Pregame Notes: Rangers @ Capitals 10.18.19

TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their fifth game of the 2019-20 season and conclude a back-to-back set tonight, Oct. 18, against the Washington
Capitals in a Metropolitan Division matchup at Capital One Arena (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network, Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). New
York is concluding its first back-to-back set of the season tonight. The Rangers have 13 back-to-back sets during the 2019-20 season;
the team had 11 back-to-back sets in both 2017-18 and 2018-19. Only two Eastern Conference teams have fewer back-to-back sets
than the Blueshirts in 2019-20.

RANGERS VS. CAPITALS
- All-Time: 97-96-18-11 (53-44-9-5 at home; 44-52-9-6 on the road) - 2019-20: Tonight's game is the first of four meetings between the Rangers and Capitals, and the first of two meetings between the two teams at Washington. Following tonight's game, the Rangers and Capitals will face each other on the following dates: Nov. 20 (at MSG), Mar. 5 (at MSG), Mar. 26 (at Washington). - 2018-19: The Rangers posted a 0-1-3 record (0-1-1 at home; 0-0-2 on the road). All four games were decided by two or fewer goals, and three of the four contests were decided in either overtime or a shootout. The Rangers tallied at least three goals in three of four games in the season series. Brady Skjei tied for first among all skaters with three goals in the season series, while Chris Kreider (two goals, two assists) and Mika Zibanejad (one goal, three assists) each recorded four points in four games. - All of the last nine meetings between New York and Washington have been decided by two or fewer goals. In addition, 12 of the last 13 games between the Rangers and Capitals have been decided by two or fewer goals, and seven of those 13 meetings have been decided by one goal. - Four of the last five meetings, and five of the last seven meetings, between the Rangers and Capitals have been decided in either overtime or a shootout.

RANGERS-CAPITALS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. CAPITALS
TEAM EFFORT
Nine different Rangers have registered at least one goal through the first four games this season.

FIRST IN SCORE
The Rangers have recorded the first goal of the game in each of their first four games in 2019-20. Prior to this season, the last time
New York recorded the first goal of the game in each of its first four games to begin a season was 2015-16.

HOT AT THE DOT
The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in faceoff win percentage this season (54.9%; 128-for-233).

ON POINT
Rangers defensemen have registered 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in four games this season, and at least one Rangers
defenseman has recorded a point on 10 of the team's 13 goals in 2019-20 (Note - includes points recorded by Brendan Smith, who has
played both forward and defense this season).

MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad was selected as the NHL's First Star of the Week for the week ending on Oct. 6. He has registered eight points (four
goals, four assists) in four games this season, and he has posted a four-point game in two of the four contests. This season, Zibanejad
became the second Ranger in franchise history to record eight points in the team's first two games of a season (Rod Gilbert - 1976-77;
credit - NHL Stats and Information). In addition, he became the first NHL player to register eight points in his team's first two games of a
season since Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96. Zibanejad has registered a point on eight of the Rangers' first 13 goals this season.

KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist earned his 450th career NHL win on Oct. 3 vs. Winnipeg, becoming the sixth goaltender in NHL history to earn at
least 450 career wins (and the second to do so with one franchise). He is four wins away from tying Curtis Joseph (454) for fifth place
on the NHL's all-time wins list. Lundqvist is expected to make his 860th career NHL appearance in tonight's game, tying Hall of Famer
Gump Worsley for 11th place on the NHL's all-time appearances list.
HENR1K
Lundqvist has made 987 career appearances (regular-season and playoffs combined) as a Ranger. He is 13 appearances away from
becoming the sixth player to appear in at least 1,000 career regular-season and playoff games with the Rangers in franchise history
(along with Brian Leetch, Harry Howell, Rod Gilbert, Ron Greschner, and Walt Tkaczuk).

THE FINNISHER
Kaapo Kakko registered his first career NHL goal/point on Oct. 12 vs. Edmonton. He became the eighth player 18 years old or younger
to tally a goal with the Rangers in franchise history, and he also became the ninth player 18 years old or younger to tally a point with the
Rangers in franchise history.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
UPCOMING MILESTONES