Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Bruins 10.27.19

RANGERS vs. BRUINS, 7 p.m.Madison Square GardenMSG Network, 98.7 FM
GAME DAY
The Rangers play their ninth game of the 2019-20 season and continue a season-long five-game homestand tonight, October 27, against the Boston Bruins in an Original Six matchup at Madison Square Garden. Including tonight's game, the Rangers will play four of their next five games, and six of their next eight contests, at MSG. Tonight's game is also the Rangers' 2,000th all-time regular-season game at the current Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1968.
RANGERS VS. BRUINS
- All-Time: 259-291-97-2 (149-122-55-0 at home; 110-169-42-2 on the road) - 2019-20: Tonight's game is the first of three meetings between the Rangers and Bruins, and the first of two meetings between the two teams at MSG. Following tonight's game, the Rangers and Bruins will face each other on the following dates: Nov. 29 (at Boston), Feb. 16 (at MSG). - 2018-19: The Rangers posted a 2-1-0 record (1-0-0 at home; 1-1-0 on the road). The Blueshirts recorded at least three goals in all three games. Two of the three meetings in the season series were decided by one goal. Mika Zibanejad led all skaters with five goals and led the Rangers with five points in the season series; he recorded a goal/point in all three games and posted two multi-goal games. Pavel Buchnevich tallied three assists/points in three games. - The Rangers have played more regular-season games (649) and have earned more regular-season wins (259) against the Bruins than against any other opponent in their 93-season history. - The Blueshirts have earned a win in nine of their last 11 games against Boston (9-2-0 record). - Since Mar. 24, 2007, 28 of the 42 meetings between the Rangers and Bruins have been decided by one goal. In addition, 34 of the 42 meetings over the span have been decided by two or fewer goals. - New York has won six of its last seven home games against Boston (6-1-0 record).

RANGERS-BRUINS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. BRUINS
GOALS GALORE
The Rangers tied a single-game season-high with six goals on Oct. 24 vs. Buffalo. The Blueshirts have recorded three or more goals in three different games this season and have posted a 3-0-0 record in those games.

TEAM EFFORT
Through the first eight games this season, 12 different Rangers have registered at least one goal.
ON POINT
Rangers defensemen have registered 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) through eight games in 2019-20. Blueshirts defensemen have tallied 32.4% of the team's points this season, which is the second-highest percentage in the league. Rangers defensemen have also recorded 28.0% of the team's goals thus far this season, which is the third-highest percentage in the NHL.

IN REAL TIME
The Blueshirts have been credited with 60 hits and 43 blocked shots over the last two games, and the team has recorded at least 20 hits and 20 blocked shots in both of those contests. The Rangers have earned at least one point in all three games when registering 20 or more blocked shots this season (2-0-1 record).

MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad is expected to skate in his 500th career NHL game in tonight's contest. He ranks sixth in the NHL in points per game (1.38) and ranks ninth in the NHL (min. two games played) in assists per game (0.88) this season.

KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist has earned 451 wins in his NHL career, and he is three wins away from tying Curtis Joseph (454) for fifth place on the NHL's all-time wins list. Lundqvist has stopped 71 of 76 shots over his last two appearances (.934 SV%), and he has stopped 79 of 84 shots at even strength over his last three appearances (.940 SV% at even strength).

HENR1K
Lundqvist has made 990 career appearances (regular-season and playoffs combined) as a Ranger. He is 10 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).

STATE OF THE ART-EMI
Artemi Panarin has recorded a goal/point in five of eight games this season (five goals, two assists), including three of the last four games. He has tallied 16 points (11 goals, five assists) in 11 career games at MSG.
TROU BLUE
Jacob Trouba ranks ninth in the NHL in average ice time this season (24:58), and he is one of five NHL players who are averaging at least 3:00 of power play ice time and 3:00 of shorthanded ice time per game in 2019-20. He is also one of three NHL players who are averaging at least 2.5 hits per game and 2.5 blocked shots per game this season. In addition, Trouba leads NHL defensemen in shots on goal per game this season (3.88).

STROME SURGE
Ryan Strome enters the contest with a three-game point streak (two goals, two assists), and he has tallied a point in five of the last six games (two goals, four assists). He is one of three Rangers who have recorded a point in five different games this season (along with Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin).

DE-FENSE
Tony DeAngelo has posted a multi-point game in each of the last two games (three goals, one assist). According to NHL Stats and Information, he is one of four defensemen in Rangers history who have recorded at least four goals in the team's first eight games of a season (along with Dave Maloney, Ron Greschner, and Brian Leetch). DeAngelo is tied for fourth among NHL defensemen in goals in 2019-20 (four).

SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rangers have either outscored their opponent on special teams or tied their opponent in special teams scoring in four of eight gams this season, and the Blueshirts have earned at least one point in all four of those contests (3-0-1 record).
Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
UPCOMING MILESTONES
- New York Rangers - 1 home game away from 2,000 all-time regular-season games at the current Madison Square Garden - Henrik Lundqvist - 10 appearances away from 1,000 (regular-season and playoffs combined) in his NHL career/with the Rangers - Mika Zibanejad - 1 game away from 500 in his NHL career - Brendan Smith - 5 points away from 100 in his NHL career - Brady Skjei - 7 points away from 100 in his NHL career/with the Rangers - David Quinn - 10 games coached away from 100 in his NHL career/with the Rangers (expected to reach milestone on Nov. 16, 2019 at Florida