RANGERS VS. BLUE JACKETS
RANGERS-BLUE JACKETS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. BLUE JACKETS
RANGERS CONNECTIONS (IN ADDITION TO CURRENTLY PLAYING WITH THE BLUESHIRTS)
ROAD WARRIORS
New York led the NHL in wins (27) and points (56) on the road during the 2016-17 season (27-12-2 record). The Rangers also led the NHL in goal differential (plus-28), tied for the NHL lead in goals against (97), and tied for fourth in the NHL in goals for (125) on the road last season. The Rangers lead the NHL in road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season (99). New York's 27 road wins in 2016-17 were the second-most the team earned in one season in franchise history, and the only season in which the Blueshirts earned more than 27 road wins was 2014-15 (28). The Rangers' 27 road wins last season were also tied for the fifth-most any NHL team has recorded in one season in league history.
BOUNCE BACK
Since Dec. 22, 2015, the Rangers have posted a 41-12-4 record in the game following a loss (either regulation loss or overtime/shootout loss). New York posted a 23-7-4 record in games following a loss last season.
WHAT A LINE
The Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad-Pavel Buchnevich line has registered 11 points (five goals, six assists) thus far this season, and at least one of the three players has notched a point on seven of the team's 10 goals in 2017-18.
FOUR SCORE
For the second time in franchise history, a Ranger has registered a goal in each of the team's first four games of a season (Rick Nash - 2014-15; Mika Zibanejad - 2017-18).
ON POINT
Three Rangers defensemen have recorded a goal thus far this season (Kevin Shattenkirk, Marc Staal, and Brady Skjei). New York is one of four NHL teams with three defensemen who have tallied a goal this season.
SHUTTING THE DOOR
The Rangers earned their first shutout of the 2017-18 season on Oct. 8 vs. Montreal (2-0 win). New York posted a shutout in one of its first three games of a season for the first time since Oct. 16, 2003 vs. Atlanta (0-0 tie), and the Blueshirts registered a shutout win in one of their first three contests of a season for the first time since Oct. 14, 1995 at Toronto (2-0 win).
SHOOTING GALLERY
The Blueshirts have registered at least 30 shots on goal in three of four games in 2017-18 and have averaged 33.0 shots on goal per game thus far this season.
HOT AT THE DOT
The Rangers have posted a 52.7% faceoff win percentage in 2017-18 (127-for-241) and have won at least 55.0% of faceoffs taken in three of four contests. The Blueshirts are one of seven NHL teams that have posted a 50.0% faceoff win percentage or better on offensive zone faceoffs, defensive zone faceoffs, and neutral zone faceoffs in 2017-18.
AV SQUAD
Alain Vigneault leads all NHL head coaches in wins since 2006-07 (506). Vigneault has earned 615 career wins as an NHL head coach, and he is two wins away from tying Jacques Lemaire for 13th place on the league's all-time wins list among head coaches.
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist earned his 62nd career NHL shutout on Oct. 8 vs. Montreal, passing Turk Broda for sole possession of 16th place on the NHL's all-time shutouts list. Lundqvist enters the game with 406 career NHL wins, and he is one win away from tying Glenn Hall for ninth place on the NHL's all-time wins list. Lundqvist has allowed two goals over the last two contests, posting a 1-1-0 record, along with a 1.02 GAA, a .964 SV% (54 saves on 56 shots), and 1 SO in the two games.
MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad has recorded a goal/point in each of the Rangers' first four games in 2017-18, tallying five goals in the four contests. Zibanejad's four-game goal streak is a career-high, and he is one of two players in Rangers history who have recorded a goal in each of the team's first four games of a season (Rick Nash - 2014-15). He leads the NHL in power play goals (four) and games with a goal (four), is tied for the NHL lead in power play points (four), is tied for second in goals (five), and is tied for fourth in shots on goal (20) this season. Zibanejad's four power play goals are tied for his career-high. He also ranks fourth in the NHL (min. 60 faceoffs taken) in faceoff win percentage thus far this season (57.0%; 49-for-86).
WELCOME MATS
Mats Zuccarello established a single-game career-high with four points (one goal, three assists) and tied a single-game career-high with three assists on Oct. 7 at Toronto. Zuccarello, who was named an alternate captain on Oct. 4, tallied five points (one goal, four assists) through the first two games this season and became the first Ranger to register five points in the first two games of a season since Bernie Nicholls in 1990-91. He is tied for third in the NHL in power play assists (three) and is tied for sixth in the NHL in power play points (three) this season.
SHATT STATS
Kevin Shattenkirk registered two points (one goal, one assist), including his 300th career NHL point, on Oct. 7 at Toronto. He has tallied four points (one goal, three assists) this season, all on the power play, and he is tied for the NHL lead in power play points in 2017-18. Since the start of the 2011-12 season, Shattenkirk ranks second among NHL defensemen in power play points (135), and ranks third among NHL defensemen in power play goals (33) and power play assists (102); he is the only NHL defenseman who ranks third or higher in all three categories over the span.
RICK ROLLING
Rick Nash is one of two NHL players who have registered 20 or more goals in 12 different seasons since 2003-04 (along with Alex Ovechkin). Since joining the Rangers prior to the start of the 2012-13 season, Nash ranks seventh in the NHL (min. 100 games played) in goals per 60 minutes of ice time (1.37), and he also leads the Blueshirts in goals (127), game-winning goals (27), and shots on goal (1,132) over the span. Thus far in 2017-18, Nash is tied for third in the NHL in takeaways (six) and is tied for 12th in the NHL in shots on goal (16).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
UPCOMING MILESTONES
INJURIES (4 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Oct. 10 - Assigned Filip Chytil to Hartford (AHL); Released Andrew Desjardins from Professional Tryout (PTO)
Oct. 9 - Claimed Adam Cracknell off waivers from Dallas
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
- Oct. 12, 1976 - While skating in his fourth career NHL game, Don Murdoch became the first player in Rangers history to tally five goals in a game, as the Blueshirts defeated the Minnesota North Stars, 10-4.
- Oct. 13, 1983 - The Rangers established a franchise record for the best start to a season. The Blueshirts improved to 5-0-0 to start the 1983-84 season with a 4-3 win against the Washington Capitals at MSG.
- Oct. 13, 1993 - The Rangers established a single-game franchise record by tallying six power play goals in a 6-4 win against the Quebec Nordiques at MSG.
- Oct. 13, 2005 - Henrik Lundqvist earned his first career NHL win, making 20 saves as the Rangers defeated the New Jersey Devils, 4-1, at MSG. The contest was also Lundqvist's first career game at MSG.
- Oct. 13, 2008 - The Rangers matched a franchise record for their best start to a season by winning their fifth consecutive game to open the 2008-09 season. The Blueshirts defeated the New Jersey Devils, 4-1, at MSG, as Brandon Dubinsky (one goal, two assists) and Aaron Voros (two goals, one assist) each registered three points, while Henrik Lundqvist stopped 26 of 27 shots he faced to earn the win.
