January 19 in NYR history: Hockey returns and records for Hank & Mika

What happened on January 19 in the history of the New York Rangers

In 2013, the third lockout in the history of the NHL ended as the New York Rangers took on the Boston Bruins, losing 3-1 at TD Garden.   Scheduled to start on October11, the season was delayed until this date when the owners and the NHLPA were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract.

With the resumption of the season, the NHL played a 48 game campaign that ended on April 28. The Rangers have not fared well in return from labor disputes.  The first NHL strike was in April, 1992 and it lasted ten days.  In their first game back, they lost to Toronto.

When the 1994-95 lockout ended, the Rangers lost their first game back to Buffalo.  It wasn’t a labor dispute this season as the COVID-19 pandemic caused a shortened and delayed season, but the Blueshirts still [ost 4-0 to the Islanders.  They did win after the cancelled 2004-05 season, beating the Flyers in their first season opener after that dispute.

A pair of personal records

On this date in 2019, two Rangers set records in a 3-2 win in Boston.    Henrik Lundqvist moved into sixth place all-time in wins with his 446th victory.  He passed Terry Sawchuk and was eight behind Curtis Joseph in fifth place. Lundqvist made 27 saves to get the win.

Hockey purists will say that Lundqvist benefited from overtime and shootouts over his career as 102 of his wins came about that way.  Sawchuk’s record included 171 ties.  Others will point out that Lundqvist reached the 446 win mark in 840 games while it took Sawchuk 971 games to reach 445 wins.

In the same game, Mika Zibanejad registered the third Rangers’ goal, his third straight game-winning tally.  With that he tied a Rangers record, matching the feat by Rod Gilbert who also had three straight game winners in 1966.

Today’s birthdays

24 NHL players were born on January 19, but only two played for the Rangers.

Art Somers was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on this date in 1902. He was a member of the 1933 Rangers who won the Stanley Cup.  The center played six years in the NHL, beginning his career in Chicago before a trade to New York.  He led the league twice in games played.

Ian Laperriere was born on this date in 1974 in Montreal, Quebec.  He had a brief 28 game career in New York, but played 16 years in the NHL, mostly with Los Angeles.  He was a high energy right winger who totaled over 100 penalty minutes in a season 13 times.  Acquired from St. Louis in a trade for Stephane Matteau, Laperriere was later part of one of the worst trades in Blueshirt history.  The March 1996 trade setd Laperriere, defenseman Mattias Norstrom, centers Ray Ferraro and Nathan LaFayette and a draft pick to the Kings for Jari Kurri, Marty McSorley and Shane Churla.   Those players appeared in a combined 1,666 games for the Kings while the Rangers trio played in a total of 78 games in New York. Laperriere is currently an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The numbers

The Rangers have played 41 times on January 19, winning 21 times for a .549 winning percentage.

Games: 41
Regulation wins: 19
Regulation losses: 16
Ties: 4
Overtime wins:  1
Shootout losses: 1
Points percentage: .549

Last year

The Rangers suffered one of their most bitter defeats of the season a year ago when Oliver Bjorkstrand scored with 27 seconds left to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 2-1 win over the Rangers in a crucial Metropolitan Division match-up.

Not only that, but the back up goalie jinx bit the Rangers again as Matiss Kivlenieks won in his NHL debut.  Igor Shesterkin had 29 stops for the Blueshirts, but was helpless when they gave up a three on two in the last minute.   The only Ranger goal came from Brady Skjei who scored late in the first period.  It was the fifth win in a row for the Blue Jackets and it ended a five game winning streak at Madison Square Garden for the Rangers.