Team Notes
– The Rangers extended their winning streak to three games, and they have posted a 3-0-0 record thus far on their four-game road trip. The Blueshirts have won 26 of their last 36 games (26-9-1), including 24 of their last 33 games (24-8-1), 22 of their last 29 contests (22-6-1), and six of their last eight games (6-1-1). The Rangers have also earned at least one point in 37 of their last 50 games (32-13-5), including 30 of their last 40 games (27-10-3).
– New York has tallied 16 goals over the first three games of its road trip, and has registered at least five goals in each of the three games. The Rangers have tallied at least five goals in three straight games for the first time since Mar. 15 – Mar. 20, 2011, and in three consecutive road games for the first time since Nov. 2 – Nov. 9, 2000. Ten different Blueshirts have tallied a goal over the last three contests.
– As of the conclusion of tonight’s game, the Rangers rank third in the NHL in regulation/OT wins (31), rank fourth in the NHL in goal differential (plus-37) and goals against per game (2.35), and they are tied for fourth in the NHL in goals per game (3.07) in 2014-15. New York also leads the Eastern Conference in goal differential this season.
– New York has won three straight road games, five of its last seven road contests (5-2-0), nine of its last 12 road games (9-3-0), and 13 of its last 17 road contests (13-4-0). The Blueshirts rank second in the NHL in road wins (99) since the start of the 2010-11 season.
– The Blueshirts have tallied the first goal of the game in 17 of their last 24 games, in 25 of their last 36 contests, and in 34 of 54 games this season. New York has posted a 27-5-2 record when registering the first goal of the game in 2014-15.
– With the victory, the Rangers have now posted an 11-3-4 record against Western Conference opponents this season, and they have posted a 9-2-0 record on the road against Western Conference teams in 2014-15. The Blueshirts have registered at least nine road wins against Western Conference teams in one season for the first time since 1991-92 (10).
– The Blueshirts were 3-for-3 (6:00) on the penalty kill and tallied a shorthanded goal in the game. The Rangers have tallied a shorthanded goal in four of the last eight games, which is the first time they have done so since they recorded one in four of six games from Mar. 25 – Apr. 1, 2001. As of the conclusion of tonight’s game, the Blueshirts are tied for second in the NHL – and tied for first among Eastern Conference teams – in shorthanded goals (eight) this season, and they lead the NHL in shorthanded goals since the start of the 2013-14 season with 18.
– New York has posted a 13-1-1 record when doing outscoring its opponent on special teams this season. The Blueshirts have outscored their opponent on special teams in each of the last two games.
– The Rangers have allowed one goal or fewer in three of their last nine games and in 18 of 54 games this season. New York is tied for second in the NHL in games with one or fewer goals allowed this season, and the Blueshirts lead the NHL in games with one goal or fewer allowed (49) since the start of the 2013-14 season.
– The Rangers have posted a 10-3-0-0 record in their last 13 games against the Coyotes, dating back to Oct. 28, 2002.
– Blueshirts goalies have stopped both penalty shots they have faced this season (Cam Talbot – tonight against Arizona’s Tobias Rieder; Henrik Lundqvist – Nov 5. against Detroit’s Gustav Nyquist).
Three Stars
– Rick Nash registered the game-winning goal and tied for the game-high with four shots on goal in the contest. Nash extended his point streak to three games (two goals, four assists) and he has recorded a point in seven of the last eight contests (seven goals, five assists over the span). As of the conclusion of tonight’s game, Nash leads the NHL in goals (35), goals per game (0.65), games with a goal (28), and even strength goals (26) this season. He is also ranks fourth in the NHL in plus/minus rating (plus-25), is tied for fifth in game-winning goals (six), and is tied for sixth in points (55) in 2014-15.
– Chris Kreider tallied the first goal of the game, tied for the game-high with four shots on goal, and was credited with four hits in 14:55 of ice time. He has registered a goal in two of the last four games and he has notched 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in the last 20 games (since Dec. 31).
– Kevin Klein tied single-game career-highs with two assists and two points, and he led all skaters with six hits in 22:48 of ice time. Klein’s first assist was his 22nd point of the season, which establishes a new career-high. He also extended his assist/point streak to four games (five assists over the span). Klein’s four-game assist streak is a new career-high and his four-game point streak tied his career-high (he tallied a point in four consecutive games this season from Dec. 31 – Jan. 8). He has tallied an assist in five of the last six games (six assists over the span) and he has registered 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in the last 20 games (since Dec. 31). As of the conclusion of tonight’s game, Klein is tied for first among NHL defensemen in even strength assists and is tied for fourth among NHL defensemen in even strength points over the last 20 games.
Player Notes
– Alain Vigneault is the 21st Head Coach in NHL history who has earned at least 500 career NHL wins. Of the 21 Head Coaches who have won 500 career games in the NHL, Vigneault is the second who has coached at least one game with the Rangers (along with Mike Keenan), and he is the first NHL Head Coach who earned his 500th career win with the Blueshirts. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Vigneault, who has coached 942 games in the NHL, reached the 500-win plateau in the fourth-fewest contests in league history (Scotty Bowman – 825; Mike Babcock – 895; Toe Blake – 911). He is the eighth active NHL coach who has won at least 500 career games. Vigneault is now tied with Toe Blake for 20th place and is one win away from tying Pat Burns for 19th place on the NHL’s all-time wins list.
– Kevin Hayes recorded his first career NHL shorthanded goal and posted a plus-one rating in 16:15 of ice time. Hayes extended his goal streak to a season/career-high three games (three goals over the span) and he tied his season/career-high by extending his point streak to five games (three goals, four assists over the span). Hayes is the first Ranger to record a power play goal and a shorthanded goal during his rookie season since Mikael Samuelsson in 2001-02. He is the first Rangers rookie to record two separate five-game point streaks in one season since Derek Stepan in 2010-11. Hayes has tallied nine points (four goals, five assists) in the last eight games and has notched 10 points (five goals, five assists) in the last 11 contests.
– Cam Talbot made 34 saves, including his first career NHL penalty shot save at 6:19 of the third period, to post his eighth win of the season and his third consecutive victory. Talbot has posted a three-game winning streak for the first time in his NHL career (Note: three straight wins in three consecutive team games). Talbot’s 34 saves were one shy of tying his career-high, and are the most he has made in one road game in his NHL career. He has now stopped one of two penalty shots he has faced in his career.
– Marc Staal registered a goal, was credited with five hits, and posted a plus-two rating in 19:09 of ice time. The Rangers’ alternate captain has notched three points (one goal, two assists) in the last three games and he has posted a plus-10 rating over the last 13 games.
– Lee Stempniak tallied a goal and recorded two shots on goal in the game. He has tallied each of his last five points in road games against Western Conference opponents (two goals, three assists).
– Derek Stepan recorded two assists, and posted a plus-two rating in 16:29 of ice time. The Rangers’ alternate captain leads the team in assists (27) since he made his season debut on Nov. 8, and he has registered a point in 24 of 40 games he has played this season. New York has posted a 27-10-3 record with Stepan in the lineup in 2014-15.
– Derick Brassard notched an assist, and posted a plus-one rating in the contest. Brassard’s assist was his 30th of the season, which ties his career-high. He extended his assist/point streak to three games (four assists) and he has recorded a point in six of the last seven contests (one goal, seven assists over the span).
– Martin St. Louis tallied an assist, tied for the game-high with four shots on goal, tied for the game-high with two takeaways, and posted a plus-two rating in 15:22 of ice time. The Rangers have won each of the last 14 games in which St. Louis has notched a point, as well as 17 of the last 18 (17-1-0).
– Dan Girardi recorded an assist and posted a plus-two rating in 22:09 of ice time. New York has won each of the last seven games in which Girardi has tallied a point.
– Dominic Moore tallied an assist and won eight of 13 faceoffs (61.5%) in the contest. He has registered three points (one goal, two assists) in the last three games and five points (two goals, three assists) in the last 10 contests.