Pregame Notes: Rangers at Penguins 04.05.19

NEW YORK RANGERS at PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Saturday, Apr. 6, 2019, 7:00 p.m. ET
PPG Paints Arena - Pittsburgh, PA
TV: MSG Network, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM
Rangers:31-36-14 (76 pts)
Penguins: 44-26-11 (99 pts)
The Rangers play their 82nd and final game of the 2018-19 season and conclude a back-to-back set on Saturday, Apr. 6, against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Metropolitan Division matchup at PPG Paints Arena (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM).

TOMORROW STARTS TODAY
Through seven trades made leading up to the NHL's Trade Deadline in both 2018 and 2019, the Rangers acquired 22 assets in exchange for eight players who were on the team's roster. Among the assets acquired were:
The Rangers either have made, or will make, seven selections in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft over a three-year period from 2017 - 2019. Since the start of the NHL Entry Draft Era in 1979 (following the NHL-WHA merger), no NHL team has made more than seven first-round selections in a three-year span. In addition, for the first time in franchise history (since the inception of the NHL Amateur/Entry Draft in 1963), the Rangers have had multiple first-round picks in three consecutive years (two first-round selections in 2017, three first-round selections in 2018, and two first-round selections in 2019).
In 2018, the Rangers selected three players in the first round of the same NHL Amateur/Entry Draft for the first time in franchise history. The Blueshirts used their three first-round picks to select Vitali Kravtsov, K'Andre Miller, and Nils Lundkvist.
The Rangers made 10 selections overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, which was the most the team made in one year since the NHL adopted a seven-round Draft format beginning in 2005. The Blueshirts currently have 10 picks in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft (their own first-round pick, Winnipeg's first-round pick, their own second-round pick, eitherDallas' second-round pick or first-round pick, eitherTampa Bay's second-round pick or first-round pick, their own third-round pick, Columbus' fourth-round pick, their own fifth-round pick, their own sixth-round pick, and Columbus' seventh-round pick).
RANGERS VS. PENGUINS
RANGERS-PENGUINS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. PENGUINS
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Several Rangers players have connections with fellow members of the Blueshirts and/or members of the team's coaching staff in addition to being teammates with the Rangers:
YOUTH SERVED
The Rangers are currently the youngest team in the NHL (average age is 25.5 years old). At least one Ranger who is 23 years old or younger has tallied a goal in 13 of the last 15 games and in 15 of the last 18 games.
ON POINT
At least one Rangers defenseman has recorded a point in 27 of the team's last 30 games. Rangers defensemen have tallied 53 points (eight goals, 45 assists) in the last 29 games (note - does not include even strength points recorded by Brendan Smith, who has played as both a forward and a defenseman during the stretch).
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist has earned 449 wins in his NHL career. Lundqvist ranks sixth on the NHL's all-time wins list, and his 449 career wins with the Rangers are the second-most a goaltender has earned with one franchise in NHL history.
ALEXANDAR THE GREAT
Alexandar Georgiev made 94 consecutive saves and posted a shutout streak of 147:23, from the 15:02 mark of the first period Mar. 29 vs. St. Louis to the 2:25 mark of the third period on Apr. 5 vs. Columbus; according to NHL Stats & Information, Georgiev's streak of 94 consecutive saves is the longest by a Rangers goaltender since the start of the 1997-98 season. Over his last three appearances, he has posted a 2-0-1 record, along with a 1.31 GAA, a .966 SV% (112 saves on 116 shots), and 1 SO.
MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad was named the Rangers' MVP and the winner of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award in 2018-19. He is the sixth Ranger who has been named the Team's MVP (as chosen by the media) and has received the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award (as chosen by the fans) in the same season since 1987-88, which was the first year the Steven McDonald Extra Award was presented. Zibanejad joins Adam Graves (1992-93 and 1993-94), Mark Messier (1994-95 and 1995-96), Brian Leetch (1996-97), Wayne Gretzky (1997-98), and Henrik Lundqvist (2017-18) as the only players to win both awards in the same season. He leads the Rangers in goals (30), assists (44), and points (74) this season, and he has established career-highs in all three categories. Zibanejad is one of six NHL players who have registered 30 or more goals and have won 800 or more faceoffs this season (Barkov, Crosby, Larkin, Tavares, Toews). He is also the only Ranger who has skated in every game this season.
STROME SURGE
Ryan Strome has recorded 17 goals since he was acquired by the Rangers on Nov. 16; his 17 goals with the Rangers are tied for the most any NHL player acquired during the 2018-19 season has tallied with his new team (he is tied with his brother, Dylan Strome, who has recorded 17 goals with Chicago).
DE-FENSE
Tony DeAngelo has notched an assist/point in 15 of his last 25 games (16 assists) and in 17 of his last 29 games (18 assists). DeAngelo's 18 assists since Feb. 4 are tied for the fourth-most among NHL defensemen. He is one of six Rangers defensemen 23 years old or younger who have tallied 30 or more points in a season over the last 30 seasons (Leetch, Zubov, Del Zotto, McDonagh, and Skjei).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
INJURIES (187 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
REMEMBERING 1993-94
When the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1993-94, Mark Messier became the first player in NHL history to serve as the captain of a Stanley Cup-winning team for two different franchises (Edmonton Oilers - 1989-90; Rangers - 1993-94).
RANGERS VS. PENGUINS - 1993-94
The Rangers posted a 2-2-0 record in four games against Pittsburgh during the 1993-94 season. The Blueshirts scored six power play goals in four games against the Penguins (6-for-23; 26.1%). Mark Messier led the Rangers with five points (two goals, three assists) in four games, while Sergei Zubov led the team with four assists in the season series.