Thank you,

Mitch Beck

(From the NY Rangers)

RANGERS ASSIGN TIM ERIXON TO CONNECTICUT

New York, March 29, 2012 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has assigned defenseman Tim Erixon to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Erixon, 21, recorded two assists in five games following his recall from Connecticut on March 17, and has tallied two assists in 18 games with the Rangers this season. He made his NHL debut on October 7 against Los Angeles as part of the 2011 NHL Premiere in Stockholm, Sweden, and tallied his first career point with an assist on March 23 vs. Buffalo.

He returns to Connecticut where he has registered three goals and 30 assists for 33 points, along with 36 penalty minutes and a plus-four rating in 43 games this season. Erixon led all AHL rookie defensemen in assists and ranked third in points at the time of his recall on March 17. He leads all team defensemen in points and assists, ranks third on Connecticut overall in assists and sixth in points. Erixon has tallied eight points (one goal and seven assists) in his last nine games with Connecticut, and has recorded one goal and five assists in six AHL contests during the month of March. He has posted eight multi-point efforts, including a career-high, three-assist performance on November 23 vs. Portland, and recorded a season-high, four-game assist streak from February 4 at Hershey to February 11 at Manchester, tallying five assists over the span. Erixon registered an assist while making his AHL debut on November 2 at Bridgeport, and notched his first career AHL goal, a power play tally, on November 12 at St. John’s.

The Port Chester, New York native was acquired by the Rangers from Calgary, along with a fifth round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (Shane McColgan), in exchange for Roman Horak and two, second round picks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (Markus Granlund, Tyler Wotherspoon) on June 1, 2011. He was originally selected by Calgary as a first round choice, 23rd overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors wrap up their regular season schedule tonight by paying the South Carolina Stingrays a visit. A Road Warriors win could potentially eliminate South Carolina from playoff contention.

The Road Warriors (41-24-6, 88 pts.) visit South Carolina (36-28-7, 79 pts.) today for the 16th, and final, meeting between the clubs this season. Fans can follow the action on America One or listening at  Greenvilleroadwarriors.com. Greenville is 12-3-0 this season against the Stingrays which includes a 5-2-0 mark at the North Charleston Coliseum. Tonight is the seventh of seven games between the Road Warriors and Stingrays in March. South Carolina’s 3-2 win last night snapped Greenville’s six-game win streak in the rivalry that dated back to February 7, 2012. Victories for either side have been hard to come by as five of the prior six meetings in March have been decided by only a goal, and three of those games have gone into overtime or a shootout. The last two games between the teams in North Charleston have been won in shootouts by Greenville.

Kelly Cup Playoffs Update

Elmira can clinch the Eastern Conference title on Saturday if:
Elmira wins

OR Gwinnett loses
OR Elmira loses in overtime/shootout AND Gwinnett wins in shootout

Gwinnett can clinch the Eastern Conference title on Saturday if:
Gwinnett wins AND Elmira loses in regulation
OR Gwinnett wins in regulation or overtime AND Elmira loses in overtime/shootout

South Carolina can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Saturday if:
South Carolina wins
OR South Carolina loses in overtime/shootout
OR Reading loses

Chicago can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Saturday if:
Chicago wins
OR Chicago loses in overtime/shootout AND Reading loses

Cincinnati can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Saturday if:
Cincinnati wins in regulation AND Reading loses

Reading can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Saturday if:
Reading wins AND Chicago loses
OR Reading wins AND South Carolina loses in regulation

Ontario can clinch the Pacific Division title on Saturday if:
Ontario wins
OR Las Vegas loses in regulation
OR Ontario loses in overtime/shootout AND Las Vegas loses

Las Vegas can clinch the Pacific Division title on Saturday if:
Las Vegas wins AND Ontario loses
OR Las Vegas loses in overtime/shootout AND Ontario loses in regulation

Who: Greenville Road Warriors at South Carolina Stingrays

What: Away Game #36, Season Game #72

When: 7:05 p.m.

Where: North Charleston Coliseum, 5001 Coliseum Dr.., North Charleston, SC 29418

NOTEWORTHY: 

• Greenville is one of three teams in the league (Alaska and Las Vegas are the other two) to have two skaters, Brandon Wong (31) and Marc-Olivier Vallerand (29) in the top ten in goals.
• Sean Berkstresser has 14 points (9G, 5A) in his last 21 games and Greenville is 12-6-3 over that span. Berkstresser is the only Road Warrior to play in every game this season.
• Greenville faces Florida in the first round if: Florida wins or Florida loses (OT or SO) and Wheeling loses (OT or SO). Greenville plays Wheeling if: Florida loses in regulation and Wheeling wins.
• Greenville (along with Elmira) is one of two teams in the league with a chance to win 20 home and road games this season.
• Bretton Cameron has seven assists in his last six games dating to March 16, 2012. His 17 assists in 29 games with Greenville are two more than his entire rookie season (53 games) with STK last season.

Click here for Game Notes Page 1
Click here for Game Notes Page 2
Click here for Road Warriors player info
Click here for Stingrays player info

Get ready for the Road Warriors’ run to the Kelly Cup! Greenville’s first home game of the opening round is Friday, April 6 at 7:35 p.m. at the BI-LO Center. Discounted playoff packages are on sale right now. With the playoff packages you can pay as you go throughout the playoffs and tickets start as low as $8.50 per game. Discounted tickets and preferred seating based on availability are also available for groups of 10 or more. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to get your 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs tickets reserved today!

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors, in conjunction with the ECHL, announced today that center Justin Bowers has been named to the All-ECHL Second team.

This season Bowers has established new club records for points (77) and assists (58) in a season and continues to add to those totals. He is also the team’s all-time leader in points at 174 and counting. Bowers is tied for the league lead with 58 assists and is third in the league with 77 points. He leads the ECHL with 25 power-play assists and 32 power-play points. Bowers, who was named ECHL Player of the Month for January, also appeared in two American Hockey League games with Milwaukee.

Bowers becomes the third player in team history to receive a post-season ECHL award. For the 2010-11 season defenseman Wes Cunningham was named to the All-ECHL First Team and goalie Dov Grumet-Morris was named to the All-ECHL Second Team.

2011-12 All-ECHL Second Team

G – Joe Fallon, Las Vegas Wranglers (47 gms, 30-10-4, 2.39 GAA, .912 save pct.)

D – Andrew Hotham, Wheeling Nailers (49 gms, 8g, 33a, 41 pts., +11)

D – Johann Kroll, South Carolina Stingrays (61 gms, 8g, 23a, 31 pts., +19)

F – Justin Bowers, Greenville Road Warriors (67 gms, 19g, 58a, 77 pts., +1)

F -Dan Kissel, Alaska Aces (67 gms, 35g, 32a, 67 pts., +11)

F – Adam Miller, Las Vegas Wranglers (69 gms, 30g, 50a, 80 pts., +18)

Coach – Jason Christie, Ontario Reign

(Photo courtesy of echl.com)

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL have been sold to Chestnut Street Sports, LLC, which is solely owned by Fred Festa, the club announced today.

“This is a very important transaction in solidifying the long term stability of the Greenville Road Warriors,” said Neil Smith, President and General Manager.  “Mr. Festa and his family are passionate about the sport of hockey which is what makes this announcement great news for all the Upstate hockey fans.”

Regarding the transaction, Festa commented “I’m very excited to have the opportunity to expand the Road Warriors brand from the foundation established by Neil Smith and Steve Posner.”

On Tuesday, March 27th, The Greenville Arena District Board unanimously approved the transfer of the arena lease to Chestnut Street Sports, LLC.

The ECHL Board of Governors unanimously agreed to the transfer of League membership via a conference call on Wednesday, March 28th.  Brian McKenna, ECHL Commissioner, stated, “On behalf of the ECHL and our Board of Governors, I would like to welcome Fred Festa as the new owner of the Greenville Road Warriors.  After looking at several markets, we are pleased Fred selected Greenville. We share his view that it is a vibrant market with great long term potential.  I would also like to thank Neil Smith and Steve Posner for bringing ECHL hockey back to Greenville and providing a very entertaining and competitive team over the past two seasons.”

The actual transaction will not be finalized until the Road Warriors Kelly Cup Playoffs are over at which time a press conference will be scheduled to meet the new ownership.

     VERSUS    

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors were defeated by the South Carolina Stingrays 3-2 in their final home game of the regular season on Friday night. The loss left Greenville’s record at 42-24-6 on the season.

Click here for tonight’s box score.

Greenville got off to a lightning-quick start in the first period with Jeremy Gouchie scoring his sixth goal of the season on the game’s first shift. Jason Wilson centered a puck out of the right wing corner as he was falling down and Gouchie quickly snapped a shot past Daren Machesney. Chris McKelvie also helped set up the goal 31 seconds into the game. South Carolina responded with a power play goal from Maxime Lacroix that took a review from the officials to determine whether the puck fully crossed the line. The goal stood, but the game didn’t remain tied for long. Marc-Olivier Vallerand sizzled a one-timer past Machesney 5:12 after Lacroix’s strike to restore Greenville’s lead. The 5-on-3 tally was assisted by Justin Bowers and Blake Parlett. Nic Riopel stopped 12 Stingray shots in the first to keep Greenville in front.

In the second period South Carolina put its offense in gear and out-shot Greenville 15-7 in the stanza. Riopel was strong with 14 saves, but Daniel Koger slipped a shot past him 90 seconds in to tie the score at two. Stingrays goalie Darren Machesney was making his first start since January 28 against Trenton, a 25-game absence, and he thwarted each shot he faced from Greenville in the second. The teams headed into the third with the score deadlocked at two.

The teams were more evenly matched in the third period and shots were dead even at 10 a side. Lacroix had the difference maker, though, as he picked up his second of the game at the 13:38 mark. It came as a result of South Carolina foiling a Greenville breakout attempt and a flip pass by Daniel Koger that put Lacroix in behind the defense. Greenville battled for the tying goal throughout the final minutes of the stanza, but even with Riopel pulled for the extra attacker couldn’t find the tying score.

With the Florida Everblades defeating the Gwinnett Gladiators on Friday it clinched a matchup between the Road Warriors and Everblades in the first round.

Riopel suffered the loss while making 35 saves on the night. Greenville was 1-for-3 on the power play and 3-for-5 on the penalty kill.

Get ready for the Road Warriors’ run to the Kelly Cup! Greenville’s first home game of the opening round is Friday, April 6 at 7:35 p.m. at the BI-LO Center. Discounted playoff packages are on sale right now. With the playoff packages you can pay as you go throughout the playoffs and tickets start as low as $8.50 per game. Discounted tickets and preferred seating based on availability are also available for groups of 10 or more. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to get your 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs tickets reserved today!

      VERSUS     

(We return with our regular coverage starting tonight)

BY: Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, March 30, 2012 – The Connecticut Whale were defeated by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 3-0, Friday night at the XL Center.  Penguins goaltender Scott Munroe blanked the Whale with a 32-save performance, the fourth-straight defeat for the Whale (0-3-1-0).

The Penguins would strike fast and furious in the first period, tallying three goals in a span of 2:12 to get the jump on the Whale for good.

“It wasn’t a very good period,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “A lot of the things we talked about beforehand transpired, as far as what the [Penguins] are  going to bring to the table, and from our side of the things, the things we needed to bring to the table weren’t there for the first twenty minutes.

“We can’t spot teams a lead, teams that are ahead of you in the standings.”

The scoring began with former Whale Jason Williams’ score 6:49 into the opening period, Williams converting on the power-play as he snuck one past goaltender Chad Johnson (10 saves). Williams’ score, his 12^th of the season, was assisted by Colin McDonald and Geoff Walker.

Ben Street would tally his 26^th goal of the season less than a minute later at 7:23, corralling the puck and firing a shot over the catching glove of Johnson and into the top right corner of the net to quickly give the visitors a two goal lead. Nick Petersen assisted on the tally.

The Penguins would chase Johnson in favor of Cam Talbot (perfect with 18 saves) with their third goal of the period at the 9:01 mark, as Cody Wild’s shot had just enough on it to squeak through the pads of the Whale goaltender and in for his first goal of the campaign. Brian Gibbons and Ryan Craig both assisted on the goal.

The Whale would carry the flow of the game in the scoreless second period, outshooting the Penguins, 10-4. Munroe, however, kept Connecticut in check with several quality saves, including an up-close one-time opportunity by Ryan Bourque.

The Whale had three power-play opportunities in the second, but they would finish the first two periods zero-for-six with the extra attacker.

Despite playing another strong third period, the Whale could not push anything across against Munroe, as Connecticut was shut out at home, the second time they have been blanked in three games against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Whale take to the ice again Saturday night at the XL Center, when they host the Adirondack Phantoms in a key Northeast Division tilt (7:00 PM).

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 3 at Connecticut Whale 0
Friday, March 30, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

W-B/Scranton  3 0 0 – 3
Connecticut       0 0 0 – 0

1st Period-1, W-B/Scranton, Williams 12 (McDonald, Walker), 6:49 (PP). 2, W-B/Scranton, Street 26 (Petersen), 7:23. 3, W-B/Scranton, Wild 1 (Gibbons, Craig), 9:01. Penalties-Deveaux Ct (hooking), 5:32; MacIntyre Wbs (double minor – high-sticking), 12:19; Erixon Ct (holding), 15:16; Samuelsson Wbs (slashing), 18:02.
2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Munroe Wbs (delay of game), 2:56; Deveaux Ct (high-sticking), 3:51; Walker Wbs (hooking), 5:27; Grant Wbs (tripping), 8:00; Walker Wbs (unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:01; Newbury Ct (unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:01; Vernace Ct (interference), 14:17.
3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-W-B/Scranton 13-4-14-31. Connecticut 10-10-12-32.
Power Play Opportunities-W-B/Scranton 1 / 4; Connecticut 0 / 6.
Goalies-W-B/Scranton, Munroe 18-8-3 (32 shots-32 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 21-17-5 (13 shots-10 saves); Talbot 12-13-0 (18 shots-18 saves).
A-3,169
Referees-Jarrod Ragusin (54), Chris Brown (86).
Linesmen-Kevin Redding (16), Jim Briggs (83).

     VERSUS    

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
March 30, 2012 (Game 78, Home Game 39)
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

• The Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 4-1, tonight at Madison Square Garden for their 50th win of the season.  The Blueshirts extended their winning streak to four games, and have won six of the last seven games.

• New York improved to 50-21-7 (107 pts.) overall, including a 27-10-2 mark at home.  It is the third time in team history the Rangers reached the 50-win mark, and the first since the 1993-94 team set the franchise record with 52 wins.
• The Blueshirts’ 50 wins are tied for second most in franchise history (1991-92), and their 107 points rank fourth all-time.
• The Rangers now rank first in the NHL overall with 107 points, and maintained their five-point lead over Pittsburgh atop the Eastern Conference standings.  New York’s magic number to clinch the top seed in the east is now three points relative to Pittsburgh, and one point relative to Philadelphia.
• The Blueshirts have skated in 14 of 15 scheduled games against Original Six opponents this season, posting a record of 8-6-0 in those contests.
• The Rangers tallied two power play goals in four attempts (6:24), and are now 9-38 (23.7%) in the last 11 games.  The Blueshirts are 4-9 (44.4%) with the man advantage in the last two games.  New York improved to 24-1-4 when tallying a power play goal.
• The Blueshirts held the Canadiens scoreless in three shorthanded situations (6:00), and are 41-46 (89.1%) in the last 16 games.  The Rangers have now held opponents scoreless on the power play in six of the last seven games (16-18, 88.9%), and improved to 34-12-3 when not allowing a power play goal.
• Prior to tonight’s contest, Rangers Captain Ryan Callahan was named winner of the 2011-12 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, as voted by the fans, recognizing the player who performs “above and beyond the call of duty.”  It is the third time Callahan has captured the award (2008-09, 2009-10).

Player Notes:

• Henrik Lundqvist made 19 saves to improve to 38-16-5 overall, including a 21-8-2 mark at home.  His 38 wins tie his career-high, set during the 2008-09 season (38-25-7), and are tied for second most in a single-season by a Rangers’ goaltender in franchise history.  Lundqvist extended his winning streak to four games (4-0-0, 1.96 GAA, .916 Sv% over the span), and has held opponents to two or fewer goals in six of the last eight games (6-2-0, 2.10 GAA, .910 Sv% over the span).
• Michael Del Zotto notched two goals, including one on the power play, added an assist on the game-winning, power play goal, and logged 21:18 of ice time while skating in his 200th career NHL game.  His first goal at 8:17 of the third period was his 40th point of the season, and his second goal at 16:58 of the third was his career-high, 10th goal of the season.  Del Zotto has now tallied six points (three goals, three assists) in the last six games.
• Marian Gaborik opened the game’s scoring with an even strength goal at 8:56 of the first period, added an assist and posted a plus-two rating in 19:47 of ice time.  He extended his point streak to four games (four goals, three assists over the span), and has now tallied 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in the last 12 games.
• Brad Richards registered three points, including the game-winning, power play goal, and two assists, posted a plus-two rating and won a team-high, 10-18 face-offs (56%) in 18:43 of ice time.  He extended his assist/point streak to four games (one goal, six assists over the span), and has tallied 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in the last 13 games.  Richards ranks second in the NHL in scoring during the month of March with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists), trailing Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin by one point.
• Derek Stepan tallied the primary assist on both of the Rangers’ power play goals, and logged 18:11 of ice time.  His second assist was his 50th point of the season, marking the first time he has reached the 50-point plateau.
• Carl Hagelin recorded an assist and tied for the game-high with five shots on goal in 15:53 of ice time.  He has tallied 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in the last 19 games, including eight points (two goals, six assists) in the last 10 games.

Post-Game Quotes:

John Tortorella on the team… 

“I  don’t  think  we  are  playing  our  best, I think we are taking steps in the right direction.  I think we are going this way. A couple of weeks ago we’re a little bit up and down. The second half of the game in Winnipeg, even those games, they are hard games to play when really a number of the teams we’ve played, they can play loose and free and go about their business. Those are hard games to play.  I think we’ve handled ourselves well in the last four, at working at our game and the number of people who contributed.”

Ryan Callahan on winning the Steven McDonald Award…

“It’s a huge honor.  I think  a lot of guys in this room could have won it this year. Right through the lineup, everybody sacrifices themselves. To get that award, it’s such a special award and I take a lot of pride in it. I’m honored to get it.”

Brian Boyle on Ryan Callahan…

“He  leads  the  way.   He’s  our  leader.  That’s  the  way we all want to play behind him. It makes us better players. How blessed are we to be able to do it here in this city? For a man like that with all he’s gone through, to be proud of us. It’s humbling; it’s hard to describe that feeling. You get goose bumps. I’m sure Cally’s really honored. He deserves it. We all try to follow suit and try to stand in line. It’s a lot of fun to be a part of for a number of reasons: the guys in this room, the fans we have, the city we’re in. It’s kind of surreal sometimes. I have to pinch myself. We’re fortunate to be here.”

Team Schedule:

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Boston Bruins on Sunday, Apr. 1, at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), in an Original Six matchup.  The game will be televised live on NBC Sports Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio

      VERSUS     

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
March 28, 2012 (Game 77, Away Game 39)
MTS Centre – Winnipeg, MB

                                                 1st     2nd    3rd     OT      F
New York Rangers               0        2         2         -         4
Winnipeg Jets                       0        2         0        -         2

Team Notes:

• The Rangers defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 4-2, tonight at MTS Centre, and have now won five of the last six games.  The Blueshirts tallied four unanswered goals to erase a two-goal second period deficit.
• New York improved to 49-21-7 (105 pts.) overall, including a 23-11-5 mark on the road.  The Rangers now rank first in the NHL overall with 105 points, and increased their lead over Pittsburgh atop the Eastern Conference standings to five points.

• Three of the Rangers’ four goals were registered by their special teams, including two power play goals and one shorthanded tally.  The Rangers finished the contest 2-5 (7:27) with the man advantage, and are now 7-34 (20.6%) in the last 10 games.  The Blueshirts also held the Jets scoreless in five shorthanded situations (8:01), and are now 38-43 (88.4%) in the last 15 games.  New York improved to 23-1-4 when tallying a power play goal, and are 33-12-3 when not allowing a power play goal.
• The Blueshirts’ 49 wins are tied for third most in franchise history (1970-71), while their 105 points are tied for fourth in team history (1991-92).
• New York has posted a combined record of 19-4-5 in back-to-back games this season, including a 10-2-2 (6-0-0 at home, 4-2-2 on the road) mark in the second game.
• The Rangers completed a sweep of the season series against the Jets (4-0-0), having out-scored Winnipeg, 12-3, in the series.
• The Blueshirts were credited with 24 blocked shots in the contest, led by Dan Girardi, Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan who each registered a game-high, four blocked shots.
• The Rangers won 36-59 (61%) face-offs in the contest.  Brian Boyle won a game-high, 15 face-offs (15-26, 58%), while Brad Richards won 14-17 face-offs (82%).

Player Notes:

• Ryan Callahan registered two points, including a power play goal and a shorthanded assist, four shots on goal, tied for the game-high with four blocked shots, and led all skaters with 27:20 of ice time to earn second star honors.  He has now tallied 17 points (11 goals, six assists) in his last 20 games.  Callahan is now three points shy of 200 career NHL points.
• Michael Del Zotto notched a shorthanded goal, added a power play assist and was credited with three hits in 23:52 of ice time to earn first star honors.  He has now registered three points (one goal, two assists) in the last five games.  The assist was his 30th of the season, marking the first time in his career he reached that plateau, and was also his career-high, 38th point of the season.  Del Zotto is now one appearance shy of 200 career NHL games.
• Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves to improve to 37-16-5 overall, with a 17-8-3 mark on the road.  He has held opponents to two or fewer goals in 39 games this season, including in five of the last seven games.  Lundqvist has started on consecutive days 59 times in his career, posting a record of 38-14-7 with a 1.84 GAA, .934 Sv% and six shutouts in the second game.  With the win, Lundqvist became the 45th goaltender in NHL history to record 250 career wins.
• Brian Boyle notched the game-winning goal at 3:07 of the third period, registered three shots on goal and won a game-high, 15-26 faceoffs (58%) in 18:05 of ice time.  He has now tallied three goals in the last four games.
• Derek Stepan tallied a power play goal at 10:06 of the third period and logged 18:48 of ice time in the contest.  The power play goal was his career-high, fourth of the season.
• Marian Gaborik recorded two power play assists to extend his point streak to three games (three goals, two assists over the span), and logged 20:57 of ice time in the contest.  He has now tallied 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in the last 11 games.  Gaborik’s first assist was his 70th point of the season, marking the third time in his career he has reached that mark, and the second time in his three seasons as a Ranger.
• Brad Richards tallied one power play assist to extend his assist streak to three games (four assists over the span), tied for the game-high with five shots on goal, and won a game-high, 14-17 (82%) face-offs in 19:54 of ice time.  He ranks second in the NHL in scoring during the month of March with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists), and has now recorded 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in the last 12 games.
• Ruslan Fedotenko registered the primary assist on the game-winning goal and posted a plus-two rating in 11:08 of ice time.  He finished the Rangers’ back-to-back set with two points (one goal, one assist), having tallied the game-winning goal in a 3-2 win last night at Minnesota.
• Ryan McDonagh tallied an assist on the game-winning goal and registered four shots on goal in 22:32 of ice time.  He has recorded four assists in the last seven games, including three assists in the last two games.  The assist was his 30th point of the season, marking the first time in his career he reached that mark.

Team Schedule:

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Montreal Canadiens on Friday, Mar. 30, at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m.), in an Original Six matchup.  The game will be televised live on MSG Plus and can be heard on Bloomberg Radio.

NEW YORK RANGERS at WINNIPEG JETS

• All information through NHL games on Mar. 27

• The Rangers will face-off against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre (7:00 p.m.; TV: MSG Plus; Radio: Bloomberg Radio), to conclude their final back-to-back set of the season. The Blueshirts currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, and rank second in the league overall, with a record of 48-21-7 (103 pts.). The Rangers enter the contest having defeated the Minnesota Wild, 3-2, last night at Xcel Energy Center, and have won four of the last five games. The Jets enter the contest with a 35-33-8 (78 pts.) record to rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, and have lost four of the last five games. Following the contest, the Rangers will face-off against the Montreal Canadiens on Friday, Mar. 30, at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m.), in an Original Six matchup.

• All-Time: 22-15-1-9 overall (9-9-1-5 at home; 13-6-0-4 on the road)
• 2011-12: Tonight is the fourth and final meeting this season, and the second at MTS Centre. New York is 3-0-0 (2-0-0 at home; 1-0-0 on the road) following a 3-0 win on Jan. 24 at MSG. The Rangers have out-scored the Jets, 8-1, including a pair of 3-0 victories at MSG. The Rangers power play is 3-15 (20.0%), while the penalty kill has held the Jets scoreless in seven shorthanded situations. Marian Gaborik (two goals, one assist), Ryan Callahan (two goals, one assist), Derek Stepan (one goal, two assists), and Michael Del Zotto (three assists) are tied for the team lead with three points apiece. Henrik Lundqvist is 1-0-0 with a 0.00 GAA, 1.000 Sv% and one shutout, while Martin Biron is 2-0-0 with a 0.50 GAA, .980 Sv% and one shutout.
• Last Season: New York was 1-3-0 overall (0-2-0 at home; 1-1-0 on the road). Three of their four meetings were decided by two goals or less, including a 3-2 shootout win on Jan. 22 at Atlanta. Brian Boyle led the Rangers with two goals in the series, and Henrik Lundqvist posted a 1-2-0 mark with a 2.61 GAA in three games.
• The Rangers’ 2-1 victory on Oct. 24 was the team’s first win in Winnipeg since a 5-4 victory against the previous Winnipeg Jets franchise on Nov. 21, 1992
• New York ranks third with a 22-11-5 (49 pts.) record on the road; Winnipeg ranks ninth with a 23-12-4 (50 pts.) mark at home
• The Rangers are 14-2-2 vs. the Southeast Division; the Jets are 6-9-3 vs. the Atlantic Division
• New York lists no former Jets on their roster
• Winnipeg lists one former Ranger on their roster: Nik Antropov (2008-09)

INDIVIDUAL CAREER LEADERS vs. JETS:

• Henrik Lundqvist — 20 GP, 8-5-6, 2.12 GAA, 2 SO
• Martin Biron — 20 GP, 8-11-0-0, 3.02 GAA, 4 SO
• Brad Richards — 49 GP, 18-36-54
• Marian Gaborik — 16 GP, 10-9-19
• Michael Del Zotto — 9 GP, 1-7-8

SPECIAL TEAMS:

The Rangers’ power play is 5-29 (17.2%) in the last nine games, while the penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in 10 of the last 14 games (33-38, 86.8.7%) and are 38-44 (86.4%) in the last 16 contests. The Rangers are tied for eighth in the NHL with seven shorthanded goals. The Blueshirts have posted a record of 22-1-4 in games when tallying a power play goal, and are 32-12-3 when not allowing a power play goal.

• Power Play: The Rangers did not tally a goal in four power play attempts (8:00) last night at Minnesota. New York ranks 29th overall (36-253, 14.2%) and ranks 27th on the road (15-117, 12.8%). The Rangers are 3-15 (11:31) in five-on-three situations (last – 3/13 vs. CAR), and 2-9 (12:08) when four-on-three (last – 3/11 vs. NYI). Shorthanded goals allowed (3): 12/5 vs. TOR (Steckel); 12/8 vs. TBL (Moore); 12/17 at PHX (Korpikoski).
• Penalty Killing: The Blueshirts surrendered two goals to the Wild in two shorthanded situations (1:34) last night at Minnesota. New York ranks fifth overall (205-238, 86.1%) and seventh on the road (111-128, 86.7%). The Rangers are 8-9 (4:34) in three-on-five situations (last – 2/16 vs. CHI), and 2-3 (2:24) when three-on-four (last – 2/16 vs. CHI). Shorthanded goals for (7): 10/20 at CGY (Prust); 12/8 vs. TBL (Anisimov); 12/10 at BUF (Hagelin); 12/10 at BUF (Callahan); 12/20 at NJD (Hagelin); 1/6 at PIT (Dubinsky); 2/12 vs. WSH (Prust).
• Four-on-Four: New York did not skate in a four-on-four situation last night at Minnesota. The Rangers are plus-seven in 79 four-on-four situations (145:31), and even in two three-on-three situations (0:38). Four-on-four goals for (10): 10/18 at VAN (Gaborik); 10/20 at CGY (McDonagh); 10/27 vs. TOR (Girardi); 1/2 vs. FLA (Gaborik); 2/9 vs. TBL (Stepan); 2/9 vs. TBL (Richards); 2/14 at BOS (Anisimov); 2/19 vs. CBJ (Stepan); 2/25 vs. BUF (Callahan); 3/21 vs. DET (Callahan). Four-on-four goals allowed (3): 2/9 vs. TBL (Lecavalier); 2/25 vs. BUF (Stafford); 3/2 at TBL (Malone).

BACK-TO-BACKS:

• The Rangers will conclude their 14th and final back-to-back set tonight at Winnipeg. New York has posted a combined record of 18-4-5 in back-to-back games, including a 9-2-3 (3-1-0 at home, 6-1-3 on the road) record in the first game and a 9-2-2 (6-0-0 at home, 3-2-2 on the road) mark in the second. Since 2009-10, New York is 30-10-4 in the second game of back-to-backs, with a 15-3-1 mark at MSG and 15-7-3 on the road over the span. Henrik Lundqvist has started on consecutive days 58 times in his career, posting a record of 37-14-7 with a 1.84 GAA, .934 Sv% and six shutouts in the second game. The Rangers have posted a record of 6-1-1 in the second game of back-to-backs when opening the set with a win.

PLACE IN TEAM HISTORY:

• New York continues to climb the team’s all-time single season wins and points lists, currently sitting in a tie for fourth in wins and ranking fifth in points. The Rangers eclipsed the 100-point mark for the seventh time in franchise history with a 4-3 shootout win at Toronto on Saturday. The Blueshirts reached the 40-win mark in 61 games, which is tied as the second fewest games to reach 40 wins in team history.

SINGLE SEASON WINS:

• 1993-94 52
• 1991-92 50
• 1970-71 49
• 2011-12 48
• 1971-72 48
• 1972-73 47

SINGLE SEASON POINTS:

• 1993-94 112
• 1970-71 109
• 1971-72 109
• 1991-92 105
• 2011-12 103
• 1972-73 102
• 2005-06 100

WORKING OVERTIME:

• The Rangers have posted a record of 8-2 in games decided in overtime (excluding shootouts) this season. Their eight overtime wins are tied with Tampa Bay for first in the league this season, and represent a new team record. The Blueshirts broke their previous record of six (1999-00, 2002-03) with a 4-3 overtime win on Mar. 11 vs. NYI. Marian Gaborik leads the team and ranks second in the NHL with a career-high (tied), three overtime goals, while Ryan Callahan ranks second on the Rangers and is tied for third in the league with a career-high, two overtime goals. Brad Richards, Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh have also tallied one power play goal apiece.

MARCHING INTO THE PLAYOFFS:

• Brad Richards ranks second in the NHL with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) during the month of March, trailing Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin by two points. Marian Gaborik is tied for second in the league with nine goals and fourth with 16 points in March.

MEASURING UP:
The Rangers rank among the NHL leaders in several statistical categories…

• 2nd in points (103)
• 2nd in win% (.678)
• T-1st in wins (48)
• T-1st in regulation/overtime wins (44)
• T-2nd in fewest regulation losses (21)
• 3rd in fewest goals against (165)
• 3rd in GAA (2.17)
• 1st in hits (2,267)
• 4th in blocked shots (1,240)
• 4th in +/- rating (plus-37)
• 6th in goal differential (plus-39)

QUICK HITS:

• The Rangers became the first Eastern Conference team, and second in the league overall, to clinch a playoff spot with a 4-2 win on Mar. 19 vs. NJD (game #72); The last time the Blueshirts clinched a playoff berth that early was in 1991-92, when New York clinched on Mar. 8 (through game #68) following a Philadelphia defeat to Vancouver
• This is the latest the Rangers have been in first place of the Eastern Conference standings since the team captured the Presidents’ Trophy during the 1993-94 season. *courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau
• New York is 19-2-3 when leading after the first period and 28-0-3 when leading after the second
• The Rangers rank third in the league with a .238 win% when trailing after two periods (5-15-1), and are tied for ninth in the NHL with five third period comeback wins
• New York leads the NHL with a .718 win% when out-shooting their opponent (28-10-1)
• The Rangers rank second in the league when scoring first, posting a 33-4-3 mark (.825 win%) in those contests

THE HOT LIST:

• Brad Richards — 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in the last 17 games; 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in the last 11 games
• Marian Gaborik — six goals in the last nine games; 11 points (six goals, five assists) in the last 10 games
• Brandon Dubinsky — five points (two goals, three assists) in the last five games
• Ryan McDonagh — three assists in the last six games
• Dan Girardi — four points (one goal, three assists) in the last eight games
• Anton Stralman — five assists in his last eight games

MILESTONES APPROACHING:

• Martin Biron — 1 game from 500 NHL career

INJURIES:

• Michael Sauer (concussion, 12/5) — 52
• Steve Eminger (injured, 3/15) — 6
• Mats Zuccarello (injured, 3/23) — 2

Total Man-Games Lost: 219