIES

The Rangers have recorded 47 goals in the third period this season. New York is tied for the NHL lead in third period goals thus far in 2017-18 (tied with Los Angeles).

HOT AT THE DOT

The Blueshirts established single-game season-highs in faceoff wins (48) and faceoff win percentage (65.8%; 48-for-73) on Dec. 23 vs. Toronto. The Rangers’ 48 faceoff wins in the contest were tied for the fourth-most the team has recorded in one game since the NHL began tracking faceoffs in 1997-98. In addition, New York won at least 48 faceoffs in one game for the first time since Feb. 6, 2003 at St. Louis. The Rangers have posted a faceoff win percentage of 50.0% or better in six of the last seven games.

AV SQUAD

Alain Vigneault has earned 633 career wins as an NHL head coach, and he is one win away from tying Darryl Sutter for 11th place on the NHL’s all-time wins list among head coaches. Vigneault leads all NHL head coaches in wins since the start of the 2006-07 season (524).

KING HENRIK

Among NHL goaltenders who have made at least 20 starts this season, Henrik Lundqvist is tied for eighth in SV% (.921). In his last 13 home appearances (since Oct. 31), Lundqvist has posted an 11-1-0 record, along with a 2.19 GAA, a .931 SV%, and 1 SO. He has posted a 3-1-1 record, along with a 2.16 GAA and a .944 SV% (184 saves on 195 shots) over the last five games, and he has made at least 30 saves in each contest. Lundqvist has also posted a 15-5-1 record, along with a 2.41 GAA, a .929 SV%, and 1 SO in 22 appearances since Oct. 31, and he is tied for the NHL lead in wins over the span. He enters the contest with 422 career NHL wins, and he is one win away from tying Tony Esposito for eighth place on the NHL’s all-time wins list.

Lundqvist has made 20,207 saves in his NHL career, and he ranks 15th in NHL history in career saves (since the NHL began to track saves during the 1955-56 season). Lundqvist is 51 saves away from tying Nikolai Khabibulin for the most career saves by a goaltender who was born outside of North America in NHL history. Lundqvist is also 26 appearances away from tying Khabibulin for the most career appearances by a goaltender who was born outside of North America in NHL history.

UP FOR GRABS

Michael Grabner is tied for second in the NHL in even strength goals this season (17), only trailing Nikita Kucherov (21). In addition, Grabner ranks third in the NHL in even strength goals since the start of last season (43), trailing only Kucherov (44) and Auston Matthews (44) over the span. He is tied for seventh in the NHL – and leads the Rangers – in goals in 2017-18 (17), and he also leads the Rangers in plus/minus rating this season (plus-14). Grabner is tied for the NHL lead in goals at home this season (13).

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello has registered a point in five of the last six games (one goal, four assists over the span). In addition, Zuccarello has tallied a point in 12 of the last 16 games (five goals, 10 assists), and he has recorded 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in the last 24 contests. He leads the Rangers in assists (21) and points (29) this season.

CAPTAIN MAC

Ryan McDonagh is expected to skate in his 500th career NHL game in tonight’s contest. He would become the 39th player (including goaltenders) – and the 13th defenseman – to play at least 500 games with the Rangers in franchise history. McDonagh is tied for fourth in the NHL in blocked shots this season (87), and he leads the NHL in blocked shots since he returned to the Rangers’ lineup on Dec. 1 (42). He is also one of five NHL defensemen who have registered at least 18 points and have posted a plus-10 rating or better this season (along with Doughty, Hedman, Pietrangelo, and Sergachev).

PAV’S PARTY

Pavel Buchnevich has registered 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 23 games at MSG this season, and he leads the Rangers in points at home in 2017-18. Buchnevich has established career-highs in goals (11), assists (14), and points (25) this season, and he is tied for second on the Rangers in goals and points in 2017-18.

VESEY DOES IT

Jimmy Vesey enters the contest with a career-high three-game point streak (two goals, one assist), and he has recorded a goal in each of the last two contests. He ranks third on the Rangers in even strength goals this season (eight).

HEY HEY HAYES

Kevin Hayes has recorded a point in four of the last five games (three goals, one assist), and he has tallied a goal in two of the last three games. He is tied for the team lead in game-winning goals (three) and ranks second on the Rangers in even strength goals (nine) in 2017-18.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Rangers are one of five NHL teams that have posted a 19.0% or better efficiency on the power play and an 83.0% or better efficiency on the penalty kill this season.

Power Play:

• The Rangers were 0-for-3 (3:30) on Dec. 23 vs. Toronto.
• The Blueshirts are tied for 12th in the NHL in power play efficiency this season (19.8%; 23-for-116).

Penalty Kill:

• The Rangers were 5-for-6 (9:05) on Dec. 23 vs. Toronto.
• New York ranks sixth in the NHL in penalty kill efficiency this season (83.2%; 99-for-119).
• The Blueshirts have not allowed a power play goal in six of the last nine games (29-for-32; 90.6%) and in seven of the last 11 games (33-for-37; 89.2%).
• The Rangers have killed off 69 of their opponents’ last 79 power play opportunities (87.3%).

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• Ryan McDonagh – 1 game away from 500 in his NHL career
• Mats Zuccarello – 3 assists away from 200 in his NHL career; 6 goals away from 100 in his NHL career; 9 points away from 300 in his NHL career

INJURIES (24 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

• Jesper Fast (quad strain) – has missed one game

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

• None

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

• Dec. 26, 1991 – The Rangers pulled off their largest comeback win in franchise history, rallying from a 6-1 deficit in the first period to defeat the Washington Capitals, 8-6. Mark Messier (one goal, two assists), Mike Gartner (one goal, one assist), Brian Leetch (two assists), and Adam Graves (two assists) all recorded two or more points in the contest.
• Dec. 26, 1993 – Mike Gartner registered his 600th career NHL goal as the Rangers defeated the New Jersey Devils, 8-3, at MSG.
• Dec. 27, 1974 – The line of Steve Vickers-Jean Ratelle-Rod Gilbert registered five goals and 13 points as the Rangers defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 9-5, at MSG. Ratelle tallied five points (one goal, four assists), while Gilbert and Vickers each recorded four points (two goals, two assists). Brad Park tallied two assists to tie Harry Howell’s then-franchise record for points by a defenseman (345).
• Dec. 27, 1992 – Trailing by three goals with seven minutes remaining in regulation, the Rangers tallied four unanswered goals to defeat the Boston Bruins, 6-5, at MSG. Nineteen-year-old rookie Alexei Kovalev recorded his first career NHL hat trick and registered the game-winning goal with 35.9 seconds remaining in regulation.
• Dec. 27, 1996 – Brian Leetch tallied his 611th career point as a Ranger, passing Ron Greschner to become the franchise’s all-time leader in points by a defenseman. Leetch recorded two assists as the Blueshirts defeated the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 3-2, at MSG.

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