Yeah, I thought it was good — efficient is a good term to describe it. I didn’t think we gave up a lot defensively, for sure. We didn’t give up many shots or chances, especially in that third period when we expected them to push. I thought we took care of it pretty well there.
On if the way Nylander and Tavares play together is different from when Nylander and Matthews play together:
Yeah, there’s different dynamics at play there. I’ve liked it so far; the chemistry has been good. The nice thing I think that’s come out with the fact that we’ve moved things around here, since I’ve been here, is it’s giving me a pretty good taste of what different things look like. You never know what the season is going to bring and what each game is going to bring. It gives me a feel for different things. Obviously, we’ve used a number of different combinations so far and we like this one and we like a lot of others that have worked too.
FREDERIK ANDERSEN (26 SAVES)
On the team’s performance tonight:
I thought we made some good adjustments and definitely played a really solid game. I think we got off to a lead and they had to force some stuff to get back into it. So I think we did a better job of not playing into their hand and forcing too much and made them come to us. I thought we did a good job.
On the forwards and defence working in unison and creating quicker breakouts:
Of course I think any time you can help each other out and make it easier for each other, it’s important. That can make the game less hard. I think guys will take less hits if we play it quicker and help each other out like that.
ALEX KERFOOT (1 GOAL, 100TH NHL POINT)
On William Nylander’s play of late:
He’s been playing really well for a long period of time right now. It’s fun to play with him. He makes plays, he’s hard on pucks and protects the puck down low. So, he makes a lot of stuff happen out there. It’s obviously a pleasure to play with him.
On what has led to the chemistry between himself, Nylander and Tavares:
Well, those two guys are just good hockey players. I think you put anyone on their wing and they’re going to have success. They spend a lot of time in the offensive zone. So, it’s just trying to read off them and make plays and they find space, they make good things happen. So I’m just trying to do my job.
WILLIAM NYLANDER (1 GOAL, 1 ASSIST)
On his line getting the first goal of the game from Kerfoot early in the first:
Yeah, it was a great play by Johnny [Tavares] being hard on his stick. There’s kind of a lucky play there in the corner where he lost the puck, but we were able to get possession of it. It’s a great play and a nice goal by Kerf.
On what has allowed he and Tavares to develop chemistry quickly:
I think it’s just that with some players, you just click automatically from the beginning.
On his pass to set up Matthews’ goal on the power play:
I just saw him backdoor and I kind of knew he would be open, so I just tried to get it over there.
JOHN TAVARES (1 GOAL, 1 ASSIST)
On tonight’s win:
Yeah, it probably wasn’t the prettiest. I don’t think we made as many plays as we’re capable of. But it was just one of those games where it felt like ping pong, especially early, and we were just able to capitalize on some good opportunities and then played with the lead pretty well. We were able to do a pretty good job on special teams. So, just stuck with it and just made it difficult for them. Just tried to play five inside and really have to make them earn their opportunities and the ice there and then, obviously, try to generate offense ourselves, try to keep the puck and wear them out and make them have to defend.
On the team finding a way to win despite not making as many plays as it can:
You have to have that to win in this league. There are so many good teams, so many good players. Things aren’t going to always go your way. You’re not always going to make the perfect play and mistakes happen and it’s just the nature of our league, our game. So, just staying with it and doing a good job. We regrouped, I thought, pretty well off the timeouts and got back to our game, did some good things and were able to get the win.
Alex Kerfoot put the Maple Leafs on the board at 5:55 of the first period. Kerfoot’s goal is his 100th career NHL point. He has three points (1-2-3) over his last four games played. He recorded seven points (1 goal, 6 assists) in 13 games during the month of December.
William Nylander scored the second Toronto goal of the game at 19:29 of the first period and registered the primary assist on Auston Matthews’ second period goal. Nylander has goals (4) and points (4-4-8) in four consecutive games and assists (4) in three consecutive games. With goals in four consecutive games, Nylander has established a career-long goal streak (Previous: Mar. 20 to 23, 2017 (3G; 3GP)). Tonight’s game is Nylander’s eighth multi-point performance of 2019-20.
Auston Matthews registered the primary assist on Nylander’s first period goal and later scored the third Maple Leafs goal of the night on the power play at 8:34 of the second period. Tonight’s game is Matthews’ 16th multi-point performance of the season, which is tied for the fifth-most multi-point games in the NHL. He has 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) in seven games against Central Division teams in 2019-20.
John Tavares registered the primary assist on Kerfoot’s first period goal and later scored the fourth Toronto goal of the game into an empty net at 19:35 of the third period. Tavares has assists (7) and points (3-7-10) in five consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his 12th multi-point performance of 2019-20. He has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 19 road games this season. He has 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists) in 17 career games against the Wild.
Travis Dermott had the secondary assist on Kerfoot’s first period goal. He has recorded six (2-4-6) of his seven points on the road this season. He has three assists in three career games against Minnesota.
Tyson Barrie collected the secondary assist on Nylander’s first period goal. Barrie has assists (5) and points (1-5-6) in four consecutive games. He has eight points (1-7-8) in 15 career games at Xcel Energy Center. In 13 games during the month of December, Barrie recorded nine points (1 goal, 8 assists).
Mitch Marner had the secondary assist on Matthews’ second period goal. Marner has assists (2) in two consecutive games. He recorded 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists) in 12 games during the month of December. His 56 career points (17 goals, 39 assists) in 50 career games during the month of December marks his highest career point total in a single month.
Frederik Andersen stopped 26 shots to earn the victory. He is the first goaltender in the NHL to reach the 20-win mark in 2019-20.
The Maple Leafs went 2-for-3 on the penalty kill and went 1-for-3 on the power play tonight.
Justin Holl started 28.6 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which was the lowest mark among Toronto skaters.
Morgan Rielly was on the ice for a team-high 20 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5 tonight. Rielly finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 50 percent (20 for, 20 against).
Jason Spezza went 5-for-6 (83%) in the faceoff circle when matched up with Minnesota centre Eric Staal.
John Tavares won 63 percent (5 won, 3 lost) of his offensive zone faceoffs.
UPCOMING GAMES:
Thursday, January 2, 8:00 p.m. at Winnipeg Jets (TSN4, FAN 590)
Saturday, January 4, 7:00 p.m. vs. New York Islanders (Sportsnet, TSN 1050)
Monday, January 6, 7:00 p.m. vs. Edmonton Oilers (TSN4, TSN 1050)
Wednesday, January 8, 7:30 p.m. vs. Winnipeg Jets (Sportsnet, FAN 590)
Sunday, January 12, 7:00 p.m. at Florida Panthers (Sportsnet, TSN 1050)
John Tortorella sure knows how to put on a show. The Blue Jackets head coach, who’s notorious for his feisty postgame rants, lost his cool after Columbus’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. And he placed the blame for the loss directly on the officials. Tortorella was unhappy about how the officials…
On if his appreciation for the team’s resilience in last night’s game carries over to tonight: Yeah, I think so. Today is even more challenging, obviously. The back-to-back and we’ve really leaned very heavily on our top guys. On the back-to-back, to do it two days in a row like this coming out of the break, it’s a little bit tougher. But you’re obviously very happy that we were able to do that. That’s a big point for us coming from behind like that.
On how he evaluates how often to play the top lines during a game: In game like that I’m more just going off their body language. Over time you get pretty comfortable with how they look on the bench and when they’re ready for their next shift. Maybe something was just in my own head just with the back-to-back and everything. I kind of lost our fourth line there in the second period and we weren’t getting extra shifts from them. The Rangers weren’t using their fourth line very much either. So, I made it a little bit tougher, plus we’re playing from behind, so you’ll be leaning on those guys. I felt it was important to get more shifts from our depth guys in the third period and I thought it helped us get a little extra rest and a little extra push there. But playing from behind is tough. We haven’t done that very much as a team here of late, but we’ve had to here now three games in a row. That’s not a good recipe for us, not a good recipe for anybody. So, then you get a chance to talk about resilience or to be resilient, we’re able to do that today, but obviously we’d like to flip this trend here and get back to playing with the lead.
On the performance of the blueline with the absence of Muzzin: I thought it was fine. We missed Muzz greatly, don’t get me wrong, in more than just what he does on the ice for us. He has a lot of intangibles that he brings to the locker room and to the bench. Talking between whistles and all those types of things. His presence means a lot to our team, so we missed him greatly, but I thought Marincin did well, filled in well. I don’t think any of our issues that we had in the game today were the result of that.
On if he was concerned when Marner was hit in the head with the puck: Yeah, of course, those are dangerous plays. Anytime the puck comes high like that on anybody, it’s tough. Luckily, we were able to – to get him stitched up and sent back out of there was touch and go there for a bit. They weren’t sure if he was going to come back but he not only came back, I think he pretty much sprinted onto the bench and was ready to go. We put him back out there right away and he was excellent.
On why he decided to start the game with Engvall at centre: I’m very comfortable with Pierre as a centre. I have been in my time with the Marlies. We converted him – I’m not sure exactly when it was but it was January or February of last season. We put him at centre for the first time, and he did an excellent job for us there all the way through the playoffs. Then he’s only played centre with the Marlies this season. He hadn’t played, I don’t think, one shift of wing before coming here. When he’s in there as a centre I’m comfortable with him. I obviously changed it pretty quickly there just because I didn’t like how that line was going early, it didn’t go the way I thought it would. I thought I had to just kind of change that chemistry, they were minus-2 early, so I had to change it up. It has nothing to do with how I feel about Pierre’s ability to play centre, I think he’s good there.
FREDERIK ANDERSEN (32 SAVES)
On the challenge of the Rangers offence: They’re a quick strike offense. They have skilled players.
On the resilience of the group to battle back from behind in recent games: It’s been great. I think, like you said, we keep battling back. Those are big points. And again, another big point tonight.
On the team fighting to get points despite injuries: Of course, we’re missing some good players right now. But, again, we’ve got to play with what we have. I think the guys have been doing a hell of a job doing that. So I think tonight was a good point, but obviously never satisfied with that.
ADAM BROOKS (NHL DEBUT)
On playing in his first NHL game tonight: Obviously, it was a crazy 24 hours for me. You never want to see somebody go down – a couple of guys that I’m friends with and developed relationships with over a couple of years. You don’t like to see them out, but, you know, it was definitely cool to get this opportunity and to play here Saturday night. My parents were here, it was a great opportunity. Obviously, a day I’ll always remember.
On when his family arrived for the game: They came this morning. They were able to find a flight [from Winnipeg]. I think they left at like 6:30 or something early but it was nice that they’re able to get out.
AUSTON MATTHEWS (2 GOALS, 1 ASSIST)
On the game never seeming to be out of reach: I think we’re proud of the way we battled back. Obviously, it would have been nice to finish it off, but I don’t think in any intermission or just coming into the third, we were never discouraged or anything. With the way both these teams play, high powered offences. You’re going to get your chances and we battled back.
On what the team will miss with Muzzin being out with an injury: I mean, everything. I little bit of leadership – well, a lot of leadership, a lot of physicality. He’s a guy that obviously has experience, he’s won a Cup, he holds guys accountable in the locker room. We’re going to miss him quite a bit but it’s a time for an opportunity for other guys to step up in the lineup.
MORGAN RIELLY (13 SHOT ATTEMPTS)
On the recent win streak coming to an end but still grabbing a point tonight: I mean points are one thing, but I think there are obviously areas of improvement for us when you look at the games. I mean, you take what you can. We’ve got a day off tomorrow and a chance to regroup after the break and after the back-to-back so it’s important we take advantage of that.
On where the team can improve now that they are out of the Christmas break: Lots of areas, I think that’s for us to discuss. We’re halfway in or just about anyways so a chance to get better here. We’ve got lots of hockey left and it’s important we realize the opportunity.
William Nylander put the Maple Leafs on the board with a power play goal at 4:21 of the first period and later registered the primary assist on Auston Matthews’ third period goal. Nylander has assists (3) in two consecutive games and goals (3) and points (3-3-6) in three consecutive games. He has 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) over his last six games played. In two games against the Rangers in 2019-20, he has recorded three goals and two assists.
Auston Matthews collected the secondary assist on Nylander’s first period goal and later scored Toronto’s second goal of the game at 7:48 of the second period before scoring Toronto’s fourth goal of the game at 19:08 of the third period. Tonight’s game is Matthews’ seventh multi-goal and 15th multi-point game of the season. His 15 multi-point performances are tied for the sixth-most in the NHL, while his seven multi-goal games are the most in the League. He leads the NHL in 5-on-5 goals (18). Matthews has 12 points (7 goals, 5 assists) over his last six games played. In two games against the Rangers this season, he has recorded two goals and three assists. Matthews has collected 31 (20 goals, 11 assists) of his 45 points on home ice this season.
Pierre Engvall scored the third Maple Leafs goal of the night at 6:22 of the third period. Engvall has three goals over his last five games played. He has two goals in two games against the Rangers this season.
Mitch Marner had the lone assist on Matthews’ second period goal. Marner has 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists) over his last 10 games played. He has three points (2-1-3) in two games against the Rangers this season. He has 22 points (3 goals, 19 assists) in 17 games on home ice.
John Tavares registered the primary assist on Nylander’s first period goal. Tavares has assists (6) and points (2-6-8) in four consecutive games. He has 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in 12 games during the month of December. In 10 games against Metropolitan Division opposition, Tavares has 12 points (4-8-12).
Tyson Barrie recorded the primary assist on Engvall’s third period goal and later collected the secondary assist on Matthews’ third period goal. Barrie has assists (4) and points (1-4-5) in three consecutive games. He has eight points (1 goal, 7 assists) in 12 games during the month of December. Ten of his 16 assists have come on home ice.
Kasperi Kapanen picked up the secondary assist on Engvall’s third period goal. Kapanen has points (1-1-2) in two consecutive games. He has recorded 19 (8 goals, 11 assists) of his 21 points against Eastern Conference opposition.
Frederik Andersen stopped 32 of the 37 shots he faced, and a Pavel Buchnevich penalty shot in tonight’s overtime loss. Andersen is 1-for-2 in penalty shot situations this season. Maple Leafs goaltenders have stopped two of the four penalty shots they’ve faced in 2019-20.
The Maple Leafs went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill and went 1-for-2 on the power play tonight.
Adam Brooks played his first career NHL game.
Adam Brooks and Frederik Gauthier started 20 percent of their 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which was the lowest mark among Toronto skaters.
Auston Matthews won a career-high 17 faceoffs in tonight’s game. He won 80 percent (8 won, 2 lost) of his draws when matched up against New York centre Mika Zibanejad.
Morgan Rielly was on the ice for a team-high 33 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5 tonight. Rielly finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 60 percent (33 for, 22 against).
John Tavares won 79 percent (11 won, 3 lost) of his offensive zone faceoffs.
UPCOMING GAMES:
Tuesday, December 31, 6:00 p.m. at Minnesota Wild (Sportsnet Ontario, TSN 1050)
Thursday, January 2, 8:00 p.m. at Winnipeg Jets (TSN4, FAN 590)
Saturday, January 4, 7:00 p.m. vs. New York Islanders (Sportsnet, TSN 1050)
Monday, January 6, 7:00 p.m. vs. Edmonton Oilers (TSN4, TSN 1050)
Wednesday, January 8, 7:30 p.m. vs. Winnipeg Jets (Sportsnet, FAN 590)
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev was taken to University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey for surgery to repair an artery and tendons in his wrist that were severed during the team’s game against the New Jersey Devils last night. Following successful surgery, Mikheyev will remain in hospital in New Jersey for further monitoring before returning to Toronto. The 25-year-old is expected to make a full recovery but a more accurate timeline for his return will be provided in three months. The Toronto Maple Leafs and our medical team would like to thank the New Jersey Devils and their medical staff and the University Hospital’s staff and hand and vascular surgery team for their urgent care.
NEW YORK RANGERS (18-15-4 – 40 Points) vs.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (21-14-4 – 46 Points)
DECEMBER 28, 2019 ▪ 7:00 PM EST
SCOTIABANK ARENA (TORONTO, ON) ▪ TV: SPORTSNET/HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA ▪
RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN
MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus NEW YORK RANGERS
ALL-TIME RECORD:
288-222-95-10 (615 Games)
ALL-TIME AT HOME:
168-94-39-5 (306 Games)
2019-20:
1-0-0
LAST FIVE:
3-1-1
LAST 10:
6-2-2
MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus NEW YORK RANGERS
GAMES PLAYED:
John Tavares (47), Jason Spezza (43), Cody Ceci (19)
GOALS:
John Tavares (14), Jason Spezza (13), Zach Hyman (5)
ASSISTS:
John Tavares (27), Jason Spezza (22), Tyson Barrie (10)
POINTS:
John Tavares (41), Jason Spezza (35), Tyson Barrie (12)
PENALTY MINUTES:
John Tavares (44), Jason Spezza (24), Zach Hyman (7)
MAPLE LEAFS – RANGERS TEAM STATS
TORONTO
NEW YORK
GOALS FOR (Rank):
137 (2nd)
119 (t-14th)
GOALS AGAINST (Rank):
124 (25th)
119 (t-19th)
POWER PLAY [%] (Rank):
25/107 [23.3%] (6th)
25/132 [18.9%] (t-16th)
PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank):
88/116 [75.8%] (26th)
109/138 [78.9%] (22nd)
SHOTS (Rank):
1308 (3rd)
1089 (29th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank):
1988 (1st)
1434 (31st)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank):
52.8% (5th)
44.2% (31st)
FACEOFF % (Rank):
52.1% (4th)
46.5% (29th)
MAPLE LEAFS – RANGERS NOTES
FIRST MATCHUP BETWEEN CLUBS:
November 20, 1926 vs. New York (New York 5, Toronto 1)
ALL-TIME RECORD:
288-222-95-10 (615 Games)
ALL-TIME RECORD AT HOME:
168-94-39-5 (306 Games)
ALL-TIME RECORD ON THE ROAD:
120-128-56-5 (309 Games)
LAST WIN VS. OPPONENT AT HOME:
December 22, 2018 (Toronto 5, New York 3)
MAPLE LEAFS MILESTONES vs. RANGERS
Tyson Barrie
300th NHL game (Dec. 31, 2016 vs. NYR)
Frederik Gauthier
100th NHL game (March 23, 2019 vs. NYR)
Zach Hyman
100th NHL game (Oct. 7, 2017 vs. NYR)
Alex Kerfoot
First NHL game (Oct. 5, 2017 (COL) at NYR) First NHL point (Assist) (Oct. 5, 2017 (COL) at NYR)
Martin Marincin
100th game as a Maple Leaf (Dec. 22, 2018 vs. NYR)
Jason Spezza
500th NHL assist (Jan. 5, 2016 (DAL) at NYR)
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
CATEGORY
LEADER
GOALS
24 (Matthews)
ASSISTS
25 (Marner)
POINTS
43 (Matthews)
POWER PLAY POINTS
12 (Marner, Matthews)
SHORTHANDED POINTS
2 (Engvall, Kapanen)
PIMs
34 (Muzzin)
SHOTS
139 (Matthews)
FACEOFF WIN%
59.3% (Gauthier)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %
55.6% (Nylander)
BLOCKED SHOTS
69 (Muzzin)
TAKEAWAYS
42 (Marner)
HITS
87 (Muzzin)
TOI PER GAME
24:21 (Rielly)
PP TOI PER GAME
3:03 (Marner)
SH TOI PER GAME
3:06 (Ceci)
MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES
Frederik Andersen
– Is 9-4-3 at home this season with a 2.87 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. – Has made 10 career appearances against the Rangers and is 6-2-2 with a 2.81 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.- Leads the NHL in wins (19).- Third in the NHL in saves (857) and tied for second in even-strength saves (719).- Fourth in the NHL in shootout saves (11).
Tyson Barrie
– Averaging 14.3 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time, which is the sixth-highest average among NHL defencemen who have appeared in 30 games. – Has been on the ice for the eighth-most shot attempts for (748) among NHL skaters. – Has an on-ice shot attempt differential of plus-120, which is 13th among NHL defencemen.
Cody Ceci
– Has an on-ice goal differential of plus-eight at even-strength, which is tied for the second highest even-strength goal differential among Toronto skaters.- 10th among NHL skaters in shorthanded time on ice (120:52).- Has played 62.0 percent of Toronto’s shorthanded ice time, which is the 11th-highest shorthanded time on ice percentage among NHLers who have appeared in at least 30 games.
Justin Holl
– Has started 45.0 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which is the lowest mark among Toronto defencemen who have appeared in at least 10 games.- Has an unblocked shot attempt percentage of 53.7 percent at 5-on-5, which is tied for the highest percentage among Toronto defencemen who have appeared in at least 10 games.
Michael Hutchinson
– Second among NHL goaltenders who have appeared in 10 or fewer games in saves (250).
Zach Hyman
– Averaging 1.58 points per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which ranks eighth among Maple Leafs who have appeared in at least 10 games. – Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 53.7 percent, which ranks eighth among Toronto skaters who have played 10 games. – Averaging 15:35 per game in even-strength ice time, which ranks seventh among Maple Leafs.
Kasperi Kapanen
– Has scored nine goals this season, which is tied for 11th most among NHLers with no power play goals.- Seventh among Toronto skaters in even-strength points (7-8-15).- Has played 35.1 percent of the Maple Leafs’ shorthanded ice time, which ranks fourth among Toronto forwards.
Alex Kerfoot
– Played 17:14 on December 27 at New Jersey, which is his second-highest single-game ice time total this season.- Lone Toronto forward to have recorded at least 20 hits (29) and 20 blocked shots (25) this season.
Mitch Marner
– Averaging 0.54 primary assists per game, which is ninth among NHLers who have appeared in at least 20 games.- Tied for 14th in the NHL in primary assists (15). His 15 primary assists are the most among NHLers who have appeared in less than 30 games.- Second in the NHL in takeaways (42).- Ninth among NHL forwards in shifts per game (25.5).
Auston Matthews
– Tied for second among NHL skaters in goals (24).- Tied for the lead among NHL skaters in even-strength goals (18).- Leads the NHL in goals scored at 5-on-5 (17).- Tied for 10th among NHL skaters in even-strength points (18-13-31).- Tied for ninth in the NHL with 139 shots on goal.- Has an on-ice goals-for percentage of 62.9 percent at 5-on-5, which leads Toronto skaters and ranks 10th among NHLers who average at least 15 minutes per game in 5-on-5 ice time.
Ilya Mikheyev
– Averaging 8.8 shots on goal per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time, which is the fourth-highest average among NHLers who have played at least 60 shorthanded minutes.- Leads all NHL rookies in shorthanded ice time (75:03).- Leads NHL rookies and is tied for third among Maple Leafs in even-strength points (7-15-22).
Jake Muzzin
– Has drawn 12 penalties this season, which leads Toronto defencemen and is tied for fifth among NHL defencemen.- Averages 0:47 in ice time per shift, which is tied for the fourth-lowest average shift length among defencemen who average at least 21:00 per game in ice time.
William Nylander
– Has recorded 10 primary assists, which is tied for fourth among Toronto skaters. – Averages 1.07 goals per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which ranks second among Toronto skaters.- Has recorded nine points (4 goals, 5 assists) in 10 career games against the Rangers.
Morgan Rielly
– Tied for 14th among NHL defencemen in points (3-22-25).- Tied for eighth among NHL defencemen in even-strength points (3-15-18).- Fourth among NHL defencemen in assists recorded at 5-on-5 (14).- 13th among NHL skaters in TOI per game (24:21).- Tied for eighth among NHL skaters in shifts per game (28.5).
Jason Spezza
– Averaging 2.48 points per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 this season, which is the second-highest average among Toronto skaters.- Averaging 1.24 primary assists per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time in 2019-20, which leads the Maple Leafs and is the ninth-highest average among NHLers who have appeared in at least 25 games.
John Tavares
– Has 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 47 career games against New York, which is the fourth-highest point total against the Rangers since 2009-10.- Averaging 17.09 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which is the fourth-highest average among NHL centres who have appeared in 20 games.- Averaging 9.14 shots on goal at 5-on-5 per 60 minutes of ice time, which ranks 10th among NHL centres who have appeared in 20 games.- Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 55.1 percent, which ranks third among Toronto skaters who have appeared in at least 20 games.
CURRENT POINT STREAKS
Tyson Barrie
Has assists (2) and points (1-2-3) in two consecutive games.
Zach Hyman
Has points (3-4-7) in three consecutive games.
Alex Kerfoot
Has assists (2) in two consecutive games.
Ilya Mikheyev
Has points (1-1-2) in two consecutive games.
William Nylander
Has goals (2) and points (2-2-4) in two consecutive games.
Jason Spezza
Has assists (2) and points (1-2-3) in two consecutive games.
John Tavares
Has goals (2) in two consecutive games and assists (5) and points (2-5-7) in three consecutive games.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Frederik Andersen
23 minutes from 20,000 career minutes
Alex Kerfoot
One point from 100 NHL points
RECENT MILESTONES
None
INJURY REPORT
Andreas Johnsson (Leg)
On injured reserve.
Ilya Mikheyev (Wrist Laceration)
Left Toronto’s game on Dec. 27 at NJD.
Trevor Moore (Concussion)
Out indefinitely
Man Games Lost: 79
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
December 27
Recalled forward Adam Brooks and defenceman Martin Marincin from the Toronto Marlies (AHL)
December 23
Loaned forward Jeremy Bracco to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
December 23
Recalled forward Jeremy Bracco from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
December 21
Loaned forward Adam Brooks and defenceman Martin Marincin to the Toronto Marlies (AHL). Activated forward Trevor Moore from the injured reserve.
* See the attached document for additional information on all Rangers players (Note: all statistics in the attached document are reflective of games ending on Dec. 26) The New York Rangers’ 2019-20 Media Guide can be accessed via the following link: https://nhl.bamcontent.com/images/assets/binary/309230326/binary-file/file.pdf
SATURDAY’S GAME
The Rangers play their 38th game of the 2019-20 season, conclude a back-to-back set, and begin a season-long four-game road trip, Dec. 28, against the Toronto Maple Leafs in an Original Six matchup at Scotiabank Arena (7:00 p.m. ET – TV: MSG+, Radio: ESPN 1050 AM). New York has earned at least one point in 11 of the last 17 games (9-6-2 record).
RANGERS PRACTICE SCHEDULEThe Rangers will not have a morning skate prior to the contest. Rangers Head Coach David Quinn will be available to the media at approximately 5:30 p.m.*Schedule and availability subject to change RANGERS VS. MAPLE LEAFS
All-Time*: 232-281-95-7 (133-116-56-4 at home; 99-165-39-3 on the road) *Note: The first three games between the two franchises were when the Maple Leafs franchise was called the Toronto St. Patricks. The franchise changed its name during the 1926-27 season.
2019-20: This is the second of three meetings between the Rangers and Maple Leafs, and the only meeting between the two teams at Toronto. The Rangers have posted a 0-1-0 record (0-1-0 at home; 0-0-0 on the road), following Toronto’s 6-3 win on Dec. 20 at MSG. Pavel Buchnevich tallied two points (one goal, one assist) in the contest, and Brady Skjei and Ryan Strome each registered a goal. Following tomorrow’s game, the Rangers and Maple Leafs will face each other on the following date: Feb. 5 (at MSG).
The Rangers have won eight of their past 14 games against Toronto, dating back to Feb. 10, 2015 (8-6-0 record over the span).
The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 15 of their last 24 games against the Maple Leafs, dating back to Jan. 14, 2012 (14-9-1 record over the span). In addition, the Blueshirts have earned at least one point in 27 of their last 39 games against Toronto, dating back to Dec. 29, 2007 (22-12-5 record over the span).
Andy Bathgate is the Rangers’ all-time leader in goals (51), assists (82), and points (133) against Toronto, and he ranks second in games played (142) against Toronto in franchise history. Harry Howell is the Rangers’ all-time leader in games played against the Maple Leafs (222). Gump Worsley is the Rangers’ all-time leader in wins against Toronto (38).
RANGERS-MAPLE LEAFS CONNECTIONS
Greg McKegg was selected by Toronto in the third round (62nd overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, played in the Maple Leafs organization for parts of four seasons (2010-11; 2012-13 – 2014-15), and skated in four NHL games with Toronto over parts of two seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15).
The Rangers have five Ontario-born players on their roster: Greg McKegg (St. Thomas, Ontario), Micheal Haley (Guelph, Ontario), Brendan Smith (Mimico, Ontario), Marc Staal (Thunder Bay, Ontario), and Ryan Strome (Mississauga, Ontario).
Brendan Shanahan played two seasons with the Rangers (2006-07 and 2007-08). Chris Drury and Shanahan were teammates with the Rangers in 2007-08.
William Nylander is the son of former Ranger Michael Nylander, who played two seasons with the Blueshirts (2005-06 and 2006-07). Henrik Lundqvist and Michael Nylander were teammates with the Rangers in 2005-06 and 2006-07, and Lundqvist, Michael Nylander, and Brendan Shanahan were all teammates with the Rangers in 2006-07.
Adam Brooks played with the Rangers at the 2015 Traverse City Tournament.
Ryan Strome and John Tavares were teammates with the Islanders for parts of four seasons (2013-14 – 2016-17). Micheal Haley and Tavares were teammates with the Islanders for parts of three seasons (2009-10 – 2011-12).
Jacob Trouba, Brendan Lemieux, and Nic Petan were all teammates with the Jets for parts of two seasons (2017-18 and 2018-19). Trouba and Petan were teammates with the Jets for parts of four seasons (2015-16 – 2018-19). In addition, Lemieux and Petan were teammates in the Jets organization (either with the Jets or the Manitoba Moose of the AHL) for parts of three seasons (2016-17 – 2018-19). Trouba and Michael Hutchinson were teammates with the Jets for parts of five seasons (2013-14 – 2017-18).
Mika Zibanejad and Jason Spezza were teammates with the Senators for parts of three seasons (2011-12 – 2013-14). Zibanejad and Cody Ceci were teammates with the Senators for parts of three seasons (2013-14 – 2015-16).
Micheal Haley and Michael Hutchinson were teammates with the Panthers for part of one season (2018-19).
Brendan Smith and John Tavares were teammates with the Toronto Marlboros Bantam AAA Team in 2003-04 and the Toronto Marlboros Minor Midget AAA Team in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) in 2004-05. In addition, Smith and Tavares were also teammates with Canada-Ontario at the 2006 World U17 Hockey Challenge.
Adam Fox and Alexander Kerfoot were teammates with Harvard University for one season (2016-17). Fox and Kerfoot helped Harvard win the ECAC Hockey Championship in 2016-17, and both players were named to the ECAC Hockey First All-Star Team.
Brady Skjei and Justin Holl were teammates at the University of Minnesota for two seasons (2012-13 and 2013-14).
Jacob Trouba and Zach Hyman were teammates at the University of Michigan for one season (2013-13).
Henrik Lundqvist and William Nylander helped Sweden win a gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championship. Lundqvist and Nylander also represented Sweden at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.
Brady Skjei, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner were all selected to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team in 2016-17.
Artemi Panarin and Auston Matthews won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year in back-to-back seasons (Panarin – 2015-16; Matthews – 2016-17).
Ryan Strome and Cody Ceci helped Canada-Ontario earn a silver medal at the 2010 World U17 Hockey Challenge.
Brady Skjei and Auston Matthews represented the United States at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, and David Quinn was one of the team’s Assistant Coaches in the tournament.
Tony DeAngelo and Auston Matthews represented the United States at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Tony DeAngelo and Trevor Moore represented the United States at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
Marc Staal and John Tavares represented Canada at the 2010 IIHF World Championship, and Rangers legend Mark Messier was the team’s General Manager in the tournament.
Pavel Buchnevich and Ilya Mikheyev represented Russia at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.
Henrik Lundqvist and Jason Spezza represented Sweden and Canada, respectively, at the IIHF World Junior Championship in both 2001 and 2002.
Chris Kreider and John Tavares were both selected in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Tony DeAngelo, Kasperi Kapanen, and William Nylander were all selected in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
Brett Howden and Auston Matthews were both selected in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Jacob Trouba, Auston Matthews, and Morgan Rielly were all teammates with Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Ryan Strome, Cody Ceci, and Morgan Rielly all represented Canada during the 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge.
Brady Skjei, Jacob Trouba, Cody Ceci, and Morgan Rielly were all selected in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Kaapo Kakko and Jason Spezza were both selected with the second overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft (Kakko – 2019 by the Rangers; Spezza – 2001 by Ottawa).
Tyson Barrie was coached by David Quinn and David Oliver in the Avalanche organization (Quinn – Assistant Coach with the Avalanche in 2012-13; Oliver – Assistant Coach with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League in 2011-12 and 2012-13).
Lindy Ruff coached Jason Spezza with the Stars for three seasons (2014-15 – 2016-17). In addition, Ruff coached Spezza on Canada’s silver medal-winning team at the 2009 IIHF World Championship.
Tony DeAngelo was coached by Sheldon Keefe with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for part of one season (2014-15).
Brett Howden was coached by Sheldon Keefe with Canada-White at the 2014 World U17 Hockey Challenge.
Micheal Haley was coached by Paul McFarland (Assistant Coach) with the Panthers for parts of two seasons (2017-18 and 2018-19).
Brendan Smith was coached by Andrew Brewer (Video Coach) with the Red Wings for one season (2014-15).
Ryan Strome was coached by Andrew Brewer (Video Coach) with Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship in back-to-back years (2012 and 2013); Canada earn a bronze medal in the tournament in 2012. Strome and Morgan Rielly represented Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Lindy Ruff (Assistant Coach) and Andrew Brewer (Video Coach) were both members of Canada’s coaching staff at the 2014 Winter Olympics and helped Canada win a gold medal in the tournament; John Tavares played for Canada in the tournament. Jim Ramsay was also Canada’s Athletic Trainer in the tournament. In addition, Ruff and Brewer were also part of the same coaching staff with Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Championship.
Lindy Ruff and Dave Hakstol were both members of Canada’s coaching staff at the 2019 IIHF World Championship. Ruff and Hakstol helped Canada earn a silver medal in the tournament.
Benoit Allaire and Laurence Gilman worked with the Coyotes together for six seasons (1998-99 – 2003-04).
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. MAPLE LEAFS
Henrik Lundqvist – 32 GP, 15-11-5, 2.96 GAA, .897 SV%, 2 SO – Lundqvist has made at least 30 saves in two of his last four appearances against Toronto.
Alexandar Georgiev – 4 GP, 2-2-0, 3.01 GAA, .932 SV% – Georgiev has made 30 or more saves in each of his four career appearances against the Maple Leafs, including 40 or more saves in each of his two wins against Toronto. He made a single-game career-high 55 saves and earned a win on Feb. 10, 2019 against Toronto at MSG, and he made 44 saves to earn a win on Mar. 23, 2019 at Toronto. Georgiev’s 55 saves on Feb. 10, 2019 were the most any Rangers goaltender has made in a game the team won in franchise history.
Artemi Panarin – 11 GP, 4-9-13 – Panarin has recorded a point in nine of 11 career games against the Maple Leafs, including each of his last four games (one goal, three assists in his last four contests).
Chris Kreider – 17 GP, 4-11-15 – Kreider has tallied a point in 12 of 17 career games against Toronto. He has recorded a point in seven of his last eight games against the Maple Leafs, registering nine points (two goals, seven assists) over the span. He has also tallied a point in each of his last five games against Toronto (one goal, six assists in the five games).
Marc Staal – 35 GP, 3-11-14 – Staal has posted four career multi-point games against Toronto. He has recorded 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in his last 20 games against the Maple Leafs.
Mika Zibanejad – 26 GP, 7-6-13 – Zibanejad has notched a point in six of his last 13 games against Toronto (four goals, two assists).
Ryan Strome – 17 GP, 4-6-10 – Strome has tallied eight points (four goals, four assists) in his last 12 games against Toronto. In addition, he enters the contest with a three-game point streak against the Maple Leafs (two goals, one assist), and he has recorded a goal in each of the last two games against Toronto.
Jacob Trouba – 10 GP, 2-4-6 – Trouba has notched a point in six of 10 career games against Toronto, and he has tallied an assist/point in three of his last six games against the Maple Leafs.
Pavel Buchnevich – 9 GP, 3-3-6 – Buchnevich has recorded a point in five of nine career games against the Maple Leafs, and he has registered a goal/point in each of each of the last two games against Toronto (two goals, one assist).
Brady Skjei – 10 GP, 2-3-5 – Skjei has tallied a point in three of the last four games against Toronto (one goal, two assists).
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Several Rangers players have connections with fellow members of the Blueshirts and/or members of the team’s coaching staff in addition to being teammates with the Rangers:
Greg Brown and Lindy Ruff were teammates with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) for one season (1991-92).
Pavel Buchnevich and Alexandar Georgiev were teammates while representing Russia in international competition during the 2014-15 season.
Filip Chytil and Libor Hajek represented the Czech Republic at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.
John Davidson was the Columbus Blue Jackets’ President of Hockey Operations when the team acquired Artemi Panarin from the Chicago Blackhawks.
Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren were teammates with the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16) and have represented the United States in four international tournaments. Fox and Lindgren helped the United States earn a gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, a silver medal at the 2014 World U17 Hockey Challenge, a bronze medal at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship, and a bronze medal at the 2016 IIHF U18 World Championship, and the two players were a defense pair in several of those tournaments. Fox and Lindgren were coached by Greg Brown (Assistant Coach) at the IIHF World Junior Championship in both 2017 and 2018.
Adam Fox, Chris Kreider, and Brady Skjei all represented the United States at the 2019 IIHF World Championship. Rangers Assistant General Manager Chris Drury was the General Manager for the United States’ team for the tournament.
Brett Howden and Libor Hajek were teammates with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL) for part of one season (2016-17) prior to being teammates with the Rangers. Howden and Hajek were part of a trade between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Rangers on Feb. 26, 2018.
Chris Kreider was coached by Greg Brown (Assistant Coach) for three seasons at Boston College (2009-10 – 2011-12), and Boston College won two National Championships in those three seasons (2009-10 and 2011-12).
Brendan Lemieux and Jacob Trouba were teammates with the Jets for parts of two seasons (2017-18 and 2018-19).
Brendan Lemieux’s father, Claude Lemieux, and Chris Drury were teammates with the Avalanche for parts of two seasons (1998-99 and 1999-00).
Greg McKegg’s great uncle is Lou Fontinato, who played parts of seven seasons with the Rangers (1954-55 – 1960-61).
Artemi Panarin and Brady Skjei were both selected to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team (Panarin – 2015-16; Skjei – 2016-17).
Brady Skjei was coached by David Quinn at the 2016 IIHF World Championship (Quinn was an Assistant Coach with Team USA).
Brady Skjei was coached by Greg Brown at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship (Brown was an Assistant Coach with Team USA).
Brady Skjei and Jacob Trouba were teammates with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) for two seasons (2010-11 and 2011-12). Skjei and Trouba helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2012 IIHF U18 World Championship and a silver medal at the 2011 World U17 Hockey Challenge. Skjei and Trouba also represented the United States at the 2017 IIHF World Championship. Both players were selected in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Brady Skjei and Ryan Lindgren’s older brother, Charlie (a goaltender in the Canadiens’ organization), grew up together in Lakeville, Minnesota and were teammates at Lakeville North High School.
Ryan Strome and Mika Zibanejad were selected with back-to-back picks in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (Strome – fifth overall by the NY Islanders; Zibanejad – sixth overall by Ottawa).
YOUTH SERVED
The Rangers are the only NHL team that has had eight players 21 years old or younger appear in at least one game in 2019-20. BACK-TO-BACKThe Blueshirts are concluding their seventh back-to-back set of the season, as well as their second back-to-back set over the past week (the Rangers also had a back-to-back set on Dec. 22 vs. Anaheim and Dec. 23 at Philadelphia). New York has posted a 3-3-0 record in the second game of a back-to-back set in 2019-20.
O, CANADA
Including Saturday’s game, the Rangers will play each of their next four games in Canada (Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver). The Blueshirts are playing four consecutive games in Canada for the first time since a stretch from Oct. 18, 2011 to Oct. 24, 2011 (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg). New York has posted a 2-1-0 record in games played in Canada this season.
ROAD WARRIORS
New York begins its second four-game road trip of the season Saturday. The Rangers have earned at least one point in seven of their last nine road games, dating back to Nov. 23 at Montreal (5-2-2 record). The Blueshirts posted a 2-1-1 record during their first four-game road trip of the season (from Dec. 8 at Vegas to Dec. 14 at Anaheim).
THREE’S COMPANY
The Blueshirts have tallied three or more goals in 18 of the last 25 games and in 23 of 37 games this season. The Rangers have posted a 17-4-2 record when registering three or more goals in a game in 2019-20. New York is tied for 10th in the NHL in goals per game this season (3.22).
ON POINT
Rangers defensemen have tallied 102 points (27 goals, 75 assists) in 2019-20; the 102 points are the most in the NHL this season. Blueshirts defensemen have also recorded 22.7% of the team’s goals and 31.5% of the team’s points in 2019-20, which are both the highest percentages in the NHL.
KING HENRIK
Henrik Lundqvist has started both games of a back-to-back set 86 times in his NHL career; in the second game of those 86 back-to-back sets, he has posted a 54-24-8 record, along with a 2.15 GAA, a .927 SV%, and 9 SO.
NHL CAREER WINS LEADERS
1. Martin Brodeur
691
2. Patrick Roy
551
3. Roberto Luongo
489
4. Ed Belfour
484
5. Henrik Lundqvist
458
NHL CAREER APPEARANCES LEADERS
7. Glenn Hall
906
8. Tony Esposito
886
9. John Vanbiesbrouck
882
10. Henrik Lundqvist
879
CAREER WINS WITH ONE FRANCHISE
CAREER APPEARANCES WITH ONE FRANCHISE
1. Martin Brodeur (NJD)
688
1. Martin Brodeur (NJD)
1,259
2. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)
458
2. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)
879
HENR1KLundqvist made his 1,000th career appearance as a Ranger (regular-season and playoffs combined) on Nov. 27 vs. Carolina, becoming the sixth player to appear in at least 1,000 career regular-season and playoff games with the Rangers in franchise history (along with Brian Leetch, Harry Howell, Rod Gilbert, Ron Greschner, and Walt Tkaczuk).
CAREER APPEARANCES AS A RANGER(REGULAR-SEASON + PLAYOFFS,SKATERS & GOALIES)
1. Brian Leetch
1,211
2. Harry Howell
1,194
3. Rod Gilbert
1,144
4. Ron Greschner
1,065
5. Walt Tkaczuk
1,038
6. Henrik Lundqvist
1,007
ALEXANDAR THE GREAT
Alexandar Georgiev has posted a 4-3-0 record, along with a 2.30 GAA, a .931 SV%, and 2 SO in his last seven appearances. In addition, he has stopped 46 of 47 shots while the Rangers have been shorthanded over his last eight appearances (.979 SV%). Georgiev has made 30 or more saves in 11 of his 16 starts this season.
STATE OF THE ART-EMI
Artemi Panarin has tallied a point in eight of the last nine games (eight goals, six assists), in 25 of the last 30 games (17 goals, 25 assists), and in 29 of 37 games this season (21 goals, 27 assists). He leads the Rangers in goals (21), assists (27), and points (48) this season. Panarin has recorded 198 points (76 goals, 122 assists) in 179 career NHL road games, and he ranks third in the NHL in points on the road since he entered the NHL in 2015-16.
MIKA MAGIC
Mika Zibanejad has recorded a point in six of the last seven games (seven goals, five assists), and he has posted a multi-point game in five of the seven contests. In addition, he has recorded 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in 15 games since returning to the Rangers’ lineup on Nov. 27.
KREID-ING HIGH
Chris Kreider has posted a multi-point game in two of the last three games (three goals, one assist), and he has notched a point in four of the last five games (four goals, two assists). In addition, Kreider has recorded a point in seven of the last nine games and has registered 10 points (five goals, five assists) over the span.
STROME SURGE
Ryan Strome has tallied 64 points (26 goals, 38 assists) in 100 career games with the Rangers, and he is the only player who has skated in all of the Rangers’ 100 games since he was acquired on Nov. 16, 2018.
ON THE MARC
Marc Staal enters tomorrow’s contest with 861 career games played as a Ranger, and he is one game away from passing Jean Ratelle for sole possession of sixth place on the franchise’s all-time games played list (among skaters).
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rangers have either outscored their opponent on special teams or tied their opponent in special teams scoring in 24 of 37 games this season and have earned at least one point in 19 of those 24 games (16-5-3 record). Power Play:
The Rangers were 2-for-4 (5:03) tonight vs. Carolina.
New York has posted a 13-4-2 record when tallying at least one power play goal in a game in 2019-20.
Penalty Kill:
The Rangers were 5-for-5 (9:58) tonight vs. Carolina.
New York has not allowed a power play goal against in eight of the last 11 games (33-for-37; 89.2%), in 10 of the last 14 games (42-for-48; 87.5%), and in 12 of the last 17 games (53-for-60; 88.3%).
The Blueshirts are tied for the NHL lead in shorthanded goals this season (eight).
The Rangers have registered a shorthanded goal in two of the last three games.
New York’s 88.3% penalty kill efficiency since Nov. 23 is the best in the NHL over the span.
The Rangers have posted a 13-4-1 record when not allowing a power play goal against in a game in 2019-20.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
New York Rangers – 29 games away from 6,500 all-time regular season games in franchise history
Jacob Trouba – 2 points away from 200 in his NHL career
Brendan Smith – 2 points away from 100 in his NHL career
Chris Kreider – 3 games away from 500 in his NHL career/with the Rangers; 6 points away from 300 in his NHL career/with the Rangers
INJURIES (73 Man-Games Lost to Injury)
Libor Hajek (knee sprain) – has missed 10 games
Brendan Lemieux (fractured hand) – injury suffered tonight vs. Carolina
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Dec. 23 – Assigned Phillip Di Giuseppe to Hartford (AHL)
Dec. 22 – Recalled Phillip Di Giuseppe from Hartford (AHL)
THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY
Dec. 28, 1929 – The Rangers defeated the Ottawa Senators, 3-1, in a neutral site game played in Atlantic City.
Dec. 28, 1949 – Edgar Laprade (two goals, two assists) and Tony Leswick (four assists) each tallied four points as the Rangers defeated the Chicago Black Hawks, 5-2, at MSG. With less than five minutes remaining in regulation, the Blueshirts tallied four goals in a span of 2:57.
Dec. 28, 1962 – Red Sullivan was named Rangers Head Coach.
RANGERS NOTES
POINT TAKEN – The Rangers have earned at least one point in 11 of their last 17 games, dating back to Nov. 23 at Montreal (9-6-2 record over the span). In addition, the Blueshirts have won two of their last three games (2-1-0 record). − RESILIENT RANGERS – The Blueshirts have posted a 12-3-0 record in their last 15 games which have immediately followed a regulation or overtime loss, dating back to Oct. 22 vs. Arizona.
− HOME SWEET HOME – New York has earned a win in each of its last two home games. In addition, the Rangers have earned at least one point in 12 of 20 games at MSG in 2019-20 (10-8-2 record).
− TAKING THE METRO – The Rangers have won seven of their last eight games against Metropolitan Division opponents, dating back to Nov. 7 at Carolina (7-1-0 record). The Blueshirts have also posted a 7-3-0 record against teams in the Metropolitan Division this season. Beginning with their next game against a Metropolitan Division opponent on Jan. 9 vs. New Jersey, 18 of the Rangers’ final 40 regular-season games in 2019-20 are against teams in the Metropolitan Division.
− GOALS GALORE – The Blueshirts registered five goals in tonight’s contest. The Rangers have tallied three or more goals in 18 of the last 25 games and in 23 of 37 games this season. In addition, the Blueshirts have posted a 17-4-2 record when registering at least three goals in a game in 2019-20.
− TWO GOOD – Five different players registered two or more points in tonight’s game (Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba, Tony DeAngelo, and Chris Kreider).
− SHOOT TO SCORE – The Rangers registered five goals on 24 shots on goal in tonight’s contest. The Blueshirts have posted a shooting percentage of 10.0% or better in 20 of 37 games this season. Entering tonight’s game, the Rangers were tied for fourth in the NHL in shooting percentage in 2019-20 (10.7%). − SPECIAL TEAMS – The Rangers outscored the Hurricanes, 2-0, on special teams in tonight’s contest. The Rangers have either outscored their opponent on special teams or tied their opponent in special teams scoring in 24 of 37 games this season and have earned at least one point in 19 of those 24 games (16-5-3 record). In addition, the Blueshirts have posted a 13-2-1 record when outscoring their opponent on special teams in a game in 2019-20.
− POWER RANGERS – The Blueshirts were 2-for-4 (5:03) on the power play in tonight’s game. New York has posted a 13-4- 2 record when tallying at least one power play goal in a game this season. The Rangers tied a single-game season-high with two power play goals in tonight’s contest. The Blueshirts have registered two power play goals in six different games this season and have posted a 5-0-1 record in those games.
− KILL ZONE – The Rangers were 5-for-5 (9:58) on the penalty kill in tonight’s contest. New York has not allowed a power play goal against in eight of the last 11 games (33-for-37; 89.2%), in 10 of the last 14 games (42-for-48; 87.5%), and in 12 of the last 17 games (53-for-60; 88.3%). The Rangers have posted a 13-4-1 record when not allowing a power play goal against in a game in 2019-20.
− FINISHING THE JOB – The Rangers entered the third period of today’s game with a lead and won the contest. Since the start of the 2010-11 season, the Blueshirts have posted a 241-7-16 record in 264 regular-season games in which they have held a lead entering the third period. New York’s .913 winning percentage when leading entering the third period over the span is the second-best in the NHL. The Rangers have posted a 12-0-2 record when leading entering the third period this season.
− EYE OF THE STORM – The Blueshirts have won each of the first three games of the season series against Carolina in 2019-20. The Rangers have won 30 of their last 36 games against the Hurricanes, dating back to Feb. 22, 2011 (30-6-0 record). New York has also won 20 of its last 25 games against Carolina, dating back to Apr. 8, 2014 (20-5-0 record). In addition, the Rangers have earned a win in 18 of their last 19 home games against Carolina, dating back to Jan. 5, 2011 (18-1-0 record over the span). −
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED – The Rangers successfully challenged a Hurricanes goal for being offsides during the second period. The Blueshirts are 1-for-2 on challenges this season. − Artemi Panarin tallied three points (one goal, two assists) in tonight’s game and was selected as the game’s First Star. He has recorded a point in eight of the last nine games (eight goals, six assists), in 25 of the last 30 games (17 goals, 25 assists), and in 29 of 37 games this season (21 goals, 27 assists). Panarin leads the Rangers in several categories this season, including goals (21), assists (27), and points (48). He has also registered 38 points (17 goals, 21 assists) in 26 career games at MSG, and he has tallied at least one point in 22 of the 26 games. − Mika Zibanejad tallied three points (two goals, one assist), including a power play goal, and recorded the game-winning goal. Zibanejad was selected as the game’s Second Star. He has registered a point in six of the last seven games (seven goals, five assists), and he has posted a multi-point game in five of the seven contests. In addition, he has recorded 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in 15 games since returning to the Rangers’ lineup on Nov. 27. Zibanejad has tallied 29 points this season, and 26 of his 29 points have either been a goal or the primary assist on a goal. He has logged at least 20:00 of ice time in 18 of 24 games he has played this season, and he has also logged 19:00 or more of ice time in 22 of the 24 games he has played; the only games in which Zibanejad has not logged 19:00 or more of ice time this season were when he was injured on Oct. 27 vs. Boston (6:31) and when he returned to the lineup on Nov. 27 vs. Carolina (17:25). The Rangers have posted an 8-0-1 record in games which he has tallied a goal this season. − Chris Kreider recorded two points (one goal, one assist), including a power play assist, and posted a plus-two rating. Kreider was selected as the game’s Third Star. He has posted a multi-point game in two of the last three games (three goals, one assist), and he has notched a point in four of the last five games (four goals, two assists). In addition, Kreider has recorded a point in seven of the last nine games and has registered 10 points (five goals, five assists) over the span. He has registered 11 goals against Carolina in his NHL career, and his 11 goals against the Hurricanes are the most he has recorded against one opponent in his career. Since the Whalers/Hurricanes franchise moved to Carolina prior to the start of the 1997-98 season, Kreider has tallied more goals against the Hurricanes than any other Ranger. − Henrik Lundqvist made 39 saves, and stopped all 14 shots while the Rangers were shorthanded, to earn his ninth win of the 2019-20 season and the 458th win of his NHL career. Lundqvist’s 458 career wins are the fifth-most in NHL history. He has posted a .920 SV% or better in 11 of his last 18 starts. Lundqvist has also made 30 or more saves in eight of his last 15 starts. − Tony DeAngelo tied single-game career-highs with two assists and two points and recorded both assists on the power play. DeAngelo posted a multi-assist game for the fourth time in his NHL career and a multi-point game for the 11th time in his NHL career. He has notched an assist/point in three of the last four games (four assists), in five of the last seven games (six assists), and in 10 of the last 16 games (one goal, 11 assists). DeAngelo leads Rangers defensemen in goals (seven), assists (20), and points (27) this season. − Jacob Trouba notched two assists while skating in a team-high 22:17 of ice time. He ranks second among Rangers defensemen in assists (14) and points (19) this season. In addition, Trouba has led the Rangers in ice time in 19 of 37 games in 2019-20. − Ryan Strome tallied a goal and led the Rangers with six shots on goal while skating in his 100th career game with the Rangers in tonight’s contest. Strome has registered 64 points (26 goals, 38 assists) in 100 games with the Blueshirts. In addition, he is the only player who has skated in all of the Rangers’ 100 games since he was acquired on Nov. 16, 2018. He has recorded 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in the last 20 games and ranks second on the Rangers in points this season (31). − Filip Chytil recorded an assist and posted a plus-one rating. He has notched a point in two of the last three games (one goal, one assist). The Rangers have posted a 9-1-2 record in games which he has registered a point this season. − Marc Staal skated in his 861st career game with the Rangers in tonight’s contest, tying Jean Ratelle for sixth place on the franchise’s all-time games played list (among skaters). Staal has played the fourth-most games by a defenseman in Rangers history, trailing only Harry Howell (1,160), Brian Leetch (1,129), and Ron Greschner (981). − Morning Skate/Availability Schedule: The Rangers will not have a morning skate prior to tomorrow’s contest. Rangers Head Coach David Quinn will be available to the media at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET − Next Game: Tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 28 at Toronto (7:00 p.m. ET – TV: MSG+) *Schedule subject to change
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev was taken to University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey for surgery to repair an artery and tendons in his wrist that were severed during the team’s game against the New Jersey Devils last night. Following successful surgery, Mikheyev will remain in hospital in New Jersey for further monitoring before returning to Toronto. The 25-year-old is expected to make a full recovery but a more accurate timeline for his return will be provided in three months. The Toronto Maple Leafs and our medical team would like to thank the New Jersey Devils and their medical staff and the University Hospital’s staff and hand and vascular surgery team for their urgent care.
The only update would just be that he’s at the hospital here. He’s getting evaluated. He’s got a deep cut and we’re just going to have to get it sorted out. He’s going to stay here in New Jersey tonight and get evaluated. We’ll have to figure out what needs to be done.
On his reaction to the injury when it happened:
All I saw was him coming off without a glove and at first you just think he’s missing the glove. Then once you kind of get a sense of something more serious happening there and having your players recognize it even before I did. That’s one of the terrible things that you hate to see.
On the risk of these types of injury as inherent to hockey:
Yeah, it is for sure. It seems to be more frequent these days than it was even when I played. I’m not sure if that’s actually the case, but it seems to be. It’s unfortunate. There’s been lots done to try to prevent these types of things, but some of it isn’t preventable, of course. It’s the nature of the game, but we’ve got to continue to find ways to prevent it as best we can.
On the impact of the injury on the team during the game:
The bench was a little shaken at the time and it seemed like every stoppage in play the guys are kind of looking for an update. They’re concerned about their teammate. In terms of what impact it had on the game itself, I don’t think it had any. When the puck dropped the guys were just focused on playing.
On the resilience of the team to rally in the third and overtime for the win:
Yeah, resilience is a good word to describe it. We’ve shown some of that really throughout the last little bit, being a resilient team. Not a lot to like about our game today, obviously, but you know, it’s December 27 here and we got two points on the road. So, we’ll take it and get on the plane and recognize we’ve got to get a lot better tomorrow.
MICHAEL HUTCHINSON (24 SAVES)
On if he expects a more wide-open game coming off the Christmas break:
A little bit. You know when players have a few days off and us having to travel the same day, sometimes it takes a little bit for the players to get into the game and get back into good habits and stuff. You expect that you might see some good quality scoring chances. But you know at the same time the other team is in the same boat. They have the same amount of days off. So, knowing our skill, you knew that we were going to get some good looks as well and we got some good scoring chances and bury quite a few tonight.
On Mikheyev leaving the game due to a laceration:
It’s terrifying. You know, I haven’t seen him or really heard. Hopefully he’s alright. I didn’t really see what happened, but I remember kind of pushing the puck in the corner and he was there. Then all of a sudden, I could see a ton of blood coming from somewhere and a lot more than a usual high stick or anything like that. Hopefully he’s alright. I’m sure we’ll get an update on him in the locker room soon.
JOHN TAVARES (1 GOAL, 2 ASSISTS)
On tonight’s win:
I think first and foremost, we’re thinking about [Mikheyev] and hopefully he’s okay. It was obviously scary there, seeing that much blood. Obviously, a guy that we care deeply about and was having a great night and playing tremendous for us, so thoughts are with him. I think even after that, emotionally, that can hit you a little bit when you see something that can be as dangerous as something like that. It wasn’t pretty overall but we just kept staying with it. I think we know over the last couple of games that we’ve got to tighten up at times but at the same time, I think we’ve controlled play a lot and generated offence. We just have to be smarter with the puck at times and understanding teams are trying to really sit on those counter-attacks when we sustain a lot of possession and we’re able to cause a lot of movement and create chances, we’ve got to be aware of teams going the other way.
On what went through his mind when Mikheyev was injured:
I was on and saw him kind of scrambling to get to the bench so at first, I was looking to the ref to maybe blow it down, but he got off really quick and you’ve got to get right back into the play. You know, it’s on your mind for sure. You want him to be okay and you’re thinking about him. It’s not an easy thing to see and obviously we hope he’s doing okay. I know we don’t have much of an update, but we’re just thinking about him.
Zach Hyman put the Maple Leafs on the board with a power play goal at 16:56 of the first period. Hyman has points (3-4-7) in three consecutive games. He has scored six of his nine goals on the road this season. Hyman has a goal and four assists in 10 career games against the Devils.
Ilya Mikheyev scored Toronto’s second goal of the game at 17:15 of the first period. Mikheyev has points (1-1-2) in two consecutive games. He has 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists) in 21 games on the road in 2019-20. He has six points (3-3-6) in 12 games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
Kasperi Kapanen scored the third Maple Leafs goal of the night at 5:16 of the second period. Kapanen has two points (1-1-2) over his last four games played. He has recorded 16 (7 goals, 9 assists) of his 20 points on the road this season.
John Tavares registered the primary assist on Mikheyev’s first period goal and later had the secondary assist on Kapanen’s second period goal before scoring the fourth Toronto goal of the game on the power play at 8:15 of the third period. Tavares has goals (2) in two consecutive games and assists (5) and points (1-5-6) in three consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his third multi-assist and 11th multi-point performance of the season. He is tied for fifth among all NHLers in points against the Devils since entering the League in 2009-10 (18-16-34).
William Nylander picked up the secondary assist on Mikheyev’s first period goal and later recorded the primary assist on Tavares’ third period goal before scoring the game-winning goal at 2:38 of overtime. Nylander has goals (2) and points (2-2-4) in two consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his first multi-assist and sixth multi-point game of the season. He has eight points (4-4-8) over his last five games played. He has 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) in 12 games against Metropolitan Division teams in 2019-20. His overtime goal is the third overtime goal of his NHL career and his second overtime goal against the Devils.
Morgan Rielly registered the primary assist on Hyman’s first period goal. Rielly has three assists over his last five games played. Rielly has recorded 12 assists in 21 road games in 2019-20. He has seven assists in 12 games against Metropolitan Division opposition.
Jason Spezza collected the secondary assist on Hyman’s first period goal. Spezza has assists (2) and points (1-2-3) in two consecutive games. He has recorded 11 (4-7-11) of his 15 points in 17 road games this season. He has seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in nine games against Metropolitan Division teams.
Alex Kerfoot recorded the primary assist on Kapanen’s second period goal. Kerfoot has assists (2) in two consecutive games. He has three assists in five career games against the Devils. Kerfoot was originally selected by New Jersey in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.
Tyson Barrie collected the secondary assist on Tavares’ third period goal. Barrie has assists (2) and points (1-2-3) in two consecutive games. He has six points (1-5-6) in 11 games during the month of December.
Michael Hutchinson stopped 24 shots to earn the victory
The Maple Leafs went 2-for-3 on the penalty kill and went 2-for-3 on the power play tonight.
Ilya Mikheyev suffered a significant laceration to his wrist and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation and assessment.
Jake Muzzin was on the ice for a team-high 24 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5 tonight. Muzzin finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 58.5 percent (24 for, 17 against).
William Nylander had a team-high five takeaways tonight, which ties the single-game season-high by a Maple Leaf in 2019-20 and is the highest total by a Maple Leaf on the road.
Dmytro Timashov started 40 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which was the lowest mark among Toronto skaters.
John Tavares won 58 percent (7 won, 5 lost) of his offensive zone faceoffs.
UPCOMING GAMES:
Saturday, December 28, 7:00 p.m. vs. New York Rangers (Sportsnet, Sportsnet 590 The FAN)
Tuesday, December 31, 6:00 p.m. at Minnesota Wild (Sportsnet Ontario, TSN 1050)
Thursday, January 2, 8:00 p.m. at Winnipeg Jets (TSN4, FAN 590)
Saturday, January 4, 7:00 p.m. vs. New York Islanders (Sportsnet, TSN 1050)
Monday, January 6, 7:00 p.m. vs. Edmonton Oilers (TSN4, TSN 1050)
Jason Spezza (40), John Tavares (40), Morgan Rielly (18)
GOALS:
John Tavares (17), Jason Spezza (8), Auston Matthews (5)
ASSISTS:
Jason Spezza (26), John Tavares (14), Auston Matthews (5), Morgan Rielly (5)
POINTS:
Jason Spezza (34), John Tavares (31), Auston Matthews (10)
PENALTY MINUTES:
Jason Spezza (18), John Tavares (16), William Nylander (8), Morgan Rielly (8)
MAPLE LEAFS – DEVILS TEAM STATS
TORONTO
NEW JERSEY
GOALS FOR (Rank):
132 (3rd)
90 (30th)
GOALS AGAINST (Rank):
120 (23rd)
124 (28th)
POWER PLAY [%] (Rank):
23/103 [22.3%] (9th)
17/130 [13.0%] (t-29th)
PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank):
86/113 [76.1%] (26th)
100/124 [80.6%] (16th)
SHOTS (Rank):
1271 (4th)
1108 (25th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank):
1935 (2nd)
1443 (30th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank):
52.7% (5th)
46.9% (28th)
FACEOFF % (Rank):
52.2% (4th)
46.3% (30th)
MAPLE LEAFS – DEVILS NOTES
FIRST MATCHUP BETWEEN CLUBS:
October 9, 1974 vs. Kansas City (Toronto 6, Kansas City 2)
ALL-TIME RECORD:
73-41-20-9 (143 Games)
ALL-TIME RECORD AT HOME:
47-17-5-3 (73 Games)
ALL-TIME RECORD ON THE ROAD:
26-24-15-5 (70 Games)
LAST WIN VS. OPPONENT AT HOME:
January 10, 2019 (Toronto 4, New Jersey 2)
MAPLE LEAFS MILESTONES vs. DEVILS
Alex Kerfoot
Selected by New Jersey in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.
William Nylander
200th NHL game (Jan. 10, 2019 at NJD)
John Tavares
300th NHL goal (Jan. 10, 2019 at NJD)
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
CATEGORY
LEADER
GOALS
24 (Matthews)
ASSISTS
25 (Marner)
POINTS
43 (Matthews)
POWER PLAY POINTS
12 (Marner, Matthews)
SHORTHANDED POINTS
2 (Engvall, Kapanen)
PIMs
32 (Muzzin)
SHOTS
136 (Matthews)
FACEOFF WIN%
58.8% (Gauthier)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %
55.7% (Matthews)
BLOCKED SHOTS
66 (Muzzin)
TAKEAWAYS
41 (Marner)
HITS
86 (Muzzin)
TOI PER GAME
24:22 (Rielly)
PP TOI PER GAME
2:57 (Marner)
SH TOI PER GAME
3:08 (Ceci)
MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES
Frederik Andersen
– Is 10-4-0 on the road this season with a 2.37 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. – Has made eight career appearances against the Devils and is 6-2-0 with a 1.87 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage.- Leads the NHL in wins (19).- Leads the NHL in saves (857) and ranks second in even-strength saves (719).- Fourth in the NHL in shootout saves (11).
Tyson Barrie
– Averaging 14.3 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time, which is the fifth-highest average among NHL defencemen who have appeared in 30 games. – Has been on the ice for the eighth-most shot attempts for (731) among NHL skaters. – Has an on-ice shot attempt differential of plus-124, which is 10th among NHL defencemen.
Cody Ceci
– Has an on-ice goal differential of plus-seven at even-strength, which is tied for the third highest even-strength goal differential among Toronto skaters.- 11th among NHL skaters in shorthanded time on ice (119:00).- Has played 62.1 percent of Toronto’s shorthanded ice time, which is tied for the 10th-highest shorthanded time on ice percentage among NHLers who have appeared in at least 30 games.
Justin Holl
– Has started 44.3 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which is the lowest mark among Toronto defencemen who have appeared in at least 10 games.- Has an unblocked shot attempt percentage of 53.3 percent at 5-on-5, which is tied for the highest percentage among Toronto defencemen who have appeared in at least 10 games.
Michael Hutchinson
– Second among NHL goaltenders who have appeared in 10 or fewer games in saves (226).
Zach Hyman
– Established a new single-game career-high for assists (3) on December 23 vs. Carolina, which also tied his career-high for points in a game. – Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 54.2 percent, which ranks seventh among Toronto skaters who have played 10 games. – Averaging 15:33 per game in even-strength ice time, which ranks seventh among Maple Leafs.
Kasperi Kapanen
– Tied for seventh among Toronto skaters in even-strength points (6-8-14).- Has played 35.3 percent of the Maple Leafs’ shorthanded ice time, which ranks fourth among Toronto forwards.
Alex Kerfoot
– Eighth among Toronto skaters in even-strength goals (5).- Lone Toronto forward to have recorded at least 20 hits (28) and 20 blocked shots (24) this season.
Mitch Marner
– Averaging 0.56 primary assists per game, which is ninth among NHLers who have appeared in at least 20 games.- Tied for 14th in the NHL in primary assists (15). – Second in the NHL in takeaways (41). Averages 4.45 takeaways per 60 minutes of ice time, which ranks second among NHLers who have skated in at least 20 games.- Ninth among NHL forwards in shifts per game (25.5).
Auston Matthews
– Tied for second among NHL skaters in goals (24).- Tied for the lead among NHL skaters in even-strength goals (18).- Tied for 10th among NHL skaters in even-strength points (18-13-31).- 10th in the NHL with 136 shots on goal.- Has an on-ice goals-for percentage of 63.9 percent at 5-on-5, which leads Toronto skaters.
Ilya Mikheyev
– Averaging 8.9 shots on goal per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time, which is the fourth-highest average among NHLers who have played at least 60 shorthanded minutes.- Leads all NHL rookies in shorthanded ice time (74:07).- Leads NHL rookies and is tied for third among Maple Leafs in even-strength points (6-15-21).
Jake Muzzin
– Has drawn 12 penalties this season, which leads Toronto defencemen and is tied for fourth among NHL defencemen.- Averages 0:47 in ice time per shift, which is tied for the fourth-lowest average shift length among defencemen who average at least 21:00 per game in ice time.
William Nylander
– Has recorded nine primary assists, which is tied for fourth among Toronto skaters. – Averages 1.09 goals per 60 minutes of ice time, which ranks second among Toronto skaters.- Has recorded six points (3 goals, 3 assists) in nine career games against New Jersey.
Morgan Rielly
– Tied for 17th among NHL defencemen in points (3-21-24).- Tied for eighth among NHL defencemen in even-strength points (3-15-18).- Fourth among NHL defencemen in assists recorded at 5-on-5 (14).- 14th among NHL skaters in TOI per game (24:22).- Tied for 11th among NHL skaters in shifts per game (28.4).
Jason Spezza
– Averaging 2.55 points per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 this season, which is the second-highest average among Toronto skaters.- Averaging 1.27 primary assists per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time in 2019-20, which leads the Maple Leafs and is the ninth-highest average among NHLers who have appeared in at least 25 games.
John Tavares
– Has 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 40 career games against New Jersey, which is the sixth-highest point total against the Devils since 2009-10.- Averaging 17.03 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which is the fourth-highest average among NHL centres who have appeared in 20 games.- Averaging 8.95 shots on goal at 5-on-5 per 60 minutes of ice time, which ranks 14th among NHL centres who have appeared in 20 games.- Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 54.8 percent, which ranks third among Toronto skaters who have appeared in at least 20 games.
CURRENT POINT STREAKS
Zach Hyman
Has assists (4) and points (2-4-6) in two consecutive games.
Mitch Marner
Has assists (5) in two consecutive games and points (6-11-17) in eight consecutive games.
Auston Matthews
Has goals (3) in two consecutive games, assists (4) in three consecutive games and points (5-4-9) in four consecutive games.
John Tavares
Has assists (3) and points (1-3-4) in two consecutive games.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Frederik Andersen
23 minutes from 20,000 career minutes
Alex Kerfoot
Two points from 100 NHL points
RECENT MILESTONES
None
INJURY REPORT
Andreas Johnsson (Leg)
On injured reserve.
Trevor Moore
Did not play on December 23 vs. Carolina
Man Games Lost: 77
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
December 23
Loaned forward Jeremy Bracco to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
December 23
Recalled forward Jeremy Bracco from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
December 21
Loaned forward Adam Brooks and defenceman Martin Marincin to the Toronto Marlies (AHL). Activated forward Trevor Moore from the injured reserve.
DEVILS NOTES
LAST GAME @ CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS The Devils defeated the Blackhawks, 7-1, in the second and final contest of the 2019-20 regular season series. New Jersey finishes 1- 0-1 (3PT) against Chicago this season. New Jersey improves to 2-4-2 (2-3-0 road) against Central Division rivals this season. The Devils are 3-1-1 at United Center and 6-1-3 overall against the Blackhawks since the 2015-16 season. New Jersey was 7-7 on the penalty kill tonight, and 0-3 on the power play. The Devils were 27-56 (48%) in face-offs in the contest. The club notched five goals in the second period tonight, the most the club has tallied in one period this season. 14 different Devils tallied at least one point in the contest, marking a season high. The club tallied 29 PIM in the tilt, marking a season high (prev. 23 vs VAN; 10/19). The Devils six goals tonight is the 11th time in franchise history they have tallied six or more goals vs Chicago. New Jersey has scored at least six goals in a game vs Chicago in now three consecutive seasons(7-5 NJ; 8-5 NJ; 7-1 NJ) (credit: Craig Seiden, NJD Radio). Jack Hughes opened the scoring for the Devils 14:46 into the first period assisted by Wayne Simmonds and Sami Vatanen. The tuck marks Hughes’ first since Nov. 7 @ CGY (18 GP). Simmonds helper marks his first point in seven games (1A; 12/13 @ COL). Vatanen extends his assist streak to two games (2A). P.K. Subban notched his third goal of the season and the game-winner for the Devils, 0:51 into the second frame assisted by Jesper Bratt and Kyle Palmier. The goal gives Subban his first goal since Nov. 2 @ CAR (23 GP). Damon Severson tallied the Devils third goal of the contest in the second period assisted by Travis Zajac and Nikita Gusev. John Hayden tallied his first goal of his 2019-20 campaign, 10:40 into the second frame. The goal was assisted by Will Butcher and Pavel Zacha. Travis Zajac tallied the Devils second short handed goal of the season assisted by Blake Coleman and Andy Greene. With his shorthanded goal, Zajac has scored at least one short handed goal in six consecutive seasons for the Devils, joining Patrik Elias as the only other Devils to accomplish the feat (credit: Leo Scaglione Jr, NY Hockey Journal). Zajac is now one point from tying Kirk Muller for third place on the Devils all-time points list, and three goals to tie Zach Parise four fourth place on the Devils all-time goals list. Greene’s helper ends a 23 game pointless streak (11/2 @ CAR; 1A). Blake Coleman tallied his 11th goal of the season, 18 seconds into the third frame. The goal marks a new season high for fastest to start a period (prev. T. Hall @ PIT; 0:31). Severson and Gusev, giving each their second multi-point game of the season, assisted Coleman’s goal. Zacha notched the Devils seventh and final goal of the contest assisted by Gusev and Severson. The helper gives Gusev his first NHL career three-point game. Mackenzie Blackwood got the start for his 24th this season. Blackwood stopped 32 of 33 shots faced, and improves to 11-10-4 this season.
TONIGHT’S GAME vs. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS Tonight marks the first of three contest between New Jersey and Toronto. The Maple Leafs swept the Devils in the 2018-19 regular season series (3-0-0; 6PTS). New Jersey was 8-8 on the penalty kill tonight, and 0-8 on the power play in the three games played. Toronto outscored New Jersey 17-5. Blake Coleman (1G-1A) led New Jersey in scoring tallying two points in three games played. Kyle Palmieri and Miles Wood led their squad in shots tallying 11. Andy Greene will suit up for the 40th time against the Maple Leafs. The blueliner has tallied 12 assists against Toronto through 39 games played. New Jersey Devils: Media Notes Mackenzie Blackwood saw 20 minutes of action in the regular season series, allowing two goals posting a 6.00 GAA. Ron Hainsey (4A) and Morgan Rielly (2G-2A) notched four points against New Jersey in three games played last season. Rielly and Mitch Marner led their club in goals in the regular season series with two each. Frederik Anderson saw 120 minutes of action against the Devils, allowing three goals posting a 1.50 GAA. Anderson went 2-0-0 in the regular season series. Michael Hutchinson played in one game against New Jersey allowing two goals and picking up the victory. The Devils are 4-3-0 at Prudential Center and 5-5-2 overall against the Maple Leafs since the 2015-16 season. INJURIES Matt Tennyson (I.R.) – 8 games missed; Upper-body injury sustained Dec. 3 Louis Domingue (I.R.) – 5 games missed; Lower-body injury sustained Dec. 13 Total Man-Games Lost to Injury: 64
HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER The New Jersey Devils will support the National Hockey League’s annual Hockey Fights Cancer initiative on Saturday, Nov. 23, when the team faces off against the Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. EST. Local 11-Year Old Brain tumor Survivor Serves as Guest of honor The team will honor eleven-year old Grace Eline, a Morris County brain tumor survivor. Through the Devils partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, Grace joined the team for practice on Monday, worked on some drills and met the guys. On Saturday, she will be the guest of honor, read the starting lineup, and drop the puck on the ceremonial puck drop. Grace was treated at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabs Health facility, and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Grace has achieved N.E.D. status meaning there is no evidence of disease. RWJBarnabas Health is the Official Healthcare Provider of the New Jersey Devils. Celebrating the Survivors As part of the “I Fight For” placard unveiling, the Devils have brought back three of their recent honorees from previous HFC games – Quinn Knapp and Santino Anastasia. Supporting a Regional Medical Center Fundraising efforts throughout the game will help to renovate the Clara Maass Medical Center Infusion Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility. In partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Clara Maass Medical Center and RWJBarnabas Health provide patients access to the most advanced treatment options close to home. The Cancer Center at Clara Maas Medical Center continues to receive the prestigious accreditation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer as a community hospital comprehensive cancer program. Lavender Warm-Up Jerseys and Players Sticks Auctioned for Charity: Lavender players jerseys worn during warm-ups, and sticks adorned with lavender tape, will be auctioned off through December 7 online at newjerseydevils.com/auction. All proceeds from the auction, as well as the game’s 50/50 raffle, will go towards the Clara Maass Medical Center Infusion Center renovation.
The view from left field 