Video: Coach Quinn on starting four-game road trip

"I think it's good to get on the road, especially this early in the season. It gives our guys a chance to spend more time with each other," Quinn said. "You can kind of feel that we've got a good thing going in the locker room, there's certainly a camaraderie that you want, that you need to have, to have success. I think trips like this will allow for that to happen.

"I think it's an opportunity to continue to grow and improve - and to test our mettle a little bit, too. First road trip of this magnitude, you're going to find out a little bit about yourself."

First up is a visit to United Center on Thursday, taking on a Chicago Blackhawks team that missed the playoffs a year ago but has a healthy Corey Crawford back in goal and a 5-2-2 start to the season. From there, the Rangers will take care of this season's swing through California, with games against the Kings, Sharks and Ducks in a five-day span beginning Sunday.

The Rangers will be looking for their first road win of the season Thursday after earning a point their last time out, coming from behind to tie the Capitals in the third period before falling in the 3-on-3 overtime last Wednesday in Washington.

Key to earning that point was the Rangers' power play, which went 2-for-4 against the Caps, 2-for-6 on Tuesday night against the Panthers and has provided goals in each of the last four games, going 6-for-18 over that stretch.

Video: Howden on Western Conference road trip

"Special teams lots of times can make or break games," Howden said. "The power play has come up big for us."

Mika Zibanejad had a hand in the first four Ranger goals Tuesday, scoring shorthanded and on a power play and winning a pair of faceoffs that led to Mats Zuccarello's first two goals of the year. Zibanejad, who took a maintenance day off from practice on Wednesday, has five goals and eight points in his last five games.

Kevin Hayes completed the scoring in the game's final minute, and given the way Hayes skated, forced turnovers and set up chances as the game wore on Tuesday night, it made no difference to Quinn that the Panthers had their goaltender pulled at the time.

"I know it was an open net, but I'm glad Haysie got a goal, I thought he played pretty well last night," Quinn said of Hayes, who was drafted by the Blackhawks 24th overall in 2010. "It's nice to see a guy who I think continues to get better rewarded statistically. I talked about this a little bit last night regarding Mika - Mika was playing really well early and had nothing to show for it. Now all of a sudden he's got a bundle of points in the last four or five games.

Video: FLA@NYR: Hayes scores empty-net goal

"That's how this happens. You've got to keep playing the right way, and if you do over a period of time you're going to get rewarded. Haysie certainly made a leap in his game I think, Filip (Chytil) continues to play better, he had some chances last night. It's going to come for both of them."

Henrik Lundqvist will be back in the Ranger nets two nights after Alexandar Georgiev stepped into the crease and stopped 36 Florida shots for his first victory of the season. Quinn said that "ideally" he would find a game on this trip for Georgiev, but that he would decide based on how the trip is going. "He needs to play, we want him to play. He's a good goalie," the coach said.

So is Lundqvist, who has held opponents to no more than two goals in five of his seven starts this season, and carries a 2.55 goals-against average and .921 save percentage into Chicago. The Blackhawks will tap Crawford for his fourth start of the year after making his season debut last Thursday, his first game since Dec. 23, 2017, as he dealt with concussion symptoms. He has stopped 61 of 63 shots over his last two games and has a 1.69 goals-against over his three appearances this season.

Patrick Kane's eight goals over Chicago's first nine games are tied for third in the league, while 20-year-old Alex DeBrincat, who scored 28 times as a rookie last season, is tied for seventh with seven goals. 

LINEUP LAST TIME OUT

20 Kreider - 93 Zibanejad - 36 Zuccarello
72 Chytil - 13 Hayes - 17 Fast
26 Vesey - 21 Howden - 89 Buchnevich
8 McLeod - 90 Namestnikov - 23 Spooner
Scratched: 95 Lettieri

76 Skjei - 54 McQuaid
18 Staal - 44 Pionk
42 Smith - 22 Shattenkirk
Scratched: DeAngelo

30 Lundqvist
40 Georgiev

NUMBERS GAME

The Rangers have scored power-play goals in each of their last four games. The last time they scored PPGs in five straight was March 4-13, 2016.

The Rangers will visit four cities in eight days on this trip, equaling their longest trip of the 2018-19 schedule. They will visit Winnipeg, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Carolina from Feb. 12-19.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Can an empty-net goal trigger a hot streak? "Absolutely it can," Quinn said. Hayes will be out to prove that's true; he and his left wing Filip Chytil are gaining familiarity and can't be kept out for long.

DeBrincat, who turns 21 in December, has seven goals in nine games after scoring 28 last season, third among NHL rookies. The Michigan-born DeBrincat plays on the Hawks' top line, to the left of Jonathan Toews.

 RANGERS-BLACKHAWKS CONNECTIONS

• Kevin Hayes was selected by Chicago in the first round (24th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
• Artem Anisimov played parts of four seasons with the Rangers (2008-09 - 2011-12) and was selected by the Rangers in the second round (54th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
• Blackhawks Assistant Coach Ulf Samuelsson played parts of four seasons with the Rangers (1995-96 - 1998-99) and served as an Assistant Coach with the Rangers for three seasons (2013-14 - 2015-16).
• Rangers Video Coach Jerry Dineen and Blackhawks Assistant Coach Kevin Dineen are brothers.
• Blackhawks Assistant General Manager Norm Maciver played parts of three seasons with the Rangers (1986-87 - 1988-89).
• Blackhawks Assistant Coach Don Granato is the brother of Tony Granato, who played parts of two seasons for the Rangers (1988-89 and 1989-90) and holds the Rangers' single-season record for goals by a rookie (36 in 1988-89).
• Mats Zuccarello and Andreas Martinsen are the only Norwegian-born players currently playing in the NHL. Zuccarello and Martinsen have represented Norway in several tournaments.
• Tony DeAngelo and Nick Schmaltz were selected with consecutive picks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
• Kevin Shattenkirk, Brendan Smith, and Patrick Kane were all selected in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
• Kevin Shattenkirk and Patrick Kane were teammates with the U.S. National Team Development Program prior to being drafted. In addition, Shattenkirk and Kane represented the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
• Henrik Lundqvist and Marcus Kruger helped Sweden win a gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championship. Lundqvist and Kruger also helped Sweden win a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics, and the two were teammates while representing Sweden at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
• Mika Zibanejad and Marcus Kruger were teammates with Djurgardens in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for one season (2010-11).
• Chris Kreider, Neal Pionk, Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, and Connor Murphy all helped the United States earn a bronze medal at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, and one of their Assistant Coaches in the tournament was Don Granato.
• Vladislav Namestnikov and Chris Kunitz were teammates with the Lightning for part of one season (2017-18).
• Tony DeAngelo and Connor Murphy were teammates with the Coyotes during the 2016-17 season.
• Cody McLeod and Andreas Martinsen were teammates with the Avalanche for parts of two seasons (2015-16 and 2016-17).
• Marc Staal and Jonathan Toews helped Canada win a gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship in back-to-back years (2006 and 2007).
• Jimmy Vesey and Connor Murphy helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship and a bronze medal at the 2015 IIHF World Championship.
• Mika Zibanejad and Erik Gustafsson helped Sweden win a gold medal at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. Zibanejad and Gustafsson were teammates with Djurgardens in Sweden for three seasons (2009-10 - 2011-12).
• Kevin Hayes, Brady Skjei, Connor Murphy, and Nick Schmaltz all represented the United States at the 2017 IIHF World Championship. Hayes and Murphy also represented the United States at the 2014 IIHF World Championship, and one of their Assistant Coaches was Don Granato.
• Vladislav Namestnikov and Artem Anisimov represented Russia at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
• Pavel Buchnevich and Artem Anisimov represented Russia at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.
• Kevin Shattenkirk and John Hayden both attended Brunswick School in Connecticut (Shattenkirk - 2003-04 and 2004-05; Hayden - 2009-10 and 2010-11).
• Vinni Lettieri and Luke Johnson were teammates with the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League (USHL) for parts of two seasons (2011-12 and 2012-13).
• John Hayden (74th overall) and Pavel Buchnevich (75th overall) were selected with consecutive picks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
• Brady Skjei and John Hayden both played with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) Juniors team in the United States Hockey League (USHL) during the 2011-12 season.
• Tony DeAngelo, John Hayden, and Nick Schmaltz all represented the United States at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, and one of their Assistant Coaches in the tournament was Don Granato.
• Ryan Spooner, Tony DeAngelo, and Connor Murphy were all teammates with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for one season (2011-12).
• Filip Chytil and Henri Jokiharju were both selected in the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
• Mika Zibanejad, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Connor Murphy were all selected in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATISTICS VS. BLACKHAWKS

• Henrik Lundqvist - 12 GP, 6-4-2, 2.45 GAA, .920 SV% - Lundqvist has allowed two goals or fewer in eight of 12 career appearances against the Blackhawks, and he has helped the Rangers earn at least one point in all eight of those contests. He has also made at least 30 saves in eight of 12 career appearances against Chicago.
• Kevin Shattenkirk - 36 GP, 1-14-15 - Shattenkirk has registered eight points (one goal, seven assists) in his last 13 games against Chicago.
• Mika Zibanejad - 7 GP, 4-0-4 - Zibanejad has recorded a goal/point in four of seven career games against Chicago, including three of his last four contests and each of his last two games.
• Kevin Hayes - 8 GP, 2-2-4 - Hayes has tallied four points (two goals, two assists) in the last six games against the Blackhawks.
• Mats Zuccarello - 9 GP, 1-3-4 - Zuccarello has tallied an assist/point in each of the last two games against Chicago (two assists).
• Chris Kreider - 9 GP, 0-3-3 - Kreider has recorded an assist/point in three of his last five games against the Blackhawks.
• Pavel Buchnevich - 2 GP, 0-2-2 - Buchnevich has notched an assist/point in each of his two career games against the Blackhawks.

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:

• Pavel Buchnevich and Alexandar Georgiev were teammates while representing Russia in international competition during the 2014-15 season.
• Fredrik Claesson and Mika Zibanejad were teammates with several teams prior to joining the Rangers:Fredrik Claesson and Jesper Fast represented Sweden in several tournaments over the course of three seasons (2009-10 - 2011-12).
  • The two were teammates in Sweden with Djurgardens' U18 team, U20 team in SuperElit, and professional team in the SHL over the course of three seasons (2009-10 - 2011-12).
  • Zibanejad and Claesson helped Sweden earn a gold medal at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship.
  • Claesson and Zibanejad were both selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and were teammates in the Senators' organization (either with Ottawa or with Ottawa's American Hockey League (AHL) team, the Binghamton Senators) for parts of three seasons (2012-13 - 2013-14; 2015-16).
• Tony DeAngelo and Ryan Spooner were teammates with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for part of one season (2011-12).
• Kevin Hayes and Chris Kreider were teammates at Boston College for two seasons (2010-11 and 2011-12) and won the National Championship in 2011-12.Kevin Hayes and Brady Skjei represented the United States at the 2017 IIHF World Championship.
  • Greg Brown was either an Assistant Coach or Associate Head Coach at Boston College throughout Hayes' and Kreider's tenures at the school.
• Kevin Hayes and Jimmy Vesey were friends while growing up in Massachusetts.
• Chris Kreider and Neal Pionk helped the United States earn a bronze medal at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.
• Chris Kreider and Kevin Shattenkirk represented the United States at the 2011 IIHF World Championship.
• Cody McLeod and Kevin Shattenkirk were teammates with the Avalanche for part of the 2010-11 season.
• Cody McLeod was coached by David Quinn with the Avalanche during the 2012-13 season (Quinn was an Assistant Coach with Colorado).
• Adam McQuaid and Marc Staal were teammates with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons (2003-04 - 2006-07).
• Adam McQuaid and Ryan Spooner were teammates with the Bruins for parts of six seasons (2012-13 - 2017-18).
• David Oliver held several roles throughout the Avalanche organization for 10 seasons during Cody McLeod's tenure with the team (2007-08 - 2016-17). Oliver was the General Manager of Colorado's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, during McLeod's only season in Lake Erie in 2007-08.
• Kevin Shattenkirk was coached by David Quinn on several teams throughout his career before Quinn became the Rangers Head Coachavid Oliver served as the Avalanche's Director of Player Development for two seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11) while Kevin Shattenkirk was in the organization. Shattenkirk made his professional hockey debut in 2009-10 and his NHL debut with Colorado in 2010-11.
  • Quinn was an Associate Head Coach at Boston University for two seasons while Shattenkirk attended the school (2007-08 and 2008-09), and Boston University won the National Championship in 2008-09.
  • Quinn was Shattenkirk's first Head Coach in professional hockey, as he coached Shattenkirk for parts of two seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11) with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL).
• Kevin Shattenkirk and Brendan Smith were both selected in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft (Shattenkirk - 14th overall by Colorado; Smith - 27th overall by Detroit).
• Kevin Shattenkirk is a native of New Rochelle, New York. He was a Rangers fan growing up, and his favorite player was Brian Leetch.
• Kevin Shattenkirk was coached by Rangers TV/Radio Analyst Dave Maloney when he was in high school.
• 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 Vinni Lettieri were teammates at the University of Minnesota for two seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15).

GOALS GALORE

The Rangers tied a single-game season-high with five goals on Oct. 23 vs. Florida. Including team goals awarded for a shootout win, the Blueshirts have registered three or more goals in three of the last four games and in five of the last seven contests.

CLOSE CALL

Four of the Rangers' last six games, and five of the team's nine games this season, have been decided by one goal.

SHUTTING THE DOOR

The Rangers have held their opponent to two goals in four of the last six games. Excluding empty-net goals allowed, the Rangers have held their opponent to two goals in six of nine games in 2018-19.

KING HENRIK

Henrik Lundqvist has allowed two goals in five of his seven appearances in 2018-19, and he allowed two goals (or fewer) in each of his first five appearances in a season for the first time in his NHL career. Lundqvist has stopped 209 of 227 shots he has faced in seven appearances in 2018-19 (.921 SV%), as well as 177 of 188 shots he has faced at even strength (.941 SV% at even strength).

MIKA MAGIC

Mika Zibanejad tied a single-game career-high with four points (two goals, two assists), and registered three points on special teams in the second period (one power play goal, one shorthanded goal, and one power play assist) on Oct. 23 vs. Florida. He became the first Ranger to tally a power play goal and a shorthanded goal in the same period since Brandon Dubinsky on Apr. 12, 2009 at Philadelphia. Zibanejad enters the contest with a three-game goal/point streak (four goals, three assists), and he has also recorded a goal/point in four of the last five games (five goals, three assists over the last five games). He is tied for third in the NHL in shots on goal (40) and faceoffs taken (199), ranks fifth in faceoff wins (106), and leads the NHL in power play shots on goal (18) this season. He ranks 12th among NHL forwards in average ice time this season (20:50).

REAL DEAL NEAL

Neal Pionk enters the contest with a three-game assist/point streak, and he has recorded six assists over the span. He has tallied an assist on six of the Rangers' nine goals over the last three games. In addition, five of Pionk's six assists over the span have been power play assists, and all of his five power play assists have also been primary assists. Pionk ranks second among NHL defensemen in primary assists (five), ranks third among NHL defensemen in power play assists (five), is tied for third among NHL defensemen in power play points (five), and is tied for sixth among NHL defensemen in assists (six) this season.

• Pionk has recorded the primary assist on each of the Rangers' last five power play goals. He is the fourth Ranger in franchise history who has recorded the primary assist on five consecutive power play goals scored by the team - the other three players are Rod Gilbert (Nov. 29, 1974 - Dec. 12, 1974), Carol Vadnais (Jan. 2, 1977 - Jan. 19, 1977), and Scott Gomez (Jan. 14, 2008 - Feb. 1, 2008).
• Pionk is the first Ranger who has recorded at least five power play points over a three-game span since Ryan Callahan (Dec. 14, 2009 - Dec. 17, 2009), and he is also the first Rangers defenseman who has tallied at least five power play points over a three-game span since Sandis Ozolinsh (Mar. 14, 2006 - Mar. 18, 2006)

KREID-ING HIGH

Chris Kreider has recorded a point in three of the last four games (two goals, two assists) and has registered seven points (four goals, three assists) over the last seven games.

WELCOME MATS

Mats Zuccarello has recorded a point in each of the last two games (two goals, one assist). He has tallied five points (two goals, three assists) in the last four games and eight points (two goals, six assists) in nine games this season.

ON THE MARC

Marc Staal enters the contest with 770 career games played as a Ranger. He is two games away from tying Adam Graves (772) for 10th place on the Rangers' all-time games played list (among skaters). 

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Rangers tallied three goals on special teams on Oct. 23 vs. Florida (two power play goals and one shorthanded goal).

Power Play:

• The Rangers were 2-for-6 (8:04) on Oct. 23 vs. Florida.
• The Blueshirts have recorded at least one power play goal in each of the last four games (6-for-18; 33.3%) and have registered at least two power play goals in two of the last three contests (5-for-12; 41.7%).
• The Rangers have recorded at least one power play goal in five of the last seven games (7-for-26; 26.9%).

Penalty Kill:

• The Rangers were 3-for-4 (5:54) and tallied a shorthanded goal on Oct. 23 vs. Florida.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• Henrik Lundqvist - 4 wins away from tying Jacques Plante for seventh place on the NHL's all-time wins list (437)
• Jesper Fast - 4 games away from 300 in his NHL career/with the Rangers

INJURIES (20 Man-Games Lost to Injury)

• Matt Beleskey (separated shoulder) - has missed nine games
• Boo Nieves (concussion protocol) - has missed nine games
• Fredrik Claesson (upper-body) - has missed two games

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

• Oct. 22 - Recalled Alexandar Georgiev from Hartford (AHL); Assigned Marek Mazanec to Hartford (AHL)
• Oct. 18 - Recalled Marek Mazanec from Hartford (AHL); Assigned Alexandar Georgiev to Hartford (AHL)

THIS DAY IN RANGERS HISTORY

• Oct. 24, 1979 - The Rangers defeated the Edmonton Oilers, 10-2, at MSG in the first all-time meeting between the two teams.
• Oct. 24, 1992 - In the Rangers' first all-time game against the modern-day Ottawa Senators, Mark Messier registered two goals and assisted on Phil Bourque's game-winning goal in overtime as the Blueshirts defeated Ottawa, 3-2.
• Oct. 25, 1984 - The Rangers earned their most lopsided road win in franchise history and tied a franchise-record for goals in one road game by defeating the New Jersey Devils, 11-2. Anders Hedberg registered a hat trick in the contest.

REMEMBERING 1993-94

With a 3-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings on October 24, 1993, the Rangers began a 14-game point streak (12-0-2 over the span) and a stretch of 22 games in which they only lost one game (18-1-3 record). The Blueshirts' run vaulted the team into first place in the Eastern Conference, a position they held for the remainder of the 1993-94 season.

RANGERS VS. BLACKHAWKS - 1993-94

The Rangers posted a 1-1-0 record in two meetings against the Blackhawks in 1993-94. Adam Graves led the Rangers with three goals in the two games, while he and Alexei Kovalev (one goal, two assists) tied for the team lead with three points in the season series. In his first game back in Chicago on January 16, 1994 after 13 seasons with the Blackhawks, Steve Larmer scored a penalty shot goal to help the Rangers earn a 5-1 win.

Several members of the Rangers' 1993-94 team had been in the Blackhawks organization prior to joining the Blueshirts, including:

• Mike Keenan
• Steve Larmer
• Stephane Matteau
• Brian Noonan
• Mike Hudson
• Eddie Olczyk
• Greg Gilbert