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SINKING RANGERS TO BATTLE SURGING BRUINS AT MSG
AHL

SINKING RANGERS TO BATTLE SURGING BRUINS AT MSG 

NEW YORK RANGERS vs. BOSTON BRUINS
Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, 8:00 p.m. ET
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Rangers: 25-23-5 (55 pts)
Bruins: 31-11-8 (70 pts)*

* The Bruins play against the Detroit Red Wings tonight in Detroit prior to facing the Rangers tomorrow

BY: The New York Rangers

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

TOMORROW’S GAME

The Rangers play their 54th game of the 2017-18 season tomorrow, Feb. 7, against the Boston Bruins in an Original Six matchup at Madison Square Garden (8:00 p.m. ET – TV: NBCSN; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). Tomorrow’s contest is the first of two consecutive games the Blueshirts are playing at MSG.

RANGERS VS. BRUINS

  • All-Time: 257-289-97-2 (148-121-55-0 at home; 109-168-42-2 on the road)
  • 2017-18: Tomorrow’s game is the third of three meetings between the Rangers and Bruins, and the second of two meetings between the two teams at MSG. The Rangers have posted a 2-0-0 record (1-0-0 at home; 1-0-0 on the road) and won the last meeting, 3-2, in overtime on Dec. 16 at Boston. Each of the two contests has been decided by two or fewer goals. The Rangers are 2-for-6 (33.3%) on the power play and 10-for-11 (90.9%) on the penalty kill thus far in the season series. Ryan McDonagh leads all skaters with three assists and Jimmy Vesey leads all skaters with two goals in two games. Mats Zuccarello recorded the game-winning goal in overtime in the last meeting between the two teams. Henrik Lundqvist has posted a 2-0-0 record, along with a 1.97 GAA and a .941 SV% (64 saves on 68 shots) in the season series.
  • The Rangers have played more regular season games (645) and have earned more regular season wins (257) against the Bruins than against any other opponent in their 91-season history.
  • The Blueshirts have earned a win in each of their last seven games against Boston, dating back to Jan. 11, 2016, and the Rangers have outscored the Bruins, 26-12, in the seven contests. New York has won at least seven consecutive games against Boston for the first time since an eight-game winning streak from Nov. 20, 2005, to Mar. 24, 2007.
  • New York has won five consecutive home games against Boston (dating back to Feb. 4, 2015) and has posted a 19-6-0-0 record in its last 25 games against the Bruins at MSG, dating back to Feb. 27, 2003.
  • Since Mar. 24, 2007, 26 of the 38 meetings between the Rangers and Bruins have been decided by one goal, and nine of those contests have been decided in either overtime or a shootout. In addition, 32 of the 38 meetings over the span have been decided by two or fewer goals.

RANGERS-BRUINS CONNECTIONS

  • Steven Kampfer began his NHL career with the Bruins and played parts of two seasons with Boston (2010-11 and 2011-12).
  • Jeff Gorton spent 15 seasons in the Bruins organization and served as Boston’s Interim General Manager in 2006. During Gorton’s tenure as Interim General Manager, Boston selected Phil Kessel, Milan Lucic, and Brad Marchand in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, acquired Tuukka Rask in a trade, and signed Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard as free agents.
  • Jake DeBrusk is the son of Louie DeBrusk, who was selected by the Rangers in the third round (49th overall) of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. Louie DeBrusk was traded by the Rangers to Edmonton as part of the trade in which the Blueshirts acquired Mark Messier.
  • The Rangers have four Massachusetts natives on their roster: Paul Carey (Boston, MA), Kevin Hayes (Dorchester, MA), Chris Kreider (Boxford, MA), and Jimmy Vesey (North Reading, MA). All four played college hockey in Massachusetts (Carey, Hayes, and Kreider played at Boston College, and Vesey played at Harvard University).
  • Charlie McAvoy is a native of Long Beach, New York. He grew up a Rangers fan and idolized Brian Leetch.
  • Kevin Shattenkirk played college hockey at Boston University for three seasons (2007-08 – 2009-10).
  • Kevin Shattenkirk and David Backes were teammates with the Blues for parts of six seasons (2010-11 – 2015-16).
  • Ondrej Pavelec and Paul Postma were teammates with the Thrashers/Jets franchise for parts of seven seasons (2010-11 – 2016-17).
  • Rick Nash and Patrice Bergeron helped Canada win a gold medal at both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.
  • J.T. Miller, Jimmy Vesey, and Sean Kuraly helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.
  • Marc Staal and Brad Marchand helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship.
  • Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Shattenkirk, and David Backes all represented the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
  • Marc Staal and Adam McQuaid were teammates with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons (2003-04 – 2006-07).
  • Brady Skjei, Matt Grzelcyk, and Frank Vatrano helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2012 IIHF World U18 Championship. Skjei and Vatrano also represented the United States at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, while Skjei and Grzelcyk also represented the United States at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship.
  • Jimmy Vesey and Torey Krug helped the United States earn a bronze medal at the 2015 IIHF World Championship.
  • Ondrej Pavelec and David Krejci have represented the Czech Republic in several tournaments and were teammates at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. 

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. BRUINS

  • Henrik Lundqvist – 41 GP, 27-12-2, 1.93 GAA, .936 SV%, 6 SO – Lundqvist has earned a win in each of his last six appearances against Boston (dating back to Jan. 11, 2016), posting a 1.66 GAA and a .951 SV% (194 saves on 204 shots) over the span.
  • Ondrej Pavelec – 17 GP, 6-7-2, 2.95 GAA, .912 SV% – Pavelec has allowed two goals or fewer in four of his last six appearances against the Bruins (3-2-1 record, 2.14 GAA, .925 SV% over the span).
  • David Desharnais – 33 GP, 8-16-24 – Desharnais has played in more games, and has registered more goals, assists, and points in his career against Boston than against any other NHL opponent. He has tallied a point in 11 of his last 17 games against the Bruins (four goals, eight assists over the span).
  • Rick Nash – 26 GP, 9-8-17 – Nash has tallied five points (three goals, two assists) in the last six games against Boston. He has recorded a point in seven of the last 10 games against Boston (six goals, three assists over the span), and he has also registered a goal in six of the 10 contests.
  • Michael Grabner – 24 GP, 8-4-12 – Grabner has recorded seven points (four goals, three assists) in his last 12 games against Boston.
  • Mika Zibanejad – 22 GP, 6-5-11 – Zibanejad has notched a point in seven of his last nine games against the Bruins (four goals, three assists), and he has tallied a goal in four of the nine contests.
  • Ryan McDonagh – 23 GP, 3-6-9 – McDonagh has recorded six assists/points in the last eight games against the Bruins.
  • J.T. Miller – 12 GP, 4-4-8 – Miller has notched seven points (three goals, four assists) in the last nine games against Boston.
  • Kevin Shattenkirk – 12 GP, 3-5-8 – Shattenkirk has registered a point in four of his last six games against the Bruins (two goals, two assists).
  • Peter Holland – 12 GP, 3-4-7 – Holland has registered more points against the Bruins than against any other opponent in his NHL career. He has tallied a point in each of his last two games against Boston (one goal, one assist).
  • Jimmy Vesey – 5 GP, 3-2-5 – Vesey has tallied a point in three of five career games against the Bruins, and he has posted two multi-point games against Boston.
  • Pavel Buchnevich – 4 GP, 3-1-4 – Buchnevich has registered a goal/point in three of his four career games against Boston, and he tallied his first career NHL goal on Nov. 5, 2016, at Boston.
  • Brady Skjei – 5 GP, 0-4-4 – Skjei has tallied an assist/point in three of the last four games against the Bruins (four assists).

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).
  • Brady Skjei and Vinni Lettieri were teammates at the University of Minnesota for two seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15).
  • 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).
  • Cody McLeod was teammates with Nick Holden (2013-14 – 2015-16), Kevin Shattenkirk (2010-11), and Paul Carey (2013-14 and 2014-15) during his tenure with the Avalanche.
  • 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).
  • Michael Grabner and Peter Holland were teammates with Toronto for one season (2015-16).
  • Kevin Shattenkirk is a native of New Rochelle, New York. He was a Rangers fan growing up, and his favorite player was Brian Leetch.

TEAM EFFORT

The Rangers are one of three NHL teams that have eight players who have recorded 10 or more goals this season (along with Toronto and Winnipeg). In addition, the Blueshirts are one of four NHL teams that have 11 players who have registered at least 20 points this season (along with Boston, Toronto, and Winnipeg).

HOME COOKING

The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 16 of their last 21 home games, dating back to Oct. 26 (15-5-1 record). In addition, the Rangers have registered at least one point in 20 of 29 home games in 2017-18 (17-9-3 record).

FINISHING THE JOB

The Rangers have posted a 16-0-0 record when leading entering the third period this season. The Rangers are one of four NHL teams that have won every game when leading entering the third period in 2017-18. Since the start of the 2010-11 season, the Blueshirts have posted a 210-7-8 record when leading entering the third period, and their .933 winning percentage when leading entering the third period over the span is the best in the NHL.

KING HENRIK

Henrik Lundqvist is the first goaltender in NHL history who has earned 20 or more wins in each of his first 13 seasons, as well as the first goaltender in NHL history who has earned at least 20 wins in 13 consecutive seasons at any point during the course of a career. Lundqvist has posted a .925 SV% in 35 appearances since Nov. 1, and he ranks fourth among NHL goaltenders (min. 25 appearances) in SV% over the span. 

CAPTAIN MAC

Ryan McDonagh is one of seven NHL defensemen (and one of two defensemen in the Eastern Conference) who have registered at least 24 assists and a plus-nine rating this season (Doughty, Hedman, Klingberg, Muzzin, Pietrangelo, and Subban). He has registered four points (two goals, two assists) in the last four games and eight points (two goals, six assists) in his last 10 contests. McDonagh has led the Rangers in ice time in 38 of the 48 games he has played this season, and he has logged at least 24:00 of ice time in 15 of his last 18 contests.

RICK ROLLING

Rick Nash has posted a multi-goal/point game in three of the last nine games, and he has registered seven points (six goals, one assist) and 30 shots on goal in the nine contests. Over the last nine games (since Jan. 16), Nash is tied for third in the NHL in goals.

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello tallied his 300th career NHL point on Feb. 3 at Nashville. Zuccarello also recorded his 30th assist of the 2017-18 season on Feb. 3, and he has tallied at least 30 assists in five consecutive seasons (2013-14 – 2017-18). He is the first Ranger who has registered 30 or more assists in at least five consecutive seasons since Brian Leetch (11 consecutive seasons from 1988-89 – 1998-99), and he is also the first Rangers forward to accomplish the feat since Mark Messier (six consecutive seasons from 1991-92 – 1996-97). Zuccarello leads the Rangers in assists (30) and points (38) this season.

UP FOR GRABS

Michael Grabner is one of three NHL players who has recorded at least 45 goals and a plus-30 rating since the start of last season (McDavid and Marchand). Grabner leads Rangers forwards in shorthanded ice time this season (107:43), and he has only been on the ice for seven power play goals against in 2017-18. Grabner is one of three Rangers since 2005-06 who have recorded at least 20 even strength goals in back-to-back seasons (Jagr – 2005-06 and 2006-07; Nash – 2013-14 and 2015-15).

IT’S MILLER TIME

J.T. Miller has tallied eight points (four goals, four assists) in the last nine games, including six points (two goals, four assists) in the last four contests. He skated in his 250th consecutive regular season game on Feb. 5 at Dallas (dating back to Feb. 7, 2015), and he is one of three Rangers who has played in every game this season (along with Nash and Skjei).

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play:

  • The Rangers were 0-for-3 (6:00) on Feb. 5 at Dallas.
  • The Blueshirts have tallied a power play goal in five of the last seven games (6-for-20; 30.0%), in six of the last nine games (7-for-24; 29.2%), in seven of the last 11 games (8-for-28; 28.6%), and in nine of the last 15 games (10-for-40; 25.0%).

Penalty Kill:

  • The Rangers were 4-for-5 (8:43) on Feb. 5 at Dallas.
  • New York leads the NHL in shorthanded goals since Jan. 16 (three).

UPCOMING MILESTONES

  • Rick Nash – 4 points away from 800 in his NHL career
  • J.T. Miller – 4 assists away from 100 in his NHL career
  • Mats Zuccarello – 6 goals away from 100 in his NHL career

INJURIES (64 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

  • Chris Kreider (blood clot – right arm) – has missed 16 games
  • Kevin Shattenkirk (meniscus tear) – has missed seven games
  • Pavel Buchnevich (concussion symptoms) – has missed two games
  • Marc Staal (cervical strain) – has missed one game
  • Jimmy Vesey (concussion) – has missed one game

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

  • Feb. 4 – Recalled Vinni Lettieri from Hartford (AHL)

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

  • Feb. 6, 1993 – Mike Gartner was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the 1993 NHL All-Star Game. Gartner registered four goals as the Wales Conference defeated the Campbell Conference, 16-6.
  • Feb. 7, 1973 – The Rangers extended their winning streak to nine games by defeating the New York Islanders, 6-0, at MSG. Ed Giacomin stopped all 25 shots he faced to earn the win and shutout, and Walt Tkaczuk registered two goals in the contest.
  • Feb. 7, 1976 – Rod Gilbert tied a single-game career-high with four goals as the Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 5-4, in Detroit. Gilbert is the only Ranger who tallied four goals in three different games in franchise history.
  • Feb. 7, 2013 – Playing in his second career NHL game (and first career game at Madison Square Garden), J.T. Miller tallied two goals, including his first career NHL goal/point, as the Rangers defeated the New York Islanders, 4-1.
  • Feb. 7, 2017 – Henrik Lundqvist made 43 saves as the Rangers defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 4-1, at MSG. The 43 saves were the most Lundqvist has recorded in a win at MSG (regular season or playoffs) in his career.

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