Pregame Notes: Rangers vs. Senators 11.04.19

RANGERS vs. SENATORS, 7:00 pmMadison Square GardenMSG Network, 98.7 FM
GAME DAY
The Rangers play their 12th game of the 2019-20 season tonight, November 4, against the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden. Including tonight's game, the Blueshirts will play four of their next five games at MSG. New York has won each of its last two games and has earned at least one point in four of its last five games (3-1-1 record).
RANGERS VS. SENATORS
- All-Time: 43-46-3-4 (19-26-0-2 at home; 24-20-3-2 on the road) - 2019-20: Tonight's game is the second of three meetings between the Rangers and Senators, and the only meeting between the two teams at MSG. The Rangers have posted a 1-0-0 record (0-0-0 at home; 1-0-0 on the road), following their 4-1 win on Oct. 5 at Ottawa. Mika Zibanejad tied a single-game career-high with four points (three goals, one assist) and registered his third career NHL hat trick in the contest. Artemi Panarin (one goal, one assist) and Pavel Buchnevich (two assists) each recorded two points in the contest, and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 31 of 32 shots to earn the win. The Blueshirts were 2-for-3 (66.7%) on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill in the contest, and New York also tallied a shorthanded goal. Following tonight's game, the Rangers and Senators will face each other on the following date: Nov. 22 (at Ottawa). - New York has allowed two goals or fewer in eight of its last 16 games against the Senators. - The Rangers have only allowed three power play goals in their last 12 games against Ottawa (31-for-34; 91.2%).

RANGERS-SENATORS CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. SENATORS
NOVEMBER REIGN
The Rangers lead the NHL in wins in November since 2005-06 (112; 112-57-11 record in November over the span). In addition, the Blueshirts have posted a 39-15-2 record in November since 2015-16 (their 39 wins in November since 2015-16 are the most in the NHL) and earned at least nine wins in November in each of the last four seasons.

YOUTH SERVED
Seven players who are 21 years old or younger have skated for the Rangers in each of the last two games (Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil, Adam Fox, Libor Hajek, Brett Howden, Kaapo Kakko, and Ryan Lindgren). According to NHL Stats and Information, prior to their game on Oct. 29 vs. Tampa Bay, the Rangers had only played two games in franchise history with seven different players 21 years old or younger (Nov. 21, 1953 at Toronto and Dec. 16, 1976 at Buffalo). Five players 21 years old or younger (Andersson, Fox, Hajek, Howden, and Kakko) have played in all of the Rangers' first 11 games this season. The 2019-20 season is the second in franchise history which five players 21 years old or younger skated in all of the Blueshirts' first 11 games of a season (1976-77). The Rangers have the youngest active roster in the NHL (average age - 25.8 years old).

GOALS GALORE
The Rangers have recorded four or more goals in three of the last four games (16 goals over the span). The Blueshirts have recorded four or more goals in five of 11 games this season.
TEAM EFFORT
Through 11 games this season, 16 Rangers have tallied at least one goal and 20 Rangers have recorded at least one point. Over the last four games, 11 Rangers have registered at least one goal and 17 Rangers have notched at least one point.
ON POINT Rangers defensemen have registered 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 2019-20. Blueshirts defensemen have tallied 30.9% of the team's points this season, which is the second-highest percentage in the NHL. Rangers defensemen have also recorded 25.7% of the team's goals thus far this season, which is the third-highest percentage in the league.

ALEXANDAR THE GREAT
Alexandar Georgiev has earned a win in each of the last two games, posting a 1.00 GAA and a .968 SV% (61 saves on 63 shots) in the two contests, and he has allowed one goal in each game. He is tied for fifth in the NHL (min. four appearances) in SV% this season (.933). In his five starts in 2019-20, Georgiev has posted a 3-1-1 record, along with a 2.01 GAA and a .940 SV%. He has made at least 30 saves in four of his five starts this season, and he has only allowed one goal in three of those five starts.

STROME SURGE
Ryan Strome enters the contest with a career-high six-game point streak (four goals, five assists), and he has posted a multi-point game in three of the last four contests. He has recorded the game-winning goal in two of the last four games. Strome is tied for the team lead in assists (seven) and points (11) this season, and he is one of two Rangers who have recorded a point in eight different games in 2019-20 (along with Artemi Panarin).

STATE OF THE ART-EMI
Artemi Panarin enters the contest with a four-game point streak (one goal, four assists), as well as a three-game assist streak. He leads the Rangers in goals (five) and is tied for the team lead in points (11) this season. He has been on the ice for 20 of the Rangers' 35 goals in 2019-20, and he has recorded a point in each of the Rangers' five wins this season.

CHYTIL-MANIA
Filip Chytil has recorded a goal in each of his first two NHL games this season. Since the start of last season, he has recorded a goal in 13 different games; only eight NHL players 20 years old or younger have tallied a goal in more games than Chytil has over the span.

SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rangers have either outscored their opponent on special teams or tied their opponent in special teams scoring in six of 11 games this season, and the Blueshirts have earned at least one point in five of those six contests (4-1-1 record).

Power Play:
Penalty Kill:
UPCOMING MILESTONES
- Henrik Lundqvist - 9 appearances away from 1,000 (regular-season and playoffs combined) in his NHL career/with the Rangers - Brendan Smith - 4 points away from 100 in his NHL career - Brady Skjei - 6 points away from 100 in his NHL career/with the Rangers - David Quinn - 7 games coached away from 100 in his NHL career/with the Rangers (expected to reach milestone on Nov. 16, 2019 at Florida)