Postgame Notes: Rangers at Penguins 04.06.19

Team Notes

• RESILIENT RANGERS - The Rangers won a game after allowing the first goal for the 16th time this season.
• SHOOTING GALLERY -The Blueshirts registered 30 shots on goal in tonight's game. The Rangers recorded 30 or more shots on goal in 36 different games in 2018-19.
• IN REAL TIME - As of the conclusion of tonight's game, the Blueshirts are one of two NHL teams that have registered at least 2,100 hits and 1,200 blocked shots in 2018-19 (along with Pittsburgh).
• HITTING MACHINE -The Rangers were credited with 37 hits in tonight's game, including 15 hits in the first period, and 15 of 18 skaters registered at least one hit in the contest. The Blueshirts recorded 20 or more hits in 67 games this season, as well as 30 or more hits in 19 different contests. The Rangers registered 2,128 hits in 2018-19.
• BLOCK PARTY -New York was credited with 20 blocked shots in tonight's contest. The Rangers recorded at least 20 blocked shots in a game for the 13th time this season.

Three Stars on Broadway

• Ryan Strometallied the game-winning goal in overtime and posted a plus-one rating in tonight's contest. Strome was selected as the game's First Star. He registered 33 points (18 goals, 15 assists) in 63 games with the Rangers after he was acquired on Nov. 16, 2018. As of the conclusion of tonight's game,Strome's 18 goals with the Rangers this season were the most by an NHL player who was acquired during the 2018-19 season with his new team (his brother, Dylan Strome, has recorded 17 with the Blackhawks). In addition, Strome is one of two Rangers who skated in all of the team's 63 games from the time he was acquired until the end of the season (Mika Zibanejad). He established a career-high in goals in 2018-19 (19). Strome was tied for second on the Rangers in goals from the time he was acquired until the end of the season.
• Alexandar Georgievmade 36 saves to earn his 14th win of the 2018-19 season. Georgiev appeared in 33 games this season, which ranked second among NHL rookie goaltenders in 2018-19. In addition, his 33 appearances in 2018-19 were the sixth-most in one season by a Rangers rookie goaltender since expansion (1967-68), while his 14 wins were the fifth-most in one season by a Rangers rookie goaltender over the span. Georgiev made at least 30 saves in five of his final six appearances of the season and in 18 of his 33 appearances in 2018-19.
• Vladislav Namestnikovregistered two points (one goal, one assist), including an assist on the game-winning goal in overtime, recorded a shorthanded goal, tied for the game-high with four shots on goal, was credited with four hits, and posted a plus-two rating. Namestnikov established career-highs in shorthanded goals (two), shorthanded assists (four), and shorthanded points (six) this season; he led the Rangers in shorthanded assists and shorthanded points, and he tied for the team lead in shorthanded goals in 2018-19.

Blueshirt Breakdown

• David Quinncompleted his first season as the Rangers' Head Coach. Quinn was named the 35th Head Coach in Rangers' history on May 23, 2018; he is the second Head Coach in Blueshirts history who had previously coached in the NCAA (along with Herb Brooks). In addition, Quinn is the only Head Coach in Rangers history who joined the team directly from the NCAA.
• Brady Skjeirecorded a goal,*led all skaters with six hits, registered three shots on goal, and posted a plus-one rating while skating in a team-high 24:09 of ice time. Skjei led the Rangers in several categories this season, including average ice time (21:14) and hits (178), and he tied for the team lead in blocked shots (119). He also led Rangers defensemen in goals (eight) and even strength points (24). Skjei established career-highs in goals, average ice time, and hits, and he tied his career-high in blocked shots in 2018-19. Skjei is one of 10 defensemen in franchise history who have posted at least three separate 20-point seasons when 24 years old or younger (along with Brian Leetch, Brad Park, Ron Greschner, Dave Maloney, James Patrick, Reijo Ruotsalainen, Barry Beck, Sergei Zubov, and Michael Del Zotto).
• Brendan Smithtallied a goal, was credited with three hits, and recorded two shots on goal. He registered a point in three of his final four games of the season (one goal, two assists), and he also tallied four points (two goals, two assists) in his final nine games in 2018-19.
• Neal Pionknotched a shorthanded assist and logged 19:49 of ice time. Pionk registered his first career shorthanded assist/point in the NHL. He ranked third among Rangers defensemen in assists (20) and points (26) this season.
• Kevin Shattenkirkrecorded an assist, led all skaters with five blocked shots, was credited with three hits, and posted a plus-two rating in 20:36 of ice time. He tallied 14 assists/points in his final 26 games of the season. Shattenkirk ranked second on the Rangers in even strength assists (20) and tied for third on the team in assists (26) in 2018-19. He led Rangers defensemen in even strength assists and shots on goal (148), tied for first among team defensemen in assists, and ranked second among Rangers defensemen in points (28) this season.
• Mika Zibanejad*won 12 of 21 faceoffs (57.1%) and logged 20:33 of ice time in tonight's contest. He was the only Ranger who skated in all of the team's 82 games this season, and he also skated in all 82 games of a season for the first time in his NHL career. Zibanejad, who was named the Rangers' MVP and the winner of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award in 2018-19, established career-highs in several categories this season, including goals (30), assists (44), and points (74), and he also led the Rangers in all three categories. Zibanejad is the 13th different Ranger who has led the team in goals, assists, and points in the same season (and the first to do so since Brandon Dubinsky in 2010-11), and it is the 18th instance in the franchise's 92-season history that one player has led the team in goals, assists, and points in the same season. Zibanejad also led the Rangers in total ice time this season (1,685:48); since the NHL began to track ice time in 1997-98, he is the first Rangers forward who has led the team in total ice time in one season. In addition, his 1,685:48 of ice time this season is the sixth-most by a Rangers forward in one season since 1997-98. He established career-highs in faceoff wins (831) and faceoffs taken (1,673) this season; since the NHL began to track faceoffs in 1997-98, Zibanejad's 831 faceoff wins in 2018-19 were the fourth-most by a Ranger in one season, and his 1,673 faceoffs taken were the third-most by a Ranger in one season. He was named one of the Rangers' alternate captains at the start of the 2018-19 season.