Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Devils 03.09.19

NEW YORK RANGERS vs. NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Saturday, Mar. 9, 2019, 7:00 p.m. ET
Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
Rangers:27-28-12 (66 pts)
Devils: 25-34-9 (59 pts)
The Rangers play their 68th game of the 2018-19 season this Saturday Mar. 9, against the New Jersey Devils in a Metropolitan Division matchup at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in five of the last seven games and in 15 of the last 24 contests.

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. DEVILS
RANGERS-DEVILS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. DEVILS
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 15 of the last 22 home games, in 22 of the last 30 home games, and in 24 of 35 games at MSG this season.
YOUTH SERVED
All four Rangers who recorded a point on Mar. 7 at Detroit are 23 years old or younger (Buchnevich, Lemieux, DeAngelo, Howden). Six players 21 years old or younger have skated in at least one game with the Rangers this season (Chytil, Howden, Andersson, Gettinger, Lindgren, 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. The Rangers had nine players 23 years old or younger all play on Mar. 3 vs. Washington (Andersson, Buchnevich, Chytil, DeAngelo, Georgiev, Hajek, Howden, Lemieux, Pionk). According to NHL Stats & Information, the last time the Rangers had nine players 23 years old or younger all play in the same game was on Jan. 14, 1990. Chytil and Howden have both skated in at least 50 games this season. Prior to 2018-19, the last time the Blueshirts had two players 20 years old or younger both play 50 games in a season was 1977-78 (Duguay and DeBlois).
DRAFT IT UP
Six players who were in the Rangers' lineup on Mar. 3 vs. Washington were selected in either the first round or second round of the NHL Entry Draft between 2014 and 2017 (Andersson, Chytil, Howden, Hajek, DeAngelo, Lemieux). In addition, 12 of the Blueshirts' 18 skaters who played on Mar. 3 vs. Washington were selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft.
CLOSE CALL
Each of the Rangers' last three games, five of their last six games, and 37 of their 67 games this season have been decided by one goal. The Blueshirts' 37 one-goal games are the most in the NHL in 2018-19. Of the Rangers' 30 games which have not been decided by one goal this season, nine were one-goal games prior to an empty-net goal being scored.
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist has made at least 30 saves in six of his last seven appearances and in 25 of his 45 appearances this season. Lundqvist is tied for second among NHL goaltenders in games with 30 or more saves in 2018-19.
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 in 2018-19, and he has tied his career-high in goals this season (he also recorded 27 goals last season).
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). He has recorded an assist/point in 10 of the last 12 games (11 assists) and in 12 of the last 16 games (13 assists), and his 13 assists since Feb. 4 are tied for the most among NHL defensemen over the span. DeAngelo's 25 points in 2018-19 are the 12th-most by an NHL defenseman who is 23 years old or younger this season.
LEMIEUX IN BLUE
Brendan Lemieux leads all NHL rookies (min. 20 games played) in goals per 60 minutes of ice time (1.55) and is tied for sixth among NHL rookies (min. 20 games played) in points per 60 minutes of ice time (2.17) 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 (2.95).
BUCH BOOST
Pavel Buchnevich tied a single-game career-high with two goals on Mar. 7 at Detroit. He has established a career-high with 15 goals this season. Buchnevich has registered three goals/points in the last three games.
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
Mark Messier registered 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in the Eastern Conference Finals against New Jersey in 1994, including a natural hat trick in the third period of Game 6 after guaranteeing that the Rangers would win the game. Messier's 11 points in the series are tied for the most a Ranger has tallied in one playoff series in franchise history, and he also became the first player in franchise history to record three goals in one period of a playoff game.
RANGERS VS. DEVILS - 1993-94
The Rangers posted a 6-0-0 record against the Devils during the regular season in 1993-94, outscoring New Jersey, 24-9, in the six games. The 1993-94 season was the first time the Blueshirts won all of their meetings against New Jersey in one season. Sergei Zubov led the Rangers with eight assists and tied for the team lead with nine points in the season series, while Sergei Nemchinov registered eight points (four goals, four assists). Mike Gartner led the Blueshirts with five goals, and he recorded his 600th career NHL goal on Dec. 26, 1993 against the Devils at MSG.
During the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Rangers defeated the Devils, four games to three, in the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Three of the seven games - including Game 7 - were decided in the second overtime. Mark Messier led the Rangers in goals (four), assists (seven), and points (11) during the series. Stephane Matteau tallied two overtime goals in the series, including the game-winning goal in the second overtime of Game 7. Mike Richter posted a 4-3 record, along with a 1.94 GAA, a .923 SV%, and 1 SO in the series.
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