1959-60 NHL SOG Statistics Begin
Senators 2 – Rangers 1 The game started off cheerfully enough as the New York Rangers (C) Zibanejad was honored for his 1000th NHL game and he was surprised into speechlessness as he realized his wife was the narrator.
Unfortunately for Rangers fans that was about all they had to cheer about as one of the announcers during the first period commented that he rarely uses the words “lack of effort” in criticizing a team, but that this was difficult not to observe.
The New York Rangers record book notes that on December 11th, 1955, the Rangers took 9 SOG during a 2-0 loss to the Red Wings, and the NHL began recording shot on goals (SOG) during the 1959-60 season and since then have never recorded a team take as low as 9 SOG until last night.
Ironically, the Ottawa Senators are the best team in the NHL at holding their opponents at bay with the lowest SOG against, but their goaltending duo has the worst save percentage in the league.
The Rangers got on the board seven minutes into the third period as former Pittsburgh Penguins, two times Stanley Cup champion, (LW) Sheary scored his fourth of the season giving the home crowd a glimmer of hope.
But it was not to be for New York as the Rangers failed to get a single shot on net during the remaining four minutes of the game even when they pulled their goaltender for a minute and a half, the game’s SOG results were Ottawa 33, New York 9 (3 by (C) Zibanejad).
The Buffalo Sabres during their last seven regular season games are scheduled to play the Senators and Rangers one last time on the road during April.
Buffalo Winter 