NEW YORK RANGERS vs. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Sunday, Mar. 3, 2019, 12:30 p.m. ET
Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
TV: NBC, Radio: ESPN 1050 AM
Rangers:27-27-10 (64 pts)
Capitals: 37-21-7 (81 pts)
The Rangers play their 65th game of the 2018-19 season and conclude a three-game homestand on Sunday, Mar. 3, against the Washington Capitals in a Metropolitan Division matchup at Madison Square Garden (12:30 p.m. ET - TV: NBC, Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 12 of the last 19 games (9-7-3 record), and in 13 of the last 21 games (10-8-3 record).
Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Capitals 03.03.19
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. CAPITALS
RANGERS-CAPITALS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. CAPITALS
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:
HOME SWEET HOME
The Rangers have earned at least one point in 14 of the last 21 home games, in 21 of the last 29 home games, and in 23 of 34 games at MSG this season.
THREE'S COMPANY
The Blueshirts have tallied at least three goals in seven of the last 10 games, in 14 of the last 20 games, and in 15 of the last 22 games. Including team goals awarded for a shootout win, New York has recorded three or more goals in 40 of 64 games this season.
YOUTH SERVED
Six players 21 years old or younger have skated in at least one game with the Rangers this season (Filip Chytil, Brett Howden, Lias Andersson, Tim Gettinger, Ryan Lindgren, and Libor Hajek). Prior to this season, the last time the Blueshirts had six players 21 years old or younger all play at least one game in the same season was 1989-90.
ONE AND WON
Twelve of the Rangers' last 18 games and 34 of their 64 games this season have been decided by one goal. The Blueshirts' 34 one-goal games are tied for the most in the NHL this season, and their 16 wins in one-goal games are tied for the second-most in the NHL in 2018-19.
ON POINT
Rangers defensemen have registered 27 points (four goals, 23 assists) over the last 10 games (since Feb. 10 vs. Toronto), and at least one Rangers defenseman has recorded a point in all 10 games over the span.
IN A NEW YORK MINUTE
Over the last three games, the Rangers have tallied a goal within the first minute of a period in three separate periods (first period on Feb. 24 at Washington - Chris Kreider at 0:21; third period on Feb. 24 at Washington - Jimmy Vesey at 0:21; second period on Feb. 27 vs. Tampa Bay - Mika Zibanejad at 0:56).
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist has made at least 30 saves in five of his last six appearances and in 24 of his 44 appearances this season. He is tied for second among NHL goaltenders in games with 30 or more saves this season.
Should Lundqvist and Braden Holtby both start Sunday's game, Lundqvist would be starting against another Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender for the second consecutive game (he and Carey Price both started on Mar. 1 vs. Montreal). Lundqvist and another Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender have started the same regular season game 189 times in Lundqvist's career; Lundqvist has posted a 108-63-18 record, along with a 2.28 GAA, a .921 SV%, and 17 SO in those 189 games. In addition, Lundqvist and Holtby have started against each other in 36 games (regular season and playoffs combined). In those 36 games, Lundqvist has earned 18 wins, and he has posted a 2.10 GAA, a .927 SV%, and 3 SO.
MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad leads the Rangers in goals (27), assists (36), and points (63) this season; he has established career-highs in assists and points, and he has tied his career-high in goals (he also recorded 27 goals last season). Zibanejad is the first Rangers center who has recorded 27 or more goals in back-to-back seasons since Mark Messier (1995-96 and 1996-97). Since the Rangers' first game following last season's trade deadline (Feb. 28, 2018), Zibanejad has recorded 79 points (37 goals, 42 assists) in 82 games; he ranks eighth among NHL centers in goals over the span, trailing only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, John Tavares, Brayden Point, Joe Pavelski, and Matt Duchene. Zibanejad has won 644 of 1,298 faceoffs he has taken this season. He is nine faceoffs away from establishing a new career-high, and he is 16 faceoff wins away from establishing a new career-high.
DE-FENSE
Tony DeAngelo posted a career-high eight-game assist/point streak from Feb. 12 at Winnipeg to Feb. 27 vs. Tampa Bay (nine assists over the span). His eight-game assist streak is tied for the eighth-longest in Rangers history, and it was tied for the longest assist streak by a Rangers defenseman other than Brian Leetchin franchise history (Leetch posted three separate assist streaks which were longer than eight games). DeAngelo has recorded an assist/point in 10 of the last 13 games (11 assists), and his 11 assists since Feb. 4 are tied for the second-most among NHL defensemen over the span. DeAngelo's 23 points in 2018-19 are the 13th-most by an NHL defenseman who is 23 years old or younger this season. He is tied for 33rd among all NHL defensemen (min. 40 games played) in points per game in 2018-19 (0.51).
LEMIEUX IN BLUE
Brendan Lemieux tallied his first goal/point as a Ranger on Mar. 1 vs. Montreal, and he led all skaters with seven hits and logged a single-game career-high 15:24 of ice time while making his Rangers debut on Feb. 27 vs. Tampa Bay. He leads all NHL rookies (min. 20 games played) in goals per 60 minutes of ice time (1.69), and he is also tied for ninth among NHL rookies (min. 20 games played) in points per 60 minutes of ice time (2.03) this season. Lemieux also leads all NHL players (min. 20 games played) in minor penalties drawn per 60 minutes of ice time in 2018-19 (2.88). He has registered eight points (seven goals, one assist), a plus-eight rating, and 38 penalty minutes in his last 16 games.
GLAD WITH VLAD
Vladislav Namestnikov enters the contest with a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists), and he has recorded eight points (five goals, three assists) in the last eight games.
VESEY DOES IT
Jimmy Vesey posted a multi-point game in three consecutive games from Feb. 23 vs. New Jersey to Feb. 27 vs. Tampa Bay. He has tallied 10 points (five goals, five assists) over the last 12 games. Vesey has established career-highs in assists (18) and points (34) this season, and he is one goal away from tying his career-high (17 - 2017-18). Of Vesey's 34 points thus far in 2018-19, 30 have either been a goal or the primary assist on a goal.
HAJ GROUND
The Rangers recalled Libor Hajek from Hartford on Feb. 28, and he made his NHL debut on Mar. 1 vs. Montreal. At the time he was recalled, Hajek, who turned 21 years old on Feb. 4, led all AHL players who are in their U21 season or younger in games played this season (58), and he also led all AHL rookies (regardless of age) in games played in 2018-19.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
UPCOMING MILESTONES
INJURIES (157 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
REMEMBERING 1993-94
Sergei Nemchinov tallied three points (two goals, one assist), including his 20th goal of the 1993-94 season, to help the Rangers rally from an early 2-0 deficit and defeat the Capitals, 7-5, on March 9, 1994 in a neutral site game in Halifax.
RANGERS VS. CAPITALS - 1993-94
The Rangers won five of six regular season meetings against the Capitals in 1993-94 and defeated Washington, four games to one, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Mark Messier led the Rangers with eight points (three goals, five assists) during the regular season, while Brian Leetch led the Blueshirts with nine points (three goals, six assists) in five games during the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
