VERSUS    

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
March 30, 2012 (Game 78, Home Game 39)
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

• The Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 4-1, tonight at Madison Square Garden for their 50th win of the season.  The Blueshirts extended their winning streak to four games, and have won six of the last seven games.

• New York improved to 50-21-7 (107 pts.) overall, including a 27-10-2 mark at home.  It is the third time in team history the Rangers reached the 50-win mark, and the first since the 1993-94 team set the franchise record with 52 wins.
• The Blueshirts’ 50 wins are tied for second most in franchise history (1991-92), and their 107 points rank fourth all-time.
• The Rangers now rank first in the NHL overall with 107 points, and maintained their five-point lead over Pittsburgh atop the Eastern Conference standings.  New York’s magic number to clinch the top seed in the east is now three points relative to Pittsburgh, and one point relative to Philadelphia.
• The Blueshirts have skated in 14 of 15 scheduled games against Original Six opponents this season, posting a record of 8-6-0 in those contests.
• The Rangers tallied two power play goals in four attempts (6:24), and are now 9-38 (23.7%) in the last 11 games.  The Blueshirts are 4-9 (44.4%) with the man advantage in the last two games.  New York improved to 24-1-4 when tallying a power play goal.
• The Blueshirts held the Canadiens scoreless in three shorthanded situations (6:00), and are 41-46 (89.1%) in the last 16 games.  The Rangers have now held opponents scoreless on the power play in six of the last seven games (16-18, 88.9%), and improved to 34-12-3 when not allowing a power play goal.
• Prior to tonight’s contest, Rangers Captain Ryan Callahan was named winner of the 2011-12 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, as voted by the fans, recognizing the player who performs “above and beyond the call of duty.”  It is the third time Callahan has captured the award (2008-09, 2009-10).

Player Notes:

• Henrik Lundqvist made 19 saves to improve to 38-16-5 overall, including a 21-8-2 mark at home.  His 38 wins tie his career-high, set during the 2008-09 season (38-25-7), and are tied for second most in a single-season by a Rangers’ goaltender in franchise history.  Lundqvist extended his winning streak to four games (4-0-0, 1.96 GAA, .916 Sv% over the span), and has held opponents to two or fewer goals in six of the last eight games (6-2-0, 2.10 GAA, .910 Sv% over the span).
• Michael Del Zotto notched two goals, including one on the power play, added an assist on the game-winning, power play goal, and logged 21:18 of ice time while skating in his 200th career NHL game.  His first goal at 8:17 of the third period was his 40th point of the season, and his second goal at 16:58 of the third was his career-high, 10th goal of the season.  Del Zotto has now tallied six points (three goals, three assists) in the last six games.
• Marian Gaborik opened the game’s scoring with an even strength goal at 8:56 of the first period, added an assist and posted a plus-two rating in 19:47 of ice time.  He extended his point streak to four games (four goals, three assists over the span), and has now tallied 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in the last 12 games.
• Brad Richards registered three points, including the game-winning, power play goal, and two assists, posted a plus-two rating and won a team-high, 10-18 face-offs (56%) in 18:43 of ice time.  He extended his assist/point streak to four games (one goal, six assists over the span), and has tallied 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in the last 13 games.  Richards ranks second in the NHL in scoring during the month of March with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists), trailing Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin by one point.
• Derek Stepan tallied the primary assist on both of the Rangers’ power play goals, and logged 18:11 of ice time.  His second assist was his 50th point of the season, marking the first time he has reached the 50-point plateau.
• Carl Hagelin recorded an assist and tied for the game-high with five shots on goal in 15:53 of ice time.  He has tallied 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in the last 19 games, including eight points (two goals, six assists) in the last 10 games.

Post-Game Quotes:

John Tortorella on the team… 

“I  don’t  think  we  are  playing  our  best, I think we are taking steps in the right direction.  I think we are going this way. A couple of weeks ago we’re a little bit up and down. The second half of the game in Winnipeg, even those games, they are hard games to play when really a number of the teams we’ve played, they can play loose and free and go about their business. Those are hard games to play.  I think we’ve handled ourselves well in the last four, at working at our game and the number of people who contributed.”

Ryan Callahan on winning the Steven McDonald Award…

“It’s a huge honor.  I think  a lot of guys in this room could have won it this year. Right through the lineup, everybody sacrifices themselves. To get that award, it’s such a special award and I take a lot of pride in it. I’m honored to get it.”

Brian Boyle on Ryan Callahan…

“He  leads  the  way.   He’s  our  leader.  That’s  the  way we all want to play behind him. It makes us better players. How blessed are we to be able to do it here in this city? For a man like that with all he’s gone through, to be proud of us. It’s humbling; it’s hard to describe that feeling. You get goose bumps. I’m sure Cally’s really honored. He deserves it. We all try to follow suit and try to stand in line. It’s a lot of fun to be a part of for a number of reasons: the guys in this room, the fans we have, the city we’re in. It’s kind of surreal sometimes. I have to pinch myself. We’re fortunate to be here.”

Team Schedule:

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Boston Bruins on Sunday, Apr. 1, at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), in an Original Six matchup.  The game will be televised live on NBC Sports Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio

The post RANGERS CLOSING IN ON CONFERENCE TITLE – EASILY DISPATCH HABS first appeared on Howlings.

      VERSUS     

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
March 28, 2012 (Game 77, Away Game 39)
MTS Centre – Winnipeg, MB

                                                 1st     2nd    3rd     OT      F
New York Rangers               0        2         2         –         4
Winnipeg Jets                       0        2         0        –         2

Team Notes:

• The Rangers defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 4-2, tonight at MTS Centre, and have now won five of the last six games.  The Blueshirts tallied four unanswered goals to erase a two-goal second period deficit.
• New York improved to 49-21-7 (105 pts.) overall, including a 23-11-5 mark on the road.  The Rangers now rank first in the NHL overall with 105 points, and increased their lead over Pittsburgh atop the Eastern Conference standings to five points.

• Three of the Rangers’ four goals were registered by their special teams, including two power play goals and one shorthanded tally.  The Rangers finished the contest 2-5 (7:27) with the man advantage, and are now 7-34 (20.6%) in the last 10 games.  The Blueshirts also held the Jets scoreless in five shorthanded situations (8:01), and are now 38-43 (88.4%) in the last 15 games.  New York improved to 23-1-4 when tallying a power play goal, and are 33-12-3 when not allowing a power play goal.
• The Blueshirts’ 49 wins are tied for third most in franchise history (1970-71), while their 105 points are tied for fourth in team history (1991-92).
• New York has posted a combined record of 19-4-5 in back-to-back games this season, including a 10-2-2 (6-0-0 at home, 4-2-2 on the road) mark in the second game.
• The Rangers completed a sweep of the season series against the Jets (4-0-0), having out-scored Winnipeg, 12-3, in the series.
• The Blueshirts were credited with 24 blocked shots in the contest, led by Dan Girardi, Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan who each registered a game-high, four blocked shots.
• The Rangers won 36-59 (61%) face-offs in the contest.  Brian Boyle won a game-high, 15 face-offs (15-26, 58%), while Brad Richards won 14-17 face-offs (82%).

Player Notes:

• Ryan Callahan registered two points, including a power play goal and a shorthanded assist, four shots on goal, tied for the game-high with four blocked shots, and led all skaters with 27:20 of ice time to earn second star honors.  He has now tallied 17 points (11 goals, six assists) in his last 20 games.  Callahan is now three points shy of 200 career NHL points.
• Michael Del Zotto notched a shorthanded goal, added a power play assist and was credited with three hits in 23:52 of ice time to earn first star honors.  He has now registered three points (one goal, two assists) in the last five games.  The assist was his 30th of the season, marking the first time in his career he reached that plateau, and was also his career-high, 38th point of the season.  Del Zotto is now one appearance shy of 200 career NHL games.
• Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves to improve to 37-16-5 overall, with a 17-8-3 mark on the road.  He has held opponents to two or fewer goals in 39 games this season, including in five of the last seven games.  Lundqvist has started on consecutive days 59 times in his career, posting a record of 38-14-7 with a 1.84 GAA, .934 Sv% and six shutouts in the second game.  With the win, Lundqvist became the 45th goaltender in NHL history to record 250 career wins.
• Brian Boyle notched the game-winning goal at 3:07 of the third period, registered three shots on goal and won a game-high, 15-26 faceoffs (58%) in 18:05 of ice time.  He has now tallied three goals in the last four games.
• Derek Stepan tallied a power play goal at 10:06 of the third period and logged 18:48 of ice time in the contest.  The power play goal was his career-high, fourth of the season.
• Marian Gaborik recorded two power play assists to extend his point streak to three games (three goals, two assists over the span), and logged 20:57 of ice time in the contest.  He has now tallied 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in the last 11 games.  Gaborik’s first assist was his 70th point of the season, marking the third time in his career he has reached that mark, and the second time in his three seasons as a Ranger.
• Brad Richards tallied one power play assist to extend his assist streak to three games (four assists over the span), tied for the game-high with five shots on goal, and won a game-high, 14-17 (82%) face-offs in 19:54 of ice time.  He ranks second in the NHL in scoring during the month of March with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists), and has now recorded 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in the last 12 games.
• Ruslan Fedotenko registered the primary assist on the game-winning goal and posted a plus-two rating in 11:08 of ice time.  He finished the Rangers’ back-to-back set with two points (one goal, one assist), having tallied the game-winning goal in a 3-2 win last night at Minnesota.
• Ryan McDonagh tallied an assist on the game-winning goal and registered four shots on goal in 22:32 of ice time.  He has recorded four assists in the last seven games, including three assists in the last two games.  The assist was his 30th point of the season, marking the first time in his career he reached that mark.

Team Schedule:

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Montreal Canadiens on Friday, Mar. 30, at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m.), in an Original Six matchup.  The game will be televised live on MSG Plus and can be heard on Bloomberg Radio.

The post EVEN SCULLY COULDN’T HAVE STOPPED THESE JETS FROM GOING DOWN first appeared on Howlings.

NEW YORK RANGERS at MINNESOTA WILD

* All information through NHL games on Mar. 25

TONIGHT’S GAME:

• The Rangers will face-off against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center (8:00 p.m.; TV: MSG Network; Radio: 1050 ESPN Radio), to begin a back-to-back road set. The Blueshirts currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, and rank second in the league overall, with a record of 47-21-7 (101 pts.). The Rangers enter the contest having defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3, in the shootout on Saturday at Air Canada Centre, and have won three of the last four games. The Wild enter the contest with a 31-34-10 (72 pts.) record to rank 13th in the Western Conference, and have lost five of the last seven games. Following the contest, the Rangers will face-off against the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, Mar. 28, at MTS Centre (7:00 p.m.), to conclude their back-to-back set.

RANGERS vs. WILD:

• All-Time: 8-5-0-0 overall (4-2-0-0 at home; 4-3-0-0 on the road)
• 2011-12: Tonight is the first and only meeting this season
• Last Season: New York was 1-1-0 overall (0-1-0 at home; 1-0-0 on the road). The Rangers tallied the game’s first goal in both meetings, and out-shot the Wild, 71-47, including a 34-12 advantage in the second period. Six different Blueshirts notched a goal in the series, while Dan Girardi led the team in scoring with two assists. Henrik Lundqvist was 0-1-0 with a 3.10 GAA, and Martin Biron was 1-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA.
• New York ranks third with a 21-11-5 (47 pts) record on the road; Minnesota ranks 27th with a 17-15-4 (38 pts) mark at home
• The Rangers are 2-2-0 vs. the Northwest Division; the Wild are 1-3-1 vs. the Atlantic Division
• New York lists two former Wild on their roster: Marion Gaborik (2000-01 – 2008-09); John Scott (2008-09 – 2009-10)
• Minnesota lists three former Rangers on their roster: Erik Christensen (2009-10 – 2011-12); Matt Cullen (2006-07); Jed Ortmeyer (2003-04 – 2006-07)

INDIVIDUAL CAREER LEADERS vs. WILD:

• Henrik Lundqvist — 5 GP, 2-3-0, 2.92 GAA
• Martin Biron — 7 GP, 4-3-0-0, 2.16 GAA
• Brad Richards — 17 GP, 7-14-21
• Artem Anisimov — 3 GP, 1-1-2
• Dan Girardi — 5 GP, 0-3-3

SPECIAL TEAMS:

The Rangers’ power play is 5-25 (20.0%) in the last eight games, while the penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in 10 of the last 13 games (33-36, 91.7%) and are 38-42 (90.5%) in the last 15 contests. The Rangers are tied for eighth in the NHL with seven shorthanded goals. The Blueshirts have posted a record of 22-1-4 in games when tallying a power play goal, and are 32-12-3 when not allowing a power play goal.

• Power Play: The Rangers did not tally a goal in two power play attempts (4:00) on Saturday at Toronto. New York is tied for 28th overall (36-249, 14.5%) and ranks 26th on the road (15-113, 13.3%). The Rangers are 3-15 (11:31) in five-on-three situations (last – 3/13 vs. CAR), and 2-9 (12:08) when four-on-three (last – 3/11 vs. NYI). 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 Maple Leafs scoreless in three shorthanded situations (6:00) on Saturday at Toronto. New York ranks fifth overall (205-236, 86.9%) and third on the road (111-126, 88.1%). The Rangers are 8-9 (4:34) in three-on-five situations (last – 2/16 vs. CHI), and 2-3 (2:24) when three-on-four (last – 2/16 vs. CHI). 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 did not tally/yield a goal in one four-on-four situation (5:00) on Saturday at Toronto. The Rangers are plus-seven in 79 four-on-four situations (145:31), and even in two three-on-three situations (0:38). Four-on-four goals for (10): 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); 2/19 vs. CBJ (Stepan); 2/25 vs. BUF (Callahan); 3/21 vs. DET (Callahan). Four-on-four goals allowed (3): 2/9 vs. TBL (Lecavalier); 2/25 vs. BUF (Stafford); 3/2 at TBL (Malone).

BACK-TO-BACKS:

• The Rangers will begin their 14th and final back-to-back set tonight at Minnesota. New York has posted a combined record of 17-4-5 in back-to-back games, including an 8-2-3 (3-1-0 at home, 5-1-3 on the road) record in the first game and a 9-2-2 (6-0-0 at home, 3-2-2 on the road) mark in the second. Since 2009-10, New York is 30-10-4 in the second game of back-to-backs, with a 15-3-1 mark at MSG and 15-7-3 on the road over the span. Henrik Lundqvist has started on consecutive days 58 times in his career, posting a record of 37-14-7 with a 1.84 GAA, .934 Sv% and six shutouts in the second game.

PLACE IN TEAM HISTORY:

• The Rangers eclipsed the 100-point mark for the seventh time in franchise history and moved into a tie for fifth on the team’s all-time single season wins list with a 4-3 shootout win at Toronto on Saturday. The Blueshirts reached the 40-win mark in 61 games, which is tied as the second fastest to 40-wins in team history.

WORKING OVERTIME:

• The Rangers have posted a record of 8-2 in games decided in overtime (excluding shootouts) this season. Their eight overtime wins are tied with Tampa Bay for first in the league this season, and represent a new team record. The Blueshirts broke their previous record of six (1999-00, 2002-03) with a 4-3 overtime win on Mar. 11 vs. NYI. Marian Gaborik leads the team and ranks second in the NHL with a career-high (tied), three overtime goals, while Ryan Callahan ranks second on the Rangers and is tied for third in the league with a career-high, two overtime goals. Brad Richards, Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh have also tallied one power play goal apiece.

MARCHING INTO THE PLAYOFFS:

• Brad Richards ranks second in the NHL with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) during the month of March, trailing Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin by one point.

HOMESTAND RECAP:

• The Rangers completed their seven-game homestand from Mar. 11 vs. NYI to Mar. 23 vs. BUF with a 4-3-0 mark. The Blueshirts’ power play converted at a 21.7% success rate over the span (5-23). Henrik Lundqvist was 3-2-0 with a 2.35 GAA, while Martin Biron was 1-1-0 with a 3.50 GAA. Brad Richards led the team in scoring with five goals and 10 points, while Marian Gaborik (three goals, four assists) and Carl Hagelin (two goals, five assists) finished with seven points apiece. The seven-game homestand tied as the longest in franchise history, and was their longest since 2001-02. The Blueshirts’ previous seven-game homestands were in 1969-70 (4-0-3-0), 1972-73 (4-3-0-0), 1977-78 (3-3-1-0), and 2001-02 (3-2-1-1).

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

• 2nd in points (101)
• 2nd in win% (.673)
• T-1st in wins (47)
• T-1st in regulation/overtime wins (43)
• T-2nd in fewest regulation losses (21)
• 3rd in fewest goals against (163)
• 3rd in GAA (2.17)
• 1st in hits (2,237)
• 4th in blocked shots (1,224)
• 4th in +/- rating (plus-34)
• 6th in goal differential (plus-38)

QUICK HITS:

• The Rangers became the first Eastern Conference team, and second in the league overall, to clinch a playoff spot with a 4-2 win on Mar. 19 vs. NJD (game #72); The last time the Blueshirts clinched a playoff berth that early was in 1991-92, when New York clinched on Mar. 8 (through game #68) following a Philadelphia defeat to Vancouver
• This is the latest the Rangers have been in first place of the Eastern Conference standings since the team captured the Presidents’ Trophy during the 1993-94 season. *courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau
• New York is 18-2-3 when leading after the first period and 28-0-3 when leading after the second
• The Rangers rank third in the league with a .238 win% when trailing after two periods (5-15-1), and are tied for ninth in the NHL with five third period comeback wins
• New York leads the NHL with a .711 win% when out-shooting their opponent (27-10-1)
• The Rangers rank second in the league when scoring first, posting a 32-4-3 mark (.821 win%) in those contests

THE HOT LIST:

• Brad Richards — 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in the last 16 games; 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in the last 10 games
• Marian Gaborik — 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in the last 14 games; 10 points (five goals, five assists) in the last nine games
• Brandon Dubinsky — four points (two goals, two assists) in the last four games
• Michael Del Zotto — 10 assists in his last 19 games (six assists on game-winning goals over the span)

MILESTONES APPROACHING:

• Martin Biron — 1 game from 500 NHL career

MILESTONES RECENTLY ACHIEVED:

• Tim Erixon — 1st career NHL assist/point (3/23 vs. BUF)

INJURIES:

• Michael Sauer (concussion, 12/5) — 51
• Steve Eminger (injured, 3/15) — 5
• Mats Zuccarello (injured, 3/23) — 1

Total Man-Games Lost: 216

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

Mar. 26 — Agreed to terms with forward Andrew Yogan to an entry level contract

The post RANGERS LOOK TO RUN WILD OUT OF MINNY first appeared on Howlings.

      VERSUS     

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
March 24, 2012 (Game 75, Away Game 37)
Air Canada Centre – Toronto, ON

                                        1st   2nd  3rd  SO   F
New York Rangers           1      1          1        1        4
Toronto Maple Leafs      1     1          1        0        3

Team Notes:

• The Rangers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3, in the shootout tonight at Air Canada Centre, and have now won three of their last four games.  Ryan Callahan notched the game-deciding goal in the third round of the shootout, and Brad Richards also converted his shootout attempt.  The Blueshirts are now 7-6-0 against Original Six opponents this season.

• New York improved to 47-21-7 (101 pts.) overall, including a 21-11-5 mark on the road.  The Rangers increased their lead over Pittsburgh atop the Eastern Conference standings to three points, and now rank first in the league overall with 101 points.
• With the win, the Rangers eclipsed the 100-point mark for the seventh time in team history, and the first time since registering 100 points in 2005-06.  The Blueshirts’ 101 points are the most the team has posted since winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 1993-94 with 112 points.  The Rangers’ 47 wins are also tied as the fifth most in franchise history.
• New York has posted a combined record of 17-4-5 in back-to-back games this season, including a 9-2-2 (6-0-0 at home, 3-2-2 on the road) mark in the second game. Since 2009-10, New York is 30-10-4 in the second game of back-to-backs, with a 15-7-3 mark on the road over the span.
• The Rangers’ penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in 10 of the last 13 games (33-36, 91.7%), and are 38-42 (90.5%) in the last 15 contests.
• The Blueshirts were credited with a season-high, 55 hits, led by Derek Stepan and Ryan Callahan who registered six hits apiece.  The Rangers also recorded 20 blocked shots in the contest, including a game-high, four blocked shots from Michael Del Zotto.

Player Notes:

• Marian Gaborik notched two goals, tied for the game-high with five shots, and was credited with four hits and two blocked shots in 21:07 of ice time.  He leads the Rangers in scoring against Original Six opponents this season with six goals and 11 points.
• Brad Richards tallied two assists and converted his shootout attempt in 22:13 of ice time.  He has now tallied 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in the last 16 games , including 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in the last 10 games.  Richards leads the NHL in scoring during the month of March with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists).
• Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves through regulation and overtime, and stopped two of three shootout attempts to improve to 35-16-5 overall with a 15-8-3 mark on the road.  Lundqvist has now started on consecutive days 58 times in his career, posting a record of 37-14-7 with a 1.84 GAA, .934 Sv% and six shutouts in the second game.
• Brandon Dubinsky notched a goal and registered four shots on goal and three hits in the contest.  He has recorded four points (two goals, two assists) in the last four games.
• Tim Erixon recorded an assist and was credited with three hits in 9:41 of ice time.  He has tallied two assists in the last two games.
• John Mitchell registered the lone assist on Dubinsky’s second period goal, and has now recorded an assist in each of the last two road games.

Team Schedule:

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, Mar. 27, at Xcel Energy Center (8:00 p.m.), to begin a back-to-back road set.  The game will be televised live on MSG Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio.

The post CAPTAIN CALLY DOES IT AGAIN first appeared on Howlings.

     VERSUS    

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
March 21, 2012 (Game 73, Home Game 37)
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

Team Notes:

• The Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1, in overtime tonight at Madison Square Garden to improve to 4-2-0 on their current seven-game homestand.
• New York has posted a record of 46-20-7 (99 pts.) overall, including a 26-9-2 mark at home.

• The Blueshirts’ 26-9-2 (54 pts.) mark at MSG is their best record at home through 37 games since 1991-92 (25-8-4, 54 pts.).
• Tonight’s win was the Rangers’ first against the Red Wings since a 3-1 victory on Oct. 25, 2003 at Madison Square Garden.
• Each of the last 10 meetings between the Rangers and Red Wings have been decided by two goals or less, including six games separated by one goal.
• The Blueshirts have posted a record of 6-6-0 against Original Six opponents this season, and are now 52-31-12 against Original Six teams since 2005-06.
• The Rangers notched one power play goal in three attempts (4:28), and are now 5-21 (23.8%) with the man advantage during their current homestand.  New York also held Detroit scoreless in one shorthanded situation (2:00), and are now 29-32 (90.6%) on the penalty kill in the last 11 games.  The Rangers improved to 22-1-4 in games when tallying a power play goal, and are 31-11-3 when not allowing a power play goal.
• New York increased their lead over Pittsburgh to three points atop the Eastern Conference standings, and pulled to within one point of St. Louis for first in the league overall.

Player Notes:

• Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves and tallied the lone assist on Brad Richards’ power play goal at 14:58 of the first period.  He improved to 34-15-5 overall, including a 20-7-2 mark at home this season.  Lundqvist has held opponents to two or fewer goals in each of the last three games, posting a record of 2-1-0 with a 1.65 goals against average and .926 save percentage over the span.
• Ryan Callahan notched the game-winning goal at 2:42 of the overtime period, registered a game-high, eight shots, was credited with three hits and two blocked shots, and logged 23:02 of ice time to earn third star honors.  He has tallied 15 points (10 goals, five assists) in his last 16 games, including six points (four goals, two assists) in his last eight games.  Callahan is now five points shy of 200 career NHL points.
• Brad Richards tallied one power play goal, recorded four shots on goal and led all forwards with 23:56 of ice time.  He has tallied 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in the last 14 games, including 12 points (six goals, six assists) in the last eight games.
• Michael Del Zotto recorded the primary assist on Callahan’s power play, game-winning goal in overtime, led the team with three blocked shots and logged a game-high, 26:53 of ice time.  He has now tallied 10 assists in his last 17 games, including six assists on game-winning goals over the span.
• Brandon Dubinsky registered an assist on the power play, game-winning goal in overtime, and logged 19:46 of ice time in the contest.  He has tallied three points (one goal, two assists) and a plus-three rating in the last two games.  The Rangers improved to 17-2-3 in games when he records a point.

Post-Game Quotes:

John Tortorella on tonight’s game…

“I thought the biggest play of the game was Staalsie’s (Marc Staal) 2-on-1 play when it goes down the ice and they get nothing out of it.  We were kind of going up and down the ice with them.  We are trying to play our game against them, trying to bang through, trying to slow them down. But it’s hard. You need confidence.  We used the word patient quite a bit tonight and I thought we were at times, at other times we weren’t and that’s when you open ourselves up.  Even with the few gloves (their injuries), they have some pretty skilled guys that can hurt you. I liked our aggressiveness in the overtime and I thought Ryan Callahan was our best player.”

Henrik Lundqvist on Ryan Callahan…

“He’s been incredible, and that big block at the end of the game. A couple of highlights there for Cally, first with that huge block for us, and then scoring the game winner.  That’s the way he plays right now and it’s big for us.”

Ryan Callahan on tonight’s game…

“We’ve been playing well. Right from that Avalanche game, I thought we were playing well even though we lost. I think we’re starting to get our groove back, and we’re starting to play how we want and how we were playing earlier in the year. It’s an important time of year, and we’ve got to keep building and keep going.”

Brad Richards on tonight’s game…

“It’s March, under 10 games left, you want to contribute. You want to help your teammates. That’s what we do. I think the whole team, we’re starting to feel better the last few games. It’s a good time of year to start getting that way.”

Team Schedule:

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday, Mar. 23, at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), to close out their seven-game homestand.  The game will be televised live on MSG 2 and can be heard on AM1600 WWRL.

The post RANGERS CLIP WINGS IN OT first appeared on Howlings.

NY RANGERS vs. DETROIT RED WINGS

* All information through NHL games on Mar. 19

TONIGHT’S GAME:

• The Rangers will face-off against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m.; TV: NBC Sports Network; Radio: Bloomberg 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 45-20-7 (97 pts.). The Rangers enter the contest having defeated the New Jersey Devils, 4-2, on Monday at Madison Square Garden, and are now 3-2-0 on their current seven-game homestand. The Red Wings enter the contest with a 44-25-4 (92 pts.) record to rank fifth in the Western Conference, and are winless in their last five games. Following the contest, the Rangers will face-off against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday, Mar. 23, at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), to conclude their seven-game homestand.

• All-Time: 210-260-103-1 overall (134-94-58-0 at home; 76-166-45-1 on the road)
• 2011-12: Tonight is the first and only meeting this season.
• Last Season: New York was 0-1-0 overall (0-0-0 at home; 0-1-0 on the road). The Rangers dropped their only meeting against the Red Wings last season, 3-2, on Feb. 7 at Detroit. The Blueshirts out-shot the Red Wings, 47-35, in the contest, including an 18-5 margin in the third period. Brandon Dubinsky and Derek Stepan each tallied a goal, while Martin Biron made 32 saves.
• The Rangers’ last win against the Red Wings was a 3-1 victory on Oct. 25, 2003, at Madison Square Garden
• Each of the last nine meetings between the Rangers and Red Wings have been decided by two goals or less, including five games separated by one goal
• New York ranks fourth with a 25-9-2 (52 pts.) record at home; Detroit is tied for 18th with a 16-20-2 (34 pts.) mark on the road
• The Rangers are 2-3-0 vs. the Central Division; the Red Wings are 2-2-0 vs. the Atlantic Division
• New York lists no former Red Wings on their roster
• Detroit lists no former Rangers on their roster

INDIVIDUAL CAREER LEADERS vs. RED WINGS:

• Henrik Lundqvist — 4 GP, 0-3-1, 3.78 GAA
• Martin Biron — 5 GP, 1-3-0-0, 3.20 GAA
• Brad Richards — 20 GP, 6-14-20
• Marian Gaborik — 25 GP, 7-11-18
• Brandon Dubinsky — 2 GP, 1-2-3
• Jeff Woywitka — 21 GP, 1-4-5

SPECIAL TEAMS:

The Rangers penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in seven of the last 10 games (28-31, 90.3%), and are 33-37 (89.2%) in the last 12 contests. The Rangers are tied for sixth in the NHL with seven shorthanded goals. The Blueshirts have posted a record of 21-1-4 in games when tallying a power play goal, and are 30-11-3 when not allowing a power play goal.

• Power Play: The Rangers tallied one goal in three power play attempts (4:24) on Monday vs. New Jersey. New York ranks 29th overall (35-242, 14.5%) and 23rd at home (20-131, 15.3%). The Rangers are 3-15 (11:31) in five-on-three situations (last – 3/13 vs. CAR), and 2-9 (12:08) when four-on-three (last – 3/11 vs. NYI). 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 Devils scoreless in three shorthanded situations (6:00) on Monday at MSG. New York ranks fifth overall (200-231, 86.6%) and seventh at home (92-108, 85.2%). The Rangers are 8-9 (4:34) in three-on-five situations (last – 2/16 vs. CHI), and 2-3 (2:24) when three-on-four (last – 2/16 vs. CHI). 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 did not tally/yield a goal in one four-on-four situation (2:00) on Monday vs. New Jersey. The Rangers are plus-six in 77 four-on-four situations (137:49), and even in two three-on-three situations (0:38). Four-on-four goals for (9): 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); 2/19 vs. CBJ (Stepan), 2/25 vs. BUF (Callahan). Four-on-four goals allowed (3): 2/9 vs. TBL (Lecavalier); 2/25 vs. BUF (Stafford); 3/2 at TBL (Malone).

ORIGINAL SIX SHOWDOWN:

• The Blueshirts have skated in 11 of 15 scheduled games against Original Six opponents this season, posting a record of 5-6-0 in those contests
• Henrik Lundqvist is 4-4-0 with a 2.75 GAA and one shutout; Martin Biron is 1-2-0 with a 2.70 GAA and one shutout
• Marian Gaborik leads the Rangers in scoring against Original Six opponents this season with four goals and nine points
• Derek Stepan has tallied seven points against Original Six opponents this season, and is tied with Gaborik for the team lead with five assists
• Michael Del Zotto leads all team defensemen in scoring with six points (two goals, four assists) against Original Six opponents this season
• New York has posted a record of 51-31-12 against Original Six teams since 2005-06, including a 0-4-1 mark vs. Detroit over the span. The Rangers’ .606 win% over the span ranks third, trailing Detroit (.662, 44-21-6) and Montreal (.608, 75-46-13), and ahead of Chicago (.527, 34-30-11), Boston (.518, 61-56-20), and Toronto (.496, 57-58-18).

HOMESTAND NOTES:

• New York is 3-2-0 on their current seven-game homestand
• The Rangers’ are 4-18 (22.2%) on the power play
• Henrik Lundqvist is 2-1-0 with a 2.28 GAA; Martin Biron is 1-1-0 with a 3.50 GAA
• Brad Richards leads the team in scoring with four goals and nine points
• Marian Gaborik (three goals, four assists) and Carl Hagelin (two goals, five assists) have registered seven points apiece
• The seven-game homestand is tied as the longest in franchise history, and is their longest since 2001-02
• The Blueshirts’ previous seven-game homestands were in 1969-70 (4-0-3-0), 1972-73 (4-3-0-0), 1977-78 (3-3-1-0), and 2001-02 (3-2-1-1)
• The Rangers are one of five teams with a homestand of seven or more games on their 2011-12 regular season schedule (Winnipeg – 8, Colorado – 8, Tampa Bay – 7, Vancouver – 7).

HOME SWEET HOME

The Blueshirts’ 25-9-2 (52 pts.) mark at MSG is their best record at home through 36 games since 1991-92 (24-8-4, 52 pts.).

CALDER RACE

First-year forward Carl Hagelin continues to climb up the NHL rookie scoring charts despite only playing in 54 games this season. He currently ranks fifth in the league in rookie scoring with 37 points, fourth with 23 assists and seventh with 14 goals. He also leads all NHL rookies and is tied for 17th overall with a plus-22 rating, is tied for second among first-year players with two shorthanded goals/points, and ranks third among rookies who have played at least 50 games with a .69 points per game average. Since his NHL debut on November 25, Hagelin is tied for first among NHL rookies in points and assists, ranks second in goals and third in shots on goal (112).

PLACE IN HISTORY

The Rangers’ .674 win% is the team’s best record through 72 games in 39 years, when the 1972-73 Blueshirts began the season with a 46-19-7 record (.688 win%), and is the fourth best mark in franchise history. The Rangers reached the 40-win mark in 61 games, which is tied as the second fastest to 40-wins in franchise history.

MEASURING UP

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

• 2nd in points (97)
• 2nd in win% (.674)
• 2nd in wins (45)
• T-1st in regulation/overtime wins (42)
• 2nd in fewest regulation losses (20)
• 3rd in fewest goals against (155)
• 3rd in GAA (2.15)
• 1st in hits (2,139)
• 4th in blocked shots (1,169)
• 4th in +/- rating (plus-37)
• 6th in goal differential (plus-39)

QUICK HITS:

• The Rangers became the first Eastern Conference team, and second in the league overall, to clinch a playoff spot with a 4-2 win on Monday vs. NJD (game #72); The last time the Blueshirts clinched a playoff berth that early was during the 1991-92 season, when New York clinched on March 8 (through game #68) following a Philadelphia defeat to Vancouver
• This is the latest the Rangers have been in first place of the Eastern Conference standings since the team captured the Presidents’ Trophy during the 1993-94 season. *courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau
• New York has registered at least one point in 47 of their last 64 games (42-17-5), dating back to Oct. 29, after beginning the season with a 3-3-2 mark
• New York is 18-2-3 when leading after the first period and 28-0-3 when leading after the second
• The Rangers rank third in the league with a .250 win% when trailing after two periods (5-14-1); The Blueshirts are tied for ninth in the NHL with five third period comeback wins, and have trailed entering the third in only 19 games this season (second fewest in the NHL)
• New York leads the NHL with a .714 win% when out-shooting their opponent (25-9-1)
• The Rangers rank second in the league when scoring first, posting a 32-4-3 mark (.821 win%) in those contests; Their 32 wins rank second in the NHL

THE HOT LIST:

• Brad Richards — 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in the last 13 games; 11 points (five goals, six assists) in the last seven games
• Marian Gaborik — 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in the last 11 games; eight points (three goals, five assists) in the last six games
• Carl Hagelin — 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in the last 13 games; seven points (two goals, five assists) in the last four games
• Dan Girardi — five points (one goal, four assists) in the last nine games; three points (one goal, two assists) in the last four games
• Mats Zuccarello — three points (two goals, one assist) in the last five games

MILESTONES APPROACHING:

• Martin Biron — 1 appearance from 500 NHL career

INJURIES:

• Michael Sauer (concussion, 12/5) — 48
• Artem Anisimov (injured, 3/15) — 2
• Steve Eminger (injured, 3/15) — 2

Total Man-Games Lost: 209

The post RANGERS AND WINGS – A GARDEN DELICACY first appeared on Howlings.

NY RANGERS vs. COLORADO AVALANCHE

* All information through NHL games on Mar. 15

TONIGHT’S GAME:

• The Rangers will face-off against the Colorado Avalanche at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.; TV: MSG 2; Radio: Bloomberg Radio), in the fourth game of their seven-game homestand. The Blueshirts currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, and rank second in the league overall, with a record of 44-19-7 (95 pts.). The Rangers enter the contest having been defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-2, on Thursday at Madison Square Garden to end their six-game home winning streak, and are now 2-1-0 on their current seven-game homestand. The Avalanche enter the contest with a 38-30-5 (81 pts.) record to rank eighth in the Western Conference, and have won five of their last seven games. Following the contest, the Rangers will face-off against the New Jersey Devils on Monday, Mar. 19, at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m.), in an Atlantic Division match-up.

RANGERS vs. AVALANCHE:

• All-Time: 34-30-7-4 overall (20-11-4-2 at home; 14-19-3-2 on the road)
• 2011-12: Tonight is the first and only meeting this season.
• Last Season: New York was 0-2-0 overall (0-1-0 at home; 0-1-0 on the road). Derek Stepan led the Rangers in scoring with two points (one goal, one assist) in two games. Henrik Lundqvist was 0-2-0 with a 3.97 GAA and .880 Sv%, while Martin Biron was 0-0-0 with a 4.36 GAA and .800 Sv%.
• The Rangers’ last win against the Avalanche was on Jan. 31, 2010 (3-1); The Blueshirts’ last win against the Avalanche at Madison Square Garden was on Feb. 28, 2009 (6-1)
• New York is tied for fifth with a 24-8-2 (50 pts.) record at home; Colorado ranks 11th with a 17-15-4 (38 pts.) mark on the road
• The Rangers are 2-1-0 vs. the Northwest Division; the Avalanche are 3-2-1 vs. the Atlantic Division
• New York lists no former Avalanche on their roster
• Colorado lists no former Rangers on their roster

INDIVIDUAL CAREER LEADERS vs. AVALANCHE:

• Henrik Lundqvist — 4 GP, 1-2-1, 3.13 GAA
• Martin Biron — 10 GP, 5-4-0-0, 2.84 GAA
• Marian Gaborik — 40 GP, 19-16-35
• Brad Richards — 21 GP, 4-9-13
• Marc Staal — 5 GP, 1-3-4

SPECIAL TEAMS:

The Rangers penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in six of the last eight games (24-26, 92.3%), and are 29-32 (90.6%) in the last 10 contests. The Rangers are tied for sixth in the NHL with seven shorthanded goals. The Blueshirts have posted a record of 20-1-4 in games when tallying a power play goal, and are 29-11-3 when not allowing a power play goal.

• Power Play: The Rangers did not tally a goal in one power play attempt (2:00) on Thursday vs. Pittsburgh. New York is tied for 28th overall (34-234, 14.5%) and ranks 22nd at home (19-123, 15.4%). The Rangers are 3-15 (11:31) in five-on-three situations (last – 3/13 vs. CAR), and 2-9 (12:08) when four-on-three (last – 3/11 vs. NYI). 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 Penguins scoreless in four shorthanded situations (6:00) on Thursday at MSG. New York ranks fifth overall (196-226, 86.7%) and sixth at home (88-103, 85.4%). The Rangers are 8-9 (4:34) in three-on-five situations (last – 2/16 vs. CHI), and 2-3 (2:24) when three-on-four (last – 2/16 vs. CHI). 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 did not tally/yield a goal in one four-on-four situation (2:00) on Thursday vs. Pittsburgh. The Rangers are plus-six in 76 four-on-four situations (135:49), and even in two three-on-three situations (0:38). Four-on-four goals for (9): 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); 2/19 vs. CBJ (Stepan), 2/25 vs. BUF (Callahan). Four-on-four goals allowed (3): 2/9 vs. TBL (Lecavalier); 2/25 vs. BUF (Stafford); 3/2 at TBL (Malone).

HOMESTAND NOTES:

• New York is 2-1-0 on their current seven-game homestand
• Henrik Lundqvist is 1-0-0 with a 2.77 GAA; Martin Biron is 1-1-0 with a 3.50 GAA
• Brad Richards leads the team in scoring with four goals and eight points
• Marian Gaborik (three goals, four assists) and Richards are tied for the team-high with four assists apiece
• Carl Hagelin has tallied two goals and three assists, and leads the team with a plus-four rating
• The seven-game homestand is tied as the longest in franchise history, and is their longest since 2001-02
• The Blueshirts’ previous seven-game homestands were in 1969-70 (4-0-3-0), 1972-73 (4-3-0-0), 1977-78 (3-3-1-0), and 2001-02 (3-2-1-1)
• The Rangers are one of five teams with a homestand of seven or more games on their 2011-12 regular season schedule (Winnipeg – 8, Colorado – 8, Tampa Bay – 7, Vancouver – 7).

HOME SWEET HOME:

• The Blueshirts’ 24-8-2 (50 pts.) mark at MSG is their best record at home through 34 games since 1993-94 (23-6-5, 51 pts.).

NO MORE THAN FOUR:

• The Rangers established a new NHL record by not allowing five goals in a single game in 69 games to begin the season. *courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau

CALDER RACE:

• First-year forward Carl Hagelin continues to climb up the NHL rookie scoring charts despite only playing in 52 games this season. He currently ranks fifth in the league in rookie scoring with 35 points, fourth with 21 assists and is tied for sixth with 14 goals. He also leads all NHL rookies and is tied for eighth overall with a plus-23 rating, is tied for second among first-year players with two shorthanded goals/points, and ranks third among rookies who have played at least 50 games with a .67 points per game average. Since his NHL debut on November 25, Hagelin ranks second among NHL rookies in points, goals and shots on goal (109), and is tied for second in assists.

PLACE IN HISTORY:

• The Rangers’ .679 win% is the team’s best record through 70 games in 39 years, when the 1972-73 Blueshirts began the season with a 44-19-7 record (.679 win%), and is tied as the third best mark in franchise history. The Rangers reached the 40-win mark in 61 games, which is tied as the second fastest to 40-wins in franchise history.

MEASURING UP:

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

• 2nd in points (95)
• 2nd in win% (.679)
• T-2nd in wins (44)
• T-1st in regulation/overtime wins (41)
• T-1st in fewest regulation losses (19)
• 3rd in fewest goals against (150)
• 3rd in GAA (2.14)
• 1st in hits (2,081)
• 4th in blocked shots (1,145)
• 4th in +/- rating (plus-37)
• 6th in goal differential (plus-39)

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 spot 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 46 of their last 62 games (41-16-5), dating back to Oct. 29, after beginning the season with a 3-3-2 mark
• New York is 17-2-3 when leading after the first period and 27-0-3 when leading after the second
• The Rangers rank third in the league with a .263 win% when trailing after two periods (5-13-1); The Blueshirts are tied for ninth in the NHL with five third period comeback wins, and have trailed entering the third in only 19 games this season (second fewest in the NHL)
• New York leads the NHL with a .727 win% when out-shooting their opponent (24-8-1)
• The Rangers lead the league when scoring first, posting a 31-3-3 mark (.838 win%) in those contests; Their 31 wins are tied for second in the NHL

THE HOT LIST:

• Brad Richards — five-game point streak (five goals, five assists over the span); 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in the last 19 games; 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in the last 11 games
• Marian Gaborik — four-game assist/point streak (three goals, five assists over the span); 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in the last 28 games; 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in the last nine games
• Carl Hagelin — 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in the last 15 games; 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in the last 11 games
• Derek Stepan — six points (two goals, four assists) in the last nine games
• Anton Stralman — four assists in his last seven games

INJURIES:

• Michael Sauer (concussion, 12/5) — 46
• Michael Del Zotto (injured, 3/8) — 4
• Ryan Callahan (injured, 3/9) — 3
• Henrik Lundqvist (flu, 3/13) — 2

Total Man-Games Lost: 203

The post “LOOK OUT BELOW” – AVALANCHE COMING first appeared on Howlings.

     VERSUS    

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
March 15, 2012 (Game 70, Home Game 34)
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

Team Notes:

• The Rangers were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-2, tonight at Madison Square Garden, and are now 2-1-0 on their current seven-game homestand.
• New York has posted a record of 44-19-7 (95 pts.) overall, including a 24-8-2 mark at home.
• The Blueshirts’ 24-8-2 (50 pts.) mark at MSG is their best record at home through 34 games since 1993-94 (23-6-5, 51 pts.).
• The Rangers are now 7-4-2 against the Penguins in their last 13 meetings.
• The Blueshirts held the Penguins scoreless in four shorthanded situations (6:00), and are now 29-32 (90.6%) on the penalty kill in the last 10 contests.  The Rangers’ penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in six of the last eight games (24-26, 92.3%).
• The Rangers out-hit the Penguins, 34-23, and were credited with 17 blocked shots in the contest.
• New York holds a four-point lead over Pittsburgh atop the Atlantic Division standings.

• Marian Gaborik notched a goal, added an assist and registered four shots on goal in a team-high, 22:29 of ice time.  He extended his assist/point streak to four games (three goals, five assists over the span), and has now tallied 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in the last 28 games with 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in the last nine.
• Carl Hagelin recorded his second straight multi-point effort with one goal and one assist, registered four shots on goal and was credited with two blocked shots in a career-high, 21:12 of ice time.  He has tallied 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in the last 16 games, including 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in the last 11 games.
• Brad Richards tallied two assists to extend his point streak to five games, registering eight points (five goals, five assists) over the span.  He also tied for the team-high with five shots on goal and led all skaters with 15 face-off wins (15-27, 56%) in 21:56 of ice time.  Richards has now tallied 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in the last 19 games, including 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in the last 11 games.
• Martin Biron made 27 saves and is now 12-5-2 overall, including a 6-2-0 mark at home.
• Brian Boyle was credited with a team-high, five hits, registered two blocked shots and won 12-19 face-offs (63%) in the contest.
• Dan Girardi was credited with four hits and tied for the team-high with three blocked shots in 21:55 of ice time.

New York Rangers Transaction Update:

• New York Rangers President and General Manager, Glen Sather, announced following the game that goaltender Chad Johnson has been assigned to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).  Johnson was recalled earlier today on an emergency basis.

Post-Game Quotes:

John Tortorella on tonight’s game…

“We had some struggles on the back end as far as their quickness, and they capitalized. We had some really good scoring chances. We were gaining momentum in the second, at the end of the second, but it doesn’t take them too many chances to score some goals and they certainly showed that tonight.”

Brad Richards on tonight’s game…

“We get them (Pittsburgh) one more time. We’re still in first place and we’re still a good team. We have guys coming back soon and we are going to keep plugging away and looking toward Saturday now and getting those two points.”

Dan Girardi on tonight’s game…

“We were good on the fore-check, sustaining pressure. We were controlling the five-on-five play. Obviously I thought we did a decent job on the penalty kill; they have such a good power play. We’ve got to look at the good things but see what we did wrong and try to correct them for Saturday.”

Team Schedule:

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, Mar. 17, at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), in the fourth game of their seven-game homestand.  The game will be televised live on MSG 2 and can be heard on Bloomberg Radio.

The post BING: CROSBY RETURN TO CONQUER BROADWAY first appeared on Howlings.

NY RANGERS vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES

* All information through NHL games on Mar. 11

TONIGHT’S GAME:
The Rangers will face-off against the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m.; TV: MSG Network; Radio: 1050 ESPN Radio), as they continue their seven-game homestand. The Blueshirts currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, and rank second in the league overall, with a record of 43-18-7 (93 pts.). The Rangers enter the contest having defeated the New York Islanders, 4-3, in overtime on Sunday at Madison Square Garden to begin their seven-game homestand, and are now 14-6-3 in their last 23 games. The Hurricanes enter the contest with a 26-28-15 (67 pts.) record to rank 13th in the Eastern Conference, and have lost four of their last six games. Following the contest, the Rangers will face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, Mar. 15, at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), in an Atlantic Division match-up.

RANGERS vs. HURRICANES:

• All-Time: 58-48-7-2 overall (35-17-4-2 at home; 23-31-3-0 on the road)

• 2011-12: Tonight is the fourth and final meeting this season, and the second at Madison Square Garden. New York is 3-0-0 overall (1-0-0 at home;2-0-0 on the road) following a 3-2 win on Mar. 1 at Carolina. The Rangers have out-scored the Hurricanes, 13-6, in the series, including a 6-1 advantage in the third period. New York is 2-10 (20.0%) on the power play in three games. Marian Gaborik leads the Rangers in scoring with four points (two goals, two assists). Henrik Lundqvist is 1-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .971 Sv%, while Martin Biron is 2-0-0 with a 2.51 GAA and .907 Sv%.

• Last Season:  New York was 2-2-0 overall (1-1-0 at home; 1-1-0 on the road). Three of their four meetings were decided by one goal, including two that required extra time. The Rangers’ power play was 3-14 (21.4%) in the series. Ryan Callahan tied for the team-high with two goals and three points in two games, while Brandon Dubinsky (one goal, two assists) and Ryan McDonagh led the team with two assists apiece. Henrik Lundqvist was 2-2-0 with a 2.92 GAA and .915 SV%.

• The Blueshirts have won five of their last six games against the Hurricanes

• New York ranks seventh with a 23-7-2 (48 pts.) record at home; Carolina ranks 27th with a 9-15-9 (27 pts.) mark on the road

• The Rangers are 13-2-2 vs. the Southeast Division; the Hurricanes are 3-12-3 vs. the Atlantic Division

• New York lists no former Hurricanes on their roster

• Carolina lists no former Rangers on their roster

INDIVIDUAL CAREER LEADERS vs. HURRICANES:

• Henrik Lundqvist — 20 GP, 11-8-1, 2.37 GAA, 1 SO

• Martin Biron — 21 GP, 12-4-1-2, 2.53 GAA, 1 SO

• Brad Richards — 49 GP, 12-30-42

• Marian Gaborik — 17 GP, 9-9-18

• Ruslan Fedotenko — 48 GP, 14-8-22

• Ryan McDonagh — 5 GP, 1-3-4

SPECIAL TEAMS:
The Rangers penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in five of the last six games (17-18, 94.4%), and are 22-24 (91.7%) in the last eight contests. The Rangers are tied for sixth in the NHL with seven shorthanded goals. The Blueshirts have posted a record of 20-1-4 in games when tallying a power play goal, and are 29-10-3 when not allowing a power play goal.

• Power Play: The Rangers tallied three goals in six power play attempts (9:17) on Sunday vs. the Islanders. New York is tied for 27th overall (34-230, 14.8%) and ranks 21st at home (19-119, 16.0%). The Rangers are 3-14 (11:24) in five-on-three situations (last – 3/2 at TBL), and 2-9 (12:08) when four-on-three (last – 3/11 vs. NYI). Shorthanded goals allowed (3): 12/5 vs. TOR (Steckel); 12/8 vs. TBL (Moore); 12/17 at PHX (Korpikoski).

• Penalty Killing: The Blueshirts surrendered one goal to the Islanders in four shorthanded situations (7:43) on Sunday at MSG. New York ranks fifth overall (189-218, 86.7%) and seventh at home (81-95, 85.3%). The Rangers are 8-9 (4:34) in three-on-five situations (last – 2/16 vs. CHI), and 2-3 (2:24) when three-on-four (last – 2/16 vs. CHI). 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 did not tally/yield a goal in three four-on-four situations (5:00) on Sunday vs. the Islanders. The Rangers are plus-six in 74 four-on-four situations (132:48), and even in two three-on-three situations (0:38). Four-on-four goals for (9): 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); 2/19 vs. CBJ (Stepan), 2/25 vs. BUF (Callahan). Four-on-four goals allowed (3): 2/9 vs. TBL (Lecavalier); 2/25 vs. BUF (Stafford); 3/2 at TBL (Malone).

HOMESTAND
The Rangers began their seven-game homestand with a 4-3 overtime win on Sunday vs. the Islanders. The seven-game homestand is tied as the longest in franchise history, and is their longest since 2001-02. The Blueshirts’ previous seven-game homestands were in 1969-70 (4-0-3-0), 1972-73 (4-3-0-0), 1977-78 (3-3-1-0), and 2001-02 (3-2-1-1). The Rangers are one of five teams with a homestand of seven or more games on their 2011-12 regular season schedule (Winnipeg – 8, Colorado – 8, Tampa Bay – 7, Vancouver – 7).

HOME SWEET HOME
The Blueshirts’ 23-7-2 (48 pts.) mark at MSG is their best record at home through 32 games since 1993-94 (22-6-4, 48 pts.).

SOUTHEAST FEAST
The Rangers have posted a record of 13-2-1 against Southeast Division opponents this season, having out-scored their opponents, 58-34, in those contests.

SIBLING RIVALRY
Rangers’ defenseman Marc Staal has faced off against his older brother, Carolina forward Eric Staal, 17 times in his career, amassing a 9-7-1 record with five points (two goals, three assists) and 10 penalty minutes. Eric has registered an 8-6-3 mark with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) and 10 penalty minutes.

PLACE IN HISTORY
The Rangers’ .679 win% is the team’s best record through 67 games in 18 years, when the 1993-94 Blueshirts began the season with a 43-19-5 record (.679 win%), and is tied as the fourth best mark in franchise history. The Rangers reached the 40-win mark in 61 games, which is tied as the second fastest to 40-wins in franchise history.

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

• 2nd in points (93)

• 2nd in win% (.684)

• 3rd in wins (43)

• 2nd in regulation/overtime wins (40)

• T-1st in fewest regulation losses (18)

• 2nd in fewest goals against (143)

• T-2nd in GAA (2.10)

• 1st in hits (2,027)

• 4th in blocked shots (1,109)

• 4th in +/- rating (plus-37)

• 6th in goal differential (plus-40)

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 45 of their last 60 games (40-15-5), dating back to Oct. 29, after beginning the season with a 3-3-2 mark

• New York is 16-2-3 when leading after the first period and 26-0-3 when leading after the second

• The Rangers rank second in the league with a .278 win% when trailing after two periods (5-12-1); The Blueshirts are tied for eighth in the NHL with five third period comeback wins, and have trailed entering the third in only 18 games this season (second fewest in the NHL)

• New York leads the NHL with a .727 win% when out-shooting their opponent (24-8-1)

• The Rangers lead the league when scoring first, posting a 30-3-3 mark (.833 win%) in those contests; Their 30 wins are tied for third in the NHL

THE HOT LIST:

• Marian Gaborik — 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in the last 26 games; eight points (four goals, four assists) in the last seven games

• Brad Richards — three-game point streak (three goals, two assists over the span); 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in the last 17 games; 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in the last nine games

• Derek Stepan — six points (two goals, four assists) in the last seven games

• Ryan Callahan — 12 points (nine goals, three assists) in his last 13 games; three goals in his last five games

• Carl Hagelin — nine points (four goals, five assists) in the last 13 games; seven points (three goals, four assists) in the last nine games

• Michael Del Zotto — 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in his last 19 games; nine assists in his last 14 games

• Anton Stralman — eight assists in his last 16 games; four assists in his last five games

INJURIES:

• Michael Sauer (concussion, 12/5) — 44

• Michael Del Zotto (injured, 3/8) — 2

• Ryan Callahan (injured, 3/9) — 1

Total Man-Games Lost: 195

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

• Mar. 11 — Recalled forward Mats Zuccarello from Connecticut (AHL)

The post GARDEN PARTY II A HURRICANE COMES TO TOWN first appeared on Howlings.

     VERSUS    

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
March 11, 2012 (Game 68, Home Game 32)
Madison Square Garden – New York, New York

Team Notes:

• The Rangers defeated the New York Islanders, 4-3, in overtime tonight at Madison Square Garden to begin their seven-game homestand, and are now 14-6-3 in their last 23 games.

• New York has posted a record of 43-18-7 (93 pts.) overall, including a 23-7-2 mark at home.
• The Blueshirts’ 23-7-2 (48 pts.) mark at MSG is their best record at home through 32 games since 1993-94 (22-6-4, 48 pts.).
• The Rangers have registered at least one point in nine of their last 11 games against the Islanders, posting a record of 8-2-1 over the span.
• The Blueshirts completed their season series against the Islanders with a 4-1-1 mark, including a 3-0-0 record at home.  Marian Gaborik led the team in scoring with seven points (five goals, two assists).
• The Rangers tied their season-high with three power play goals in six attempts (9:17), and finished the season series against the Islanders with a 20.0% success rate on the man advantage (5-25).
• The Blueshirts out-shot the Islanders, 36-19, in the contest, and improved to 24-8-1 when out-shooting their opponent.  The Rangers’ .727 winning percentage when out-shooting their opponent leads the league.
• The Rangers improved to 13-5-2 against Atlantic Division opponents this season, and have out-scored their opponent, 57-43, in divisional play.
• New York increased their lead over Boston atop the Eastern Conference standings to 10 points, and own a four-point advantage over Pittsburgh for the Atlantic Division lead.  The Rangers now rank second in the league overall with 93 points.

Player Notes:

• Brad Richards notched three power play points, including two goals and the primary assist on the overtime, game-winner, and led all skaters with six shots on goal in a season-high, 24:53 of ice time.  He has tallied 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in the last nine games, including points in each of the last three contests (three goals, two assists over the span).  Richards reached the 20-goal mark for the ninth time, and third consecutive season, and reached the 50-point plateau for the 10th time in his 11-year career.
• Marian Gaborik tallied the game-winning goal, on the power play, with 0:06 remaining in overtime, and added a power play assist in 23:53 of ice time.  He has recorded 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in the last 26 games, including eight points (four goals, four assists) in the last seven games.  Gaborik’s assist at 16:03 of the second period was his team-leading, 60th point of the season, marking the sixth time he has reached that mark.
• Brian Boyle registered the game-tying goal at 3:29 of the third period, was credited with three hits and two blocked shots, and won a game-high, 12-19 face-offs (63%) in 16:00 of ice time.  He has now tallied a point in each of the last two games (one goal, one assist).
• Henrik Lundqvist made 16 saves and recorded an assist on Richards’ power play goal at 18:47 of the first period, to improve to 32-14-5 overall with a 18-6-2 mark at home.
• Derek Stepan tallied an assist on the overtime, game-winning goal, and was credited with three hits in a season-high, 22:26 of ice time.  The assist was his 30th of the season, and tied his career-high in scoring with 45 points.  He has now tallied 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in the last 19 games, including six points (two goals, four assists) in the last seven contests.
• Anton Stralman recorded a power play assist and a season-high, five shots on goal in 21:22 of ice time.  He has now tallied eight assists in his last 16 games, including four assists in his last five contests.  Stralman finished the season series against the Islanders ranked first among team defensemen in scoring with five assists/points in four games.
• Mats Zuccarello tallied one power play assist and logged 10:40 of ice time in the contest, following his recall from Connecticut (AHL) earlier today.  He has now tallied three assists in five career regular season games against the Islanders.
• Ryan McDonagh registered an assist and led all skaters with four blocked shots and 26:36 of ice time.  He has now tallied an assist in each of the last two games, and three assists in the last six games.
• Brandon Prust tallied an assist and registered a career-high, four shots on goal in 15:05 of ice time.  He has recorded a point in each of the last two games (one goal, one assist).

Post-Game Quotes:

John Tortorella on tonight’s game…

“I thought we had a lot of pressure for a long night and used all of the minutes to finally get it done. I think the thing that I like the most about it is the way we won. You don’t want to draw it up that way, but the things we are going through as a team, even through this game and some of the bounces and things going on with the game, just to keep a hold of ourselves and stay with it and we used every last second to win this game.”

Marian Gaborik on tonight’s game…

“We talked about how important this one was and to get out of the three game losing streak. We had a pretty good game in Chicago but we came up short. Tonight’s game we played a good game and I’m glad we got that overtime win.”

Brian Boyle on tonight’s game…

“They (Islanders) are pretty opportunistic. They have some pretty skilled guys that can make some plays. You want to play their top line pretty hard because they have three horses that are all having great years. John Tavares, you don’t hear his name enough, he’s an underrated player, a really, really good player and he’s tough to play against. He makes a lot of things happen out of nothing and we understand that and we try to play him hard. They can make plays too, it’s not easy to win, but tonight we stuck with it and it was great.”

Team Schedule:                                                                     

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, Mar. 13, at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m.), as they continue their seven-game homestand.  The game will be televised live on MSG Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio.

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