Pregame Notes: Rangers at Sharks 10.30.18

NEW YORK RANGERS at SAN JOSE SHARKS
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018, 10:30 p.m. ET
SAP Center at San Jose - San Jose, CA
TV: MSG Network, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM
Rangers:3-7-1 (7 pts)
Sharks: 6-3-2 (14 pts)
THE MATCHUP
The Rangers play their 12th game of the 2018-19 season and continue a four-game road trip Tuesday, Oct. 30, against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose (10:30 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). New York's current four-game road trip is tied for its longest this season. The Blueshirts have three separate four-game road trips in 2018-19 (Oct. 25 at Chicago - Nov. 1 at Anaheim; Feb. 12 at Winnipeg - Feb. 19 at Carolina; Mar. 11 at Edmonton - Mar. 16 at Minnesota).

RANGERS VS. SHARKS
RANGERS-SHARKS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. SHARKS
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:
GOALS GALORE
Including team goals awarded for a shootout win, the Rangers have registered three or more goals in four of the last six games and in six of the last nine contests.
SHUTTING THE DOOR
The Blueshirts have held their opponent to two goals in four of the last eight games. Excluding empty-net goals allowed, the Rangers have held their opponent to two goals in six of 11 games in 2018-19.
SMOOTH SAILING ON THE PACIFIC
Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Rangers have posted a 43-14-5 record in 62 games against Pacific Division opponents, including a 19-8-3 record in 30 games on the road against Pacific Division opponents over the span.
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist has been selected as one of the game's Three Stars in four of his nine appearances this season. He has allowed two goals in five of his nine appearances in 2018-19. Lundqvist has posted a SV% of .900 or better in seven of his nine appearances this season, including a SV% of .925 or better in five of those appearances. He ranks third in the NHL in saves (278) and even strength saves (229) this season, and he has posted a .935 SV% at even strength in 2018-19 (229 saves on 245 shots at even strength).
MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad tied a single-game career-high with four points (two goals, two assists), and registered three points on special teams in the second period (one power play goal, one shorthanded goal, and one power play assist) on Oct. 23 vs. Florida. He became the first Ranger to tally a power play goal and a shorthanded goal in the same period since Brandon Dubinsky on Apr. 12, 2009 at Philadelphia. Zibanejad has tallied a goal/point in three of the last five games (four goals, three assists) and in four of the last seven games (five goals, three assists over the last seven games). He ranks sixth in the NHL in faceoffs taken (238), ranks seventh in shots on goal (46) and faceoffs won (126), and leads the NHL in power play shots on goal (22) this season. He ranks 14th among NHL forwards in average ice time this season (20:51).
REAL DEAL NEAL
Neal Pionk has registered an assist/point in three of the last five games, and he has recorded six assists over the span. Five of Pionk's six assists over the span have been power play assists, and all of his five power play assists have also been primary assists. Pionk is tied for third among NHL defensemen in power play assists (five), and is tied for fourth among NHL defensemen in primary assists (five) and power play points (five) this season. Pionk has recorded the primary assist on each of the Rangers' last five power play goals. He is the fourth Ranger in franchise history who has recorded the primary assist on five consecutive power play goals scored by the team - the other three players are Rod Gilbert (Nov. 29, 1974 - Dec. 12, 1974), Carol Vadnais (Jan. 2, 1977 - Jan. 19, 1977), and Scott Gomez (Jan. 14, 2008 - Feb. 1, 2008). He has led the Rangers in ice time in each of the last five games, and he has also led all skaters on both teams in ice time in three of the last four games.
ON THE MARC
Marc Staal enters the contest with 772 career games played as a Ranger. He is one game away from passing Adam Graves for sole possession of 10th place on the Rangers' all-time games played list (among skaters).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
UPCOMING MILESTONES
INJURIES (25 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
REMEMBERING 1993-94
The Rangers scored a season-high eight goals in their only visit to San Jose during the 1993-94 season, which was an 8-3 win on January 25, 1994. Steve Larmer (two goals, two assists) and Sergei Zubov (four assists) each tallied four points, while Mark Messier (two goals, one assist) and Brian Leetch (three assists) each notched three points. The Blueshirts recorded eight goals in a game twice during the 1993-94 season (December 26, 1993 vs. New Jersey and January 25, 1994 at San Jose).
RANGERS VS. SHARKS - 1993-94
The Rangers posted a 1-0-1 record in two games against San Jose and outscored the Sharks, 11-6, in the two contests. Steve Larmer recorded five points (two goals, three assists) in the season series to lead the Blueshirts.
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