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ROLLING VERSUS SLUMPING AT MSG

New York RangersNY RANGERS vs. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Thursday, Feb. 16, 7:00 p.m.
Madison Square Garden — New York, NY
Rangers: 37-13-5 (79 pts)
Blackhawks: 29-21-7 (65 pts)

* All information through NHL games on Feb. 14

TONIGHT’S GAME:

  • The Rangers will face-off against the Chicago Blackhawks at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.; TV: MSG Network; Radio: 1050 ESPN Radio), in an Original Six match-up. The Blueshirts currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, and rank second in the league overall, with a record of 37-13-5 (79 pts). The Rangers enter the contest having defeated the Boston Bruins, 3-0, on Tuesday at TD Garden to extend their winning streak to four games, and have now won eight of their last 10 games. The Blueshirts are 20-5-1 in their last 26 games, dating back to Dec. 17, and have registered at least one point in 37 of their last 47 games since Oct. 29 (34-10-3) after beginning the season with a 3-3-2 mark. The Blackhawks enter the contest with a 29-21-7 (65 pts) record to rank sixth in the Western Conference, and have lost their last nine games (0-8-1). Following the contest, the Rangers will face-off against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, Feb. 19, at Madison Square Garden (8:00 p.m.).

RANGERS vs. BLACKHAWKS:

  • All-Time: 236-241-98-2 overall (120-113-55-0 at home; 116-128-43-2 on the road)
    2011-12: Tonight is the first of two meetings this season, and the first and only at Madison Square Garden.
    Last Season: New York was 1-0-0 overall (1-0-0 at home; 0-0-0 on the road), following a 3-2 win in their only meeting on Nov. 1 at Madison Square Garden. Brandon Dubinsky led the team with two goals, while Ryan Callahan and Artem Anisimov tallied a team-high, two assists apiece. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 33 of 35 shots in the contest.
  • The Blueshirts have registered at least one point in each of their last seven meetings with the Blackhawks, posting a record of 4-0-1-2 over the span. New York’s last regulation loss to Chicago was Dec. 11, 2002 (3-4).
  • The Rangers have won their last three contests vs. the Blackhawks at Madison Square Garden, out-scoring Chicago, 9-5, during the stretch. The Blueshirts last home loss to the Blackhawks was on Dec. 11, 2002 (3-4).
    New York ranks sixth with an 18-6-2 (38 pts) record at home; Chicago ranks 23rd with a 10-15-3 (23 pts) mark on the road
  • The Rangers are 1-1-0 vs. the Central Division; the Blackhawks are 2-2-0 vs. the Atlantic Division
  • New York lists no former Blackhawks on their roster
    Chicago lists no former Rangers on their roster

INDIVIDUAL CAREER LEADERS vs. BLACKHAWKS:

  • Henrik Lundqvist — 6 GP, 4-0-2, 1.80 GAA
  • Martin Biron — 6 GP, 2-2-1-0, 3.24 GAA
  • Brad Richards — 19 GP, 2-24-26
  • Marian Gaborik — 25 GP, 12-14-26
  • Brandon Dubinsky — 3 GP, 4-2-6
  • Anton Stralman — 13 GP, 1-6-7

SPECIAL TEAMS:

The Rangers have tallied five power play goals in the last four games, posting a 38.5% success rate over the span (5-13). The Blueshirts penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in the last three games (seven times shorthanded), and 17 of the last 22 games (54-59, 91.5% over the span). The Rangers are tied for third in the NHL with seven shorthanded goals. The Blueshirts have posted a record of 19-1-2 in games when tallying a power play goal, and are 27-6-2 when not allowing a power play goal.

Power Play:

  • The Rangers tallied one goal in one power play attempt (0:48) on Tuesday at Boston. New York ranks 25th overall (28-189, 14.8%) and is tied for 19th at home (16-99, 16.2%). The Rangers are 2-12 (8:51) in five-on-three situations (last – 12/23 vs. PHI), and 1-6 (8:52) when four-on-three (last – 2/1 at BUF). Shorthanded goals allowed (3): 12/5 vs. TOR (Steckel); 12/8 vs. TBL (Moore); 12/17 at PHX (Korpikoski).

Penalty Killing:

  • The Blueshirts held the Bruins scoreless in one power play attempt (1:50) on Tuesday at Boston. New York ranks fifth overall (157-180, 87.2%) and eighth at home (67-78, 85.9%). The Rangers are 6-7 (4:07) in three-on-five situations (last – 2/1 at BUF), and 1-2 (1:39) when three-on-four (last – 2/1 at BUF). Shorthanded goals for (7): 10/20 at CGY (Prust); 12/8 vs. TBL (Anisimov); 12/10 at BUF (Hagelin); 12/10 at BUF (Callahan); 12/20 at NJD (Hagelin); 1/6 at PIT (Dubinsky); 2/12 vs. WSH (Prust).

Four-on-Four:

  • New York tallied a goal in two four-on-four situations (4:00) on Tuesday at Boston. The Rangers are plus-six in 56 four-on-four situations (105:06), and even in one three-on-three situation (0:01). Four-on-four goals for (7): 10/18 at VAN (Gaborik); 10/20 at CGY (McDonagh); 10/27 vs. TOR (Girardi); 1/2 vs. FLA (Gaborik); 2/9 vs. TBL (Stepan); 2/9 vs. TBL (Richards); 2/14 at BOS (Anisimov). Four-on-four goals allowed (1): 2/9 vs. TBL (Lecavalier).

BACK-TO-BACKS:

  • The Rangers completed their ninth of 14 scheduled back-to-back sets this season with a 3-2 win on Sunday vs. Washington. New York has posted a record of 7-0-2 (3-0-0 at home, 4-0-2 on the road) in the first game of the set, and are 7-1-1 (5-0-0 at home, 2-1-1 on the road) in the second game. Since 2009-10, New York is 28-9-3 in the second game of back-to-backs, with a 14-3-1 mark at MSG and 14-6-2 on the road over the span. Henrik Lundqvist has started on consecutive days 57 times in his career, posting a record of 36-14-7 with a 1.82 GAA, .935 Sv% and six shutouts in the second game. The Rangers’ next back-to-back set is Feb. 24 at Long Island and Feb. 25 vs. Buffalo.

ORIGINAL SIX SINCE 2005-06:

  • New York has posted a record of 50-29-12 against Original Six teams since 2005-06, including a 4-0-2 mark vs. Chicago over the span. The Rangers’ .615 win% over the span ranks third, trailing Detroit (.681, 44-19-6) and Montreal (.614, 75-45-12), and ahead of Boston (.515, 59-55-20), Toronto (.500, 56-56-18) and Chicago (.493, 29-30-11).

HOME SWEET HOME:

  • The Blueshirts’ 18-6-2 (38 pts) mark at MSG is their best start at home through 26 games since 1995-96 (19-2-5, 43 pts).

PLACE IN HISTORY:

  • The Rangers’ .718 win% through 55 games is the team’s best start in 39 years, when the 1972-73 Blueshirts began the season with a 38-13-4 record (.727 win%), and is tied as the second best start in franchise history. *courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau

BENCH BOSS:

  • Head Coach John Tortorella registered his 131st win as Rangers’ head coach with a 3-0 win on Tuesday at Boston to move into a tie with Herb Brooks for sixth on the Rangers’ all-time coaching wins list. His .586 win% currently ranks second on the Rangers’ all-time coaching win% list.

MEASURING UP:

The Rangers rank among the NHL leaders in several statistical categories…

  • 2nd in points (79)
  • 1st in win% (.718)
  • 2nd in wins (37)
  • 1st in regulation/overtime wins (34)
  • 1st in fewest regulation losses (13)
  • 1st in fewest goals against (106)
  • 2nd in GAA (1.93)
  • 1st in hits (1,650)
  • 3rd in blocked shots (929)
  • 2nd in +/- rating (plus-42)
  • 3rd in goal differential (plus-46)

QUICK HITS:

  • This is the latest the Rangers have been in first place of the Eastern Conference standings since the 1995-96 season, when New York held the top position through games played on Mar. 15, 1996 (NYR game #68). *courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau
  • New York has registered at least one point in 37 of their last 47 games (34-10-3), dating back to Oct. 29, after beginning the season with a 3-3-2 mark
  • New York is 13-1-2 when leading after the first period and 23-0-2 when leading after the second
  • The Rangers are tied for second in the league with a .286 win% when trailing after two periods (4-9-1), and their four third period comeback victories are tied for eighth in the NHL; New York has trailed entering the third period in 14 games this season, which is the fewest in the league
  • New York leads the NHL with a .792 win% when out-shooting their opponent (19-5-0)
  • The Rangers lead the league when scoring first, posting a 27-1-2 mark (.900 win%) in those contests; Their 27 wins are tied for second in the NHL

THE HOT LIST:

  • Henrik Lundqvist is 7-1-0 with a 1.10 GAA, .960 Sv% and three shutouts in his last eight games
  • Lundqvist has allowed one goal or less in 12 of his last 22 games, and has held opponents to two or fewer goals in 30 games this season
  • Martin Biron has held opponents to two or fewer goals in eight of his 13 starts this season
  • Ryan Callahan enters the contest with a four-game goal streak (six goals over the span), and has tallied 11 points (nine goals, two assists) in the last 12 games
  • Marian Gaborik has tallied 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in the last 13 games
  • Brad Richards tallied six points (one goal, five assists) in the last six games, with five points (one goal, four assists) in the last four
  • Derek Stepan has tallied six points (one goal, five assists) in the last six games
  • Michael Del Zotto has tallied seven points (two goals, five assists) in the last nine games
  • Artem Anisimov has tallied six points (three goals, three assists) in the last six games
  • Carl Hagelin has tallied eight points (one goal, seven assists) in the last 12 games

MILESTONES APPROACHING:

  • Ryan Callahan: 1 goal from 100 NHL career
  • Steve Eminger: 5 points from 100 NHL career

MILESTONES RECENTLY ACHIEVED:

  • Artem Anisimov: 100th career NHL point (2/14 at BOS)

INJURIES:

  • Michael Sauer (concussion, 12/5) — 31
  • Ruslan Fedotenko (injured, 2/9) — 3

Total Man-Games Lost: 170

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

  • Feb. 15 — Defenseman Jeff Woywitka and forward Wojtek Wolski returned from their conditioning stint with Connecticut (AHL)

Mitch Beck

Mitch Beck was a standup comedian and radio personality for over 25 years. His passion for hockey started with Team USA in 1980 when they defeated the Soviets at Lake Placid. He has also worked in hockey as a coach and administrator. He also works for USA Hockey as a Coach Developer. Mitch has been reporting on the New York Rangers, and exclusively on the Hartford Wolf Pack since 2005.

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