Rangers at Sabres 12.1.16: Pregame Notes
© Bill Wippert
TONIGHT'S GAME
The Rangers play their 25th game of the 2016-17 season tonight against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). The Blueshirts have won 15 of their last 22 games (15-6-1), including 14 of their last 20 games (14-5-1) and 11 of their last 16 games (11-4-1). The Rangers have posted a 16-7-1 record this season.
RANGERS VS. SABRES
RANGERS-SABRES CONNECTIONS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. SABRES
WINNING WAYS
POINT TAKEN
The Blueshirts have not been held pointless in two consecutive games thus far this season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Rangers went 24 games into a season without being held pointless in two or more consecutive games was 1971-72, when the team had its first two-game losing streak in games 68 and 69 of the season.
GOALS GALORE
The Rangers have registered 88 goals through the first 24 games of the 2016-17 season. New York has recorded at least 88 goals in the first 24 contests of a season for the first time since 1993-94. The Rangers lead the NHL in goals per game this season (3.67).
MAKING THE DIFFERENCE
The Rangers lead the NHL in goal differential this season (plus-29; 88 goals for, 59 goals against). New York has posted a plus-14 goal differential or better both at home and on the road this season (plus-14 at home, 51-37; plus-15 on the road, 37-22).
ROAD WARRIORS
The Blueshirts lead the NHL in road wins since the start of the 2013-14 season (79). New York is tied for the NHL lead in road wins (seven) and leads the NHL in goals per game on the road (3.70) this season. The Rangers have won six of their last seven road games (6-1-0).
TOP TEN
The Rangers are one of two NHL teams that have three players who have registered 10 or more goals this season (Michael Grabner, Kevin Hayes, and Rick Nash have all tallied 10 or more goals thus far in 2016-17).
TWO GOOD
The Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in regulation/overtime in 16 of their last 21 games, dating back to Oct. 19 vs. Detroit. New York ranks ninth in the NHL in goals against per game this season (2.42).
ON POINT
Ryan McDonagh and Brady Skjei have tallied 12 or more assists through the first 24 games of the season. Two Rangers defensemen have recorded 12 or more assists within the first 24 games of a season for the first time since 1994-95 (Brian Leetch and Sergei Zubov).
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist has posted a 10-3-1 record, along with a 2.21 GAA, a .926 SV%, and 1 SO in his last 14 starts. He is one of 10 goaltenders in NHL history who have earned at least 350 career wins and 60 career shutouts. In addition, he is one of five goaltenders in NHL history who have appeared in at least 700 games with one franchise (Brodeur - NJD; Esposito - CHI; Sawchuk - DET; Kolzig - WSH). Lundqvist enters the contest with 385 career NHL wins, and he is one win away from passing Mike Vernon for sole possession of 13th place on the NHL's all-time wins list.
UP FOR GRABS
Michael Grabner leads the NHL in even strength goals (12) and plus/minus rating (plus-19), and he is tied for fifth in the NHL in goals (12) in 2016-17. Grabner has registered 13 points (10 goals, three assists) and a plus-17 rating in the last 16 games. He leads Rangers forwards in shorthanded ice time this season (43:37), and the Rangers have only allowed two power play goals against when he has been on the ice during a penalty kill this season.
CAPTAIN MAC
Ryan McDonagh is tied for second among NHL defensemen in primary assists (nine) and even strength assists (10), and ranks fourth in assists (13) this season. He has led the Rangers in ice time in 23 of the team's first 24 games this season.
IT'S MILLER TIME
J.T. Miller has recorded a point in 14 of the Rangers' 16 wins in 2016-17, and the Blueshirts have posted a 14-0-0 record in games which he has tallied a point this season. He has registered 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in the last 20 games, and he is tied for the team lead in points (19), even strength assists (10), and even strength points (16) in 2016-17.
HEY HEY HAYES
Kevin Hayes is the only NHL player who has registered at least 19 points and a plus-16 rating thus far this season. He is the first Ranger who has registered at least 19 points and a plus-16 rating through 24 games of a season since Theo Fleury in 2001-02. Of Hayes' first 100 career NHL points, 85 were primary points.
SKJEI HEY KID
Brady Skjei is the first Rangers rookie who has registered 12 or more assists within the first 24 games of a season since Brian Leetch in 1988-89. He is tied for first among NHL rookies in assists this season (12), and he is also tied for fifth among all NHL defensemen in assists in 2016-17.
RICK ROLLING
Rick Nash has recorded a goal/point in three of the last five games, tallying five points (three goals, two assists) over the span. Entering this season, Nash was one of three NHL players who recorded 20 or more goals in 11 different seasons since 2003-04 (along with Jarome Iginla and Alex Ovechkin).
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Blueshirts are one of three NHL teams (and the only Eastern Conference team) that have a 20.0% power play efficiency or better and a 85.0% penalty kill efficiency or better this season (along with Nashville and St. Louis).
Power Play:
The Rangers were 1-for-2 (5:35) on Nov. 29 vs. Carolina.
The Blueshirts rank ninth in the NHL in power play efficiency this season (21.1%; 15-for-71).
New York has recorded a power play goal in 12 of 24 games in 2016-17.
Penalty Kill:
The Rangers were 2-for-2 (4:00) on Nov. 29 vs. Carolina.
The Blueshirts are tied for sixth in the NHL in penalty kill efficiency this season (85.5%; 53-for-62).
The Rangers have not allowed a power play goal against in 10 of the last 13 games. The Blueshirts have killed off 30 of their opponents' last 33 power play opportunities (over a 14-game stretch), dating back to Nov. 3 (90.9%).
New York is tied for second in the NHL - and leads the Eastern Conference - in shorthanded goals this season (three).
UPCOMING MILESTONES
J.T. Miller - 5 points away from 100 in his NHL career/as a Ranger
INJURIES (47 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
Pavel Buchnevich (back) - has missed eight games
Mika Zibanejad (broken fibula) - has missed four games
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
None
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
- Nov. 30, 1977 - Phil Esposito tallied a hat trick and passed Bobby Hull to move into second place on the NHL's all-time goals list as the Rangers defeated the St. Louis Blues, 4-0.
- Dec. 1, 1996 - Wayne Gretzky registered his 3,000th NHL point (regular season and playoffs combined), becoming the first player in league history to accomplish the feat, as the Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 6-2, at MSG.
