Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Blues 03.29.19

NEW YORK RANGERS vs. ST. LOUIS BLUES
Friday, Mar. 29, 2019, 7:00 p.m. ET
Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
Rangers:29-34-13 (71 pts)
Blues: 41-27-8 (90 pts)
The Rangers play their 77th game of the 2018-19 season tomorrow, Mar. 29, against the St. Louis Blues at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). Tomorrow's contest is the Blueshirts' final game against a Western Conference opponent in 2018-19. Including tomorrow's game, the Rangers conclude the 2018-19 season with six games over a nine-day stretch.

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. BLUES
RANGERS-BLUES CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. BLUES
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 25.7 years old). Seven of the Rangers' last 15 goals have been scored by a player who is 23 years old or younger (Buchnevich (3), Lemieux (2), Pionk, and Howden). At least one Ranger who is 23 years old or younger has registered a goal in eight of the last 10 games and in 10 of the last 13 games. The 2018-19 season is the third in franchise history which at least two players 20 years old or younger skated in 60 or more games (1976-77 - Dave Maloney, Mike McEwen, and Dave Farrish; 1977-78 - Ron Duguay and Lucien DeBlois; 2018-19 - Filip Chytil and Brett Howden).
ON POINT
At least one Rangers defenseman has recorded a point in 23 of the team's last 25 games, including all 23 games which the team has registered a goal over the span. Rangers defensemen have tallied 48 points (seven goals, 41 assists) in the last 25 games (note - does not include points recorded by Brendan Smith, who has played forward during the stretch).
CLOSE CALL
Six of the Rangers' last 12 games and 40 of their 76 games this season have been decided by one goal. The Blueshirts' 40 one-goal games are the second-most in the NHL in 2018-19. The Rangers have played at least 40 one-goal games in a season for the first time since 2008-09 (43). In addition, the 2018-19 season is the seventh in the Rangers' 92-season history that the team has played at least 40 games decided by one goal or fewer.
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 ranks second among NHL rookie goaltenders in appearances (29), ranks third among NHL rookie goaltenders in saves (818), and ranks fourth among NHL rookie goaltenders in wins (11) this season. Georgiev has made 30 or more saves in 15 of his 29 appearances this season, and he has also allowed two goals or fewer in 15 of those 29 appearances. In addition, he has helped the Rangers earn at least one point in 14 of his 26 starts in 2018-19.
MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad leads the Rangers in goals (30), assists (40), and points (70) this season, and he has established career-highs in all three categories. He is the first Rangers center who has recorded at least 30 goals in a season since Eric Lindros (37 in 2001-02). Zibanejad is one of three centers in Rangers history who have recorded at least 30 goals in a season when 25 years old or younger (along with Mark Pavelich and Darren Turcotte). Zibanejad is also one of three centers in franchise history who have registered 70 or more points in a season when 25 years old or younger (along with Walt Tkaczuk and Mark Pavelich).
DOING IT ALL
Zibanejad is one of five NHL players who have registered 30 or more goals and have won 750 or more faceoffs this season (along with Aleksander Barkov, Sidney Crosby, John Tavares, and Jonathan Toews). He is also one of nine NHL players who have recorded at least 30 goals and 60 or more takeaways in 2018-19 (along with Barkov, Toews, Sebastian Aho, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Sean Monahan, Mark Scheifele, and Mark Stone). In addition, Zibanejad is one of two NHL players who have registered 30 or more goals and have been credited with 130 or more hits this season (along with Alex Ovechkin).
PLAYING THE GAME
Zibanejad is the only Ranger who has played in every game thus far this season, and he leads the Rangers in total ice time in 2018-19 (1,559:45). Since the NHL began to track ice time in 1997-98, no Rangers forward has led the team in total ice time in one season. Zibanejad is the first Rangers forward who has logged at least 1,559 minutes of ice time in one season since 2011-12 (Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, and Derek Stepan).
HOT AT THE DOT
Zibanejad's 785 faceoff wins in 2018-19 are the fifth-most a Ranger has registered in one season since the NHL began tracking faceoffs in 1997-98 and the most by a Ranger in one season since 2005-06. In addition, Zibanejad's 1,567 faceoffs taken this season are the fourth-most a Ranger has registered in one season since 1997-98 and the most by a Ranger in one season since 2005-06.
BUCH BOOST
Pavel Buchnevich enters the contest with a career-high five-game point streak (two goals, three assists). He has also tallied nine points (six goals, three assists) in the last 12 games. Buchnevich has established career-highs in goals (18), even strength goals (11), and power play goals (seven) this season.
STROME SURGE
Ryan Strome has recorded 15 goals since he was acquired by the Rangers on Nov. 16; his 15 goals with the Rangers are the most any NHL player acquired during the 2018-19 season has registered with his new team. Since he was acquired by the Rangers on Nov. 16, Strome ranks third on the team in goals and ranks fourth on the team in points (28). In addition, he is one of only two Rangers who have played in all of the team's 57 games since he was acquired on Nov. 16 (along with Mika Zibanejad).
DE-FENSE
Tony DeAngelo has recorded an assist/point in 14 of his last 20 games (15 assists) and in 16 of his last 24 games (17 assists). DeAngelo's 17 assists since Feb. 4 are tied for the most among NHL defensemen. He ranks 11th among NHL defensemen 23 years old or younger in points this season (29).
SHATT STATS
Kevin Shattenkirk has tallied 13 assists/points in his last 20 games, and his 13 assists since Feb. 12 are tied for the third-most among NHL defensemen.
21-FOR-21
Brett Howden is celebrating his 21st birthday tomorrow. Howden is one of two NHL rookie forwards (and one of five NHL rookies) who are averaging at least 1:00 of power play ice time per game and 1:00 of shorthanded ice time per game this season.
Since the NHL began to track ice time in 1997-98, Howden is the only Rangers rookie forward who has averaged at least 1:00 of power play ice time and 1:00 of shorthanded ice time per game in the same season. He has logged 73:16 of shorthanded ice time this season, which is the fourth-most a Rangers rookie forward has logged in a season since 1997-98 (trailing only Dominic Moore (293:28 in 2005-06), Mikael Samuelsson (147:43 in 2001-02), and Jed Ortmeyer (113:35 in 2003-04)). In addition, Howden's 330 faceoff wins in 2018-19 are the fourth-most a Rangers rookie has recorded in a season since the NHL began to track faceoffs in 1997-98 (trailing only Mike York (544 in 1999-00), Brandon Dubinsky (512 in 2007-08), and Dominic Moore (377 in 2005-06)).
CHYTIL-MANIA
Filip Chytil has skated in 72 games this season and in 81 games in his NHL career. Chytil's 72 games played this season are the third-most by a teenager in one season in franchise history (Del Zotto - 80 in 2009-10; Malhotra - 73 in 1998-99). Chytil's 81 career games played as a teenager are the second-most in Rangers history (Malhotra - 100).

SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
UPCOMING MILESTONES
INJURIES (174 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
REMEMBERING 1993-94
Alexei Kovalev tallied two goals, including the game-winning goal with 36.8 seconds remaining in regulation, as the Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-3, on March 29, 1994 in Philadelphia.
RANGERS VS. BLUES - 1993-94
The Rangers won both meetings against St. Louis during the 1993-94 season. Steve Larmer led the Rangers with four assists and four points in the two contests, while Esa Tikkanen (two goals, one assist) and Sergei Zubov (three assists) each registered three points in the season series.