New York Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton announced today that the team has recalled goaltender Marek Mazanec from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). In addition, the Blueshirts have assigned goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to Hartford.

Mazanec, 27, has appeared in four games with the Wolf Pack this season, posting a 2-2-0 record. He stopped 24 of 26 shots he faced to earn a win in his first appearance of the season on Oct. 5 vs. Providence.

The 6-4, 202-pounder has appeared in 31 career NHL games over parts of three seasons (2013-14 - 2014-15; 2016-17), all with Nashville, posting an 8-13-4 record, along with a 2.98 GAA, a .895 SV%, and two shutouts. He made 25 of his 31 appearances with the Predators during his rookie season in 2013-14. Mazanec was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for November of 2013, as he posted a 5-4-1 record, along with a 2.00 GAA, a .932 SV%, and two shutouts in 10 appearances during the month. He stopped 22 of 24 shots he faced while making his NHL debut on Nov. 8, 2013 at Winnipeg, and he stopped 39 of 41 shots he faced to earn his first career NHL win on Nov. 16, 2013 vs. Chicago.

WASHINGTON - At this rate, the Rangers may end up playing an 85-game regular season, because for the third time in the last four games the Blueshirts took it to overtime, battling back in the third period to secure a point before falling in the extra session, 4-3, to the Washington Capitals.

No Ranger was celebrating the loss, but neither were they hanging their heads after earning three out of four points in a back-to-back set of games with Colorado and the defending Stanley Cup champs. Matt Niskanen's rebound goal 2:18 into the 3-on-3 overtime grabbed the victory for Washington, but because the Rangers erased a pair of Washington leads in regulation they have now earned points in three of their last four games (2-1-1).

"The way we battled, we certainly competed, that's for sure," David Quinn said. "Our power play delivered tonight. I like some of the things we're showing over the past week."

Team Notes

• POINT TAKEN - The Rangers have earned at least one point in each of the last two games (1-0-1 record) and in three of the last four contests (2-1-1 record).
• GOALS GALORE - The Rangers tallied three goals in tonight's game. Including team goals awarded for shootout wins, New York has recorded three or more goals in four of the last five games. The Blueshirts registered three or more goals in 44 of 82 games during the 2017-18 season.
• POWER RANGERS - The Rangers were 2-for-4 (5:10) on the power play in tonight's contest. The Rangers tallied two power play goals in a game for the first time this season. The Blueshirts have recorded at least one power play goal in each of the last two games and in three of the last five games.
• CLOSE CALL - Each of the Blueshirts' last four games, and five of the team's seven games this season, have been decided by one goal. In addition, six of the Rangers' seven contests in 2018-19 have been decided by two or fewer goals.
• WORKING OVERTIME - Each of the Blueshirts' last two games, and three of the Rangers' last four games, have been decided in either overtime or a shootout.
• SHOOTING GALLERY - The Rangers registered 32 shots on goal in tonight's contest, including 18 shots on goal in the second period, as nine different skaters recorded at least two shots on goal. The Blueshirts have registered 30 or more shots on goal in each of the last two games and in four of seven games thus far in 2018-19.
• FIRST IN SCORE - The Blueshirts tallied the first goal of the game for the third consecutive game and for the fourth time in the last five contests.

WASHINGTON - With a pair of victories on a three-game homestand this week, Henrik Lundqvist felt the Rangers were starting to "build something" on home ice. Now the task is to lay a foundation on the road.

The Blueshirts will play their third road game of the season Wednesday night in search of their first road win and their first back-to-back victories of the young season. They'll come looking for it in the home of the defending Stanley Cup champs.

David Quinn was keeping his lineup choices close to the vest coming off a thorough performance in Tuesday's 3-2 shootout win over Colorado at the Garden - Quinn has used a different lineup in all six games this season. But with three days off before the Rangers' next game, at home to Calgary on Sunday, the coach hinted earlier in the week that he would be amenable to starting Lundqvist in both ends of this back-to-back.

NEW YORK RANGERS at WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, 7:00 p.m. ET
Capital One Arena - Washington, D.C.
TV: NBCSN, Radio: ESPN 1050 AM

Rangers: 2-4-0 (4 pts)
Capitals: 2-2-1 (5 pts)

THE MATCHUP

The Rangers play their seventh game of the 2018-19 season and conclude a back-to-back set Wednesday, Oct. 17, against the Washington Capitals in a Metropolitan Division matchup at Capital One Arena (7:00 p.m. ET - TV: NBCSN, Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). Wednesday's game concludes the Blueshirts' second back-to-back set in 2018-19. The Rangers will have 11 back-to-back sets during the 2018-19 season, matching their total of back-to-back sets from 2017-18. The Blueshirts' 11 back-to-back sets in 2018-19 are tied for the fewest among Eastern Conference teams.

RANGERS VS. CAPITALS

• All-Time: 97-95-18-8 (53-43-9-4 at home; 44-52-9-4 on the road)
• 2018-19: Wednesday's game is the first of four meetings between the Rangers and Capitals, and the first of two meetings between the two teams at Washington. Following Wednesday's game, the Rangers and Capitals will face each other on the following dates: Nov. 24 (at MSG), Feb. 24 (at Washington), Mar. 3 (at MSG).
• 2017-18: The Rangers posted a 1-2-1 record (1-1-0 at home; 0-1-1 on the road). All of the four contests were decided by two or fewer goals, and two of the four contests were decided in either overtime or a shootout. Brady Skjei (two assists) and Jimmy Vesey (two assists) tied for the team lead with two points in the season series. Filip Chytil registered his first career NHL point on Mar. 26, 2018 vs. Washington at MSG. The Blueshirts were 11-for-12 (91.7%) on the penalty kill in the season series.
• The Rangers have earned at least one point in 20 of their last 31 games against Washington, dating back to Dec. 12, 2010 (17-11-3 record). The Blueshirts have also registered at least one point in 11 of their last 18 contests against the Capitals, dating back to Jan. 19, 2014 (9-7-2 record).
• All of the last five meetings between New York and Washington have been decided by two or fewer goals. In addition, eight of the last nine games between the Rangers have been decided by two or fewer goals, and four of the nine meetings have been decided by one goal.
• Brian Leetch is the Rangers' all-time leader in games played (72), assists (58), and points (71) against the Capitals. Adam Graves has registered more goals against Washington than any other Ranger (23), and Dave Maloney has posted a better plus/minus rating against the Capitals than any other Blueshirt in franchise history (plus-19). Mike Richter and Henrik Lundqvist are tied for the most wins by a Rangers goaltender against the Capitals in franchise history (21).

The Rangers played their sixth game of the 2018-19 season on Thursday night, and they have been in every one of them. So far, though, they are still "learning how to close games out," in Henrik Lundqvist's words.

On Tuesday night, the Rangers were strong from the start and, most importantly, found a way to polish it off. Kevin Shattenkirk, who just five days earlier had been a healthy scratch for a home game against San Jose, scored the game-winning goal in the shootout, and Lundqvist capped the evening by stopping Gabriel Landeskog to finish off a 3-2 Rangers victory over the Colorado Avalanche on First Responders Night at Madison Square Garden.

Video: COL@NYR: Shattenkirk beats Varlamov stick-side in SO

Shattenkirk assisted on both Ranger goals in regulation, by Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes, took a spin on the ice as the game's first star and came into the dressing room to receive the Broadway Hat from his teammates.

Team Notes

• SHUTTING THE DOOR - The Rangers have allowed two goals in each of the last three games. Excluding empty-net goals allowed, the Blueshirts have held opponents to two goals in five of six games thus far in 2018-19.
• HOME COOKING - The Blueshirts posted a 2-1-0 record during their three-game homestand against San Jose, Edmonton, and Colorado. The Rangers earned at least one point in 25 of 41 home games in 2017-18 (21-16-4 record at MSG). The Blueshirts have earned 20 or more home wins in a season in each of the last five seasons (dating back to 2013-14) and in each of the last seven seasons which were 82 games in length (dating back to 2010-11). The Rangers have registered at least 20 home wins in a season in 11 of 13 seasons since 2005-06 (and in 11 of 12 seasons which were 82 games in length over the span).
• THREE'S COMPANY - The Rangers tallied three goals in tonight's game. Including team goals awarded for shootout wins, New York has recorded three or more goals in three of the last four games (12 goals over the span). The Blueshirts registered three or more goals in 44 of 82 games during the 2017-18 season.
• POWER RANGERS - The Rangers were 1-for-6 on the power play in tonight's contest. The Blueshirts have recorded a power play goal in two of the last four games.

See all the goals and big saves from the Rangers' 3-2 shootout win over the Colorado Avalanche at The Garden. 

Lundqvist's big save in the 1st

Video: COL@NYR: Lundqvist stops Nieto's chance

Kreider's redirection PPG

Video: COL@NYR: Kreider deflects Shattenkirk's shot for PPG

Following a visit from the 2017 Hart Trophy winner on Saturday, the Rangers will take on the 2018 Hart Trophy runner-up when Nathan MacKinnon leads his Colorado Avalanche into Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

The Rangers will look to take a winning record out of a three-game homestand against Western Conference opponents that began with Thursday's thrilling comeback win over San Jose and continued with Saturday's defense-dominated 2-1 defeat to the Oilers.

GET TICKETS: First Responders Night 10/16 vs. Avalanche

But if the Rangers were pleased with how they matched up at even strength with Edmonton's Connor McDavid on Saturday, they also were concerned that the stout defensive game they played diluted their attack mentality in a 2-1 loss to the Oilers.

"It's probably the calmest game that we've had where it wasn't that helter skelter, oh my God, look at all these crazy chances and the rushes we've been giving up," said David Quinn, citing 12 scoring chances against his team on Saturday. "So there was definitely a calmer element to our game.

When it comes time for the puck to drop, David Quinn's head is nowhere but in the hockey game. No one will blame him, though, if his thoughts stray a little bit on Tuesday night.

The Rangers will play host to the Colorado Avalanche on First Responders Night at Madison Square Garden, a game dedicated to honoring local first responders including members of the NYPD, FDNY and EMS. Amid the remembrances and tributes, the head coach of the Rangers will spare a few thoughts for two important men in his life who he has lost but never forgotten.

GET TICKETS: First Responders Night 10/16 vs. Avalanche

Like so many, Quinn was awed by the heroism and sacrifice of New York's first responders on Sept. 11, 2001, and when he thinks of that terrible day, his thoughts turn to his friend Mark Bavis. Mark was a left winger for Boston University not long after Quinn played defense for the Terriers, and was drafted by the Rangers in the ninth round of the 1989 draft. Mark's identical twin brother, Mike Bavis, was Mark's teammate at BU and later shared assistant coaching duties with Quinn for five seasons at their alma mater.

Mark Bavis was working as a scout for the Kings and was flying to Los Angeles from Boston aboard United Flight 175 when it was crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Mark was 31.

"I was just with him two days before in Michigan, and spoke with him two days before that. When you lose someone that close to you, especially at such a young age, it just stays with you forever," Quinn told NYRangers.com on Monday. "But then, to just watch the first responders from the police department, to the firefighters, to the paramedics, to anyone who lent a hand - civilians too. I remember my dad being really affected by it, because I think anybody in that line of work puts themselves in that position."