RANGERS AND FISHSTICKS BATTLE FOR FINAL TIME OF 2017-18 SEASON 

NEW YORK RANGERS at NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Thursday, Apr. 5, 2018, 7:00 p.m. ET
Barclays Center – Brooklyn, NY
Rangers: 34-37-9 (77 pts)
Islanders: 33-37-10 (76 pts)

BY: The New York Rangers 

TOMORROW’S GAME

The Rangers play their 81st game of the 2017-18 season and continue a four-game road trip tomorrow, Apr. 5, against the New York Islanders in a Metropolitan Division matchup at Barclays Center (7:00 p.m. ET – TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). Including tomorrow’s game, both of the Blueshirts’ final two games in 2017-18 are against teams in the Metropolitan Division.

RANGERS VS. ISLANDERS

• All-Time: 125-112-19-9 (71-45-11-6 at home; 54-67-8-3 on the road)
• 2017-18: Tomorrow’s game is the fourth of four meetings between the Rangers and Islanders, and the second of two meetings between the two teams at Brooklyn. The Rangers have posted a 0-2-1 record (0-1-1 at home; 0-1-0 on the road), and the Islanders won the last meeting between the two teams, 3-0, on Feb. 15 at Brooklyn. The Rangers registered a single-game season-high 50 shots on goal on Feb. 15. Kevin Hayes leads the Rangers with two goals and is tied for the team lead with two points in the season series, while Mats Zuccarello is also tied for the team lead with two points (one goal, one assist) in three games.

RANGERS-ISLANDERS CONNECTIONS

• Islanders Head Coach Doug Weight played parts of three seasons with the Rangers (1990-91 – 1992-93).
• Islanders Assistant Coach Scott Gomez played two seasons with the Rangers (2007-08 and 2008-09).
• Ondrej Pavelec and Andrew Ladd were teammates with the Thrashers/Jets for parts of six seasons (2010-11 – 2015-16).
• Kevin Shattenkirk and Jaroslav Halak were teammates with the Blues for parts of four seasons (2010-11 – 2013-14).
• Mika Zibanejad and Shane Prince were teammates with the Senators for parts of two seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16).
• Steven Kampfer and Cal Clutterbuck were teammates with the Wild for part of one season (2011-12).
• David Desharnais and Jordan Eberle were teammates with the Oilers for part of one season (2016-17).
• David Desharnais and Jaroslav Halak were teammates with the Canadiens for part of one season (2009-10).
• Rob O’Gara is a native of Massapequa, New York and was an Islanders fan growing up.

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. ISLANDERS

• Mats Zuccarello – 27 GP, 3-10-13 – Zuccarello has recorded a point in four of the last five games against the Islanders (two goals, two assists over the span) and has registered five points (three goals, two assists) in seven games against the Islanders since the start of last season.
• Mika Zibanejad – 18 GP, 4-7-11 – Zibanejad has registered a point in eight of his last 12 contests against the Islanders, recording nine points (two goals, seven assists) over the span.
• Marc Staal – 48 GP, 5-15-20 – Staal has tallied more goals, assists, and points against the Islanders than against any other opponent in his NHL career. He has registered a point in six of his last 11 games against the Islanders (two goals, four assists).
• Chris Kreider – 20 GP, 4-9-13 – Kreider has recorded six points (two goals, four assists) in his last 11 games against the Islanders, including three points (one goal, two assists) in his last five contests against the Islanders.
• Ryan Spooner – 10 GP, 3-5-8 – Spooner has tallied a point in six of 10 career games against the Islanders, and he registered two points (one goal, one assist) in his last game against the Islanders on Jan. 18, 2018.
• Vladislav Namestnikov – 10 GP, 3-3-6 – Namestnikov has recorded a point in six of 10 career games against the Islanders, including five of his last seven games (three goals, two assists in the last seven contests).
• Kevin Hayes – 16 GP, 3-3-6 – Hayes has registered a goal in two of the last three games against the Islanders and has tallied six points (three goals, three assists) in his last 12 games against the Islanders.
• Peter Holland – 10 GP, 1-4-5 – Holland has tallied three assists/points in his last four games against the Islanders.

DYNAMIC DUO

Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil were both in the Rangers’ lineup on Mar. 26 vs. Washington and each player registered his first career NHL point in the contest. Andersson, 19, and Chytil, 18, were selected by the Rangers in the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft (Andersson – seventh overall; Chytil – 21st overall). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the two players became the first pair of teenagers to play in the same game with the Rangers since Dec. 19, 1974 (Dave Maloney and Ron Greschner) and also became the first pair of teenagers to record a point in the same game with the Rangers since Maloney and Greschner on Dec. 18, 1974.

GOALS GALORE

The Rangers have registered at least three goals in nine of the last 13 games (41 goals over the span) and in 12 of the last 17 games (53 goals over the last 17 contests).

TRUE BLUE

Five players currently on the Rangers’ roster were selected by the team in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft (Marc Staal – 2005; Chris Kreider – 2009; Brady Skjei – 2012; Lias Andersson – 2017; Filip Chytil – 2017). In addition, 13 players on the Rangers roster have only played in the NHL as a member of the Blueshirts (Andersson, Buchnevich, Chytil, Fast, Gilmour, Hayes, Kreider, Lundqvist, Pionk, Skjei, Staal, Vesey, and Zuccarello).

AV SQUAD

Alain Vigneault has earned 648 career wins as an NHL head coach, and he is one win away from passing Ron Wilson for sole possession of 10th place on the league’s all-time wins list among head coaches.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK

Lias Andersson tallied his first career NHL goal/point while making his NHL debut on Mar. 26 vs. Washington, and he notched his first career NHL assist while skating in his second career NHL game on Mar. 28 at Washington. At 19 years and 164 days old, Andersson became the youngest player to tally a goal in his NHL debut in franchise history. He has posted a plus-one rating in four of his first five career NHL games, including each of the last two contests.

CHYTIL-MANIA

Filip Chytil recorded his first career NHL assist/point on Mar. 26 vs. Washington and his first career NHL goal on Mar. 30 vs. Tampa Bay. He became the first 18-year-old to register a goal, assist, and point with the Rangers since Manny Malhotra during the 1998-99 season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Chytil also became the fourth-youngest player (18 years, 206 days old) to tally his first goal for the Rangers in franchise history, behind only Don Raleigh, Red Garrett, and Malhotra. He is one of six players who are 18 years old who has played in at least one NHL game this season.

KING HENRIK

Henrik Lundqvist was named the winner of the 2017-18 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. The award is presented annually to the Ranger who, as chosen by the fans, “goes above and beyond the call of duty.” Lundqvist has made 30 or more saves in 36 of 62 appearances this season, and he ranks second among NHL goaltenders in games with 30 or more saves in 2017-18.

HEY HEY HAYES

Kevin Hayes enters the contest with a four-game point streak (three goals, one assist), and he has tallied a goal in each of the last two games. He has registered a point in seven of the last nine games and has recorded eight points (four goals, four assists) over the span. Hayes has tallied 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) in 31 games since returning to the Rangers’ lineup on Jan. 25 following an injury, and he leads the Blueshirts in goals and points over the span.

SPOONER STREET

Ryan Spooner has tallied 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 18 games since he was acquired by the Rangers on Feb. 25, and he is tied for the team lead in assists and points over the span.

VESEY DOES IT

Jimmy Vesey has registered an assist/point in four of the last six games, and he has recorded six points (two goals, four assists) over the span. He has also notched nine points (five goals, four assists) in the last 11 contests.

SKJEI HEY KID

Brady Skjei is the only player who has skated in every game the Rangers have played this season. He leads the Rangers in average ice time over the last 26 games (since Feb. 9; 23:08).

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello leads the Rangers in assists (36) and points (52) this season (Buchnevich ranks second in assists with 29; Zibanejad ranks second in points with 47). Should Zuccarello finish the 2017-18 season as the Blueshirts’ leader in points, he would become the eighth Ranger in franchise history who has led the team in points in at least four different seasons (along with Messier, Esposito, Ratelle, Bathgate, Hextall Sr., Boucher, and Bill Cook) and the ninth Ranger in franchise history who has led the team in points in at least three straight seasons (along with Jagr, Gretzky, Esposito, Bathgate, Hextall Sr., Dillon, Bill Cook, and Boucher).

MIKA MAGIC

Mika Zibanejad has established career-highs in goals (27), power play goals (14), power play points (21), and shots on goal (208) this season, and he leads the Rangers in all four categories in 2017-18.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play:

• The Rangers were 0-for-2 (4:00) on Apr. 3 at New Jersey.
• The Blueshirts have recorded a power-play goal in six of the last 11 games (9-for-33; 27.3%).

Penalty Kill:

• The Rangers were 1-for-4 (3:54) on Apr. 3 at New Jersey.
• New York ranks 10th in the NHL in penalty kill efficiency this season (81.5%; 198-for-243).
• The Blueshirts have allowed one power play goal or fewer in 74 of 80 games in 2017-18.

INJURIES (184 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

• Kevin Shattenkirk (meniscus tear) – has missed 34 games; will not return this season
• Steven Kampfer (fractured hand) – has missed 24 games
• Tony DeAngelo (sprained ankle) – has missed 10 games; will not return this season
• Jesper Fast (groin) – has missed one game; will not return this season
• Cody McLeod (abdominal strain) – has missed one game

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

• None

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

• Apr. 4, 1993 – John Vanbiesbrouck became the third goaltender in franchise history to earn 200 wins as a Ranger, and the Blueshirts defeated the Washington Capitals, 4-0.
• Apr. 4, 1994 – Mike Richter became the first goaltender in Rangers history to earn 40 wins in a season, as the Rangers defeated the Florida Panthers, 3-2, at MSG.
• Apr. 5, 1970 – The Rangers established a single-game franchise record by registering 65 shots on goal and defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 9-5, at MSG.
• Apr. 5, 1990 – Mike Richter earned his first career NHL playoff win as the Rangers defeated the Islanders, 2-1, in Game 1 of the Patrick Division Semifinals at MSG. Richter stopped 28 of 29 shots he faced in the contest, including one on a penalty shot against the Islanders’ Randy Wood.

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