Game 6 - ECQF: Habs vs. Rangers

New York 3, Montreal 1:

FIRST PERIOD:

- No lineup changes tonight for the Rangers. Can't be blamed for trying what's been working.

- Man, could be a bushel of "last games" tonight for many Habs players. Galchenyuk. Radulov. Markov possibly. Beaulieu might have played his last Thursday night. Team dismantling may begin in earnest over the next few weeks.

- To a certain extent, Max Pacioretty's reputation is on the line tonight. He's already gained the rep of being a "slow producer" in the playoffs. That might grow to "non-producer" if he's not able to make a direct impact tonight that produces a Habs victory.

- Heckova first game shift by the Plekanec line. Hoping that sets some of the tone.

- Pacioretty inexplicably fights Vesey, which is a trade the Rangers will gladly take. Why is Max fighting? To inspire his bench? Has it really come down to this? That's desperation.

- Whelp, that first shift from Plekanec looked really good. I guess that's when everyone else punched out for the night? Little to nothing to speak of since, including two poor shifts by the Danault line which was spent mostly in the defensive zone.

- Habs offence very much dump and chase, and a strong forecheck from Radulov results in a turnover, with Emelin driving close and firing a great shot that gives the Habs a 1-0 lead. Alexei Emelin. That happened.

- Pretty significant contrast in the appoarch to gaining puck possession in the offensive zone. Habs almost entirely dump and chase so far, the Rangers almost entirely carrying the puck into the Canaadiens zone.

- Galchenyuk makes a possibly significant contribution, drawing a tripping penalty. Habs powerplay, which this team desperately would like to see some goal production tonight, goes to work.

- That was a zero powerplay, not aided by lines featuring King/Ott/Bryon. What is Julien doing?

- Brendan Gallagher is in warrior mode again tonight. Danault and Pacioretty nowhere to be see. At least for the first 15 minutes.

- Habs doing a better job this period on the forecheck, even though the Danault line is really struggling to get their legs moving. Danault continues to be very passive with the puck, and Pacioretty has been largely isolated. If that line doesn't get it going, and in a big hurry, it's going to be lights out for the season.

- Lundqvist is giving up some rebounds tonight - there's been more than a couple of loose pucks off shots in high danger areas. More net crashing might produce more Habs scoring. Might.

- First good shift featuring sustained pressure by the Danault line. Comes with just under 2 minutes left in the period. Lots of work down low around Lundqvist, but in so tight that nobody can really push the puck in a dangerous way.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Possession stats were very positive for the Canadiens in that 1st period, 64.3% at even strength:

- Scoring chances in that 1st period were 15-5 Habs. That's pretty impressive. But is it sustainable? We saw on Thursday night that playing hard (and well) out of the gate is only a good model if you're able to build a maintainable lead on the board. Habs' goose was cooked when they came out of the 2nd with only a tie score. Sooooo .... this period will be mighty important - the Canadiens must hold if not, extend their lead if they hope to play again Monday night.

- Benn for holding, Rangers 0-percent powerplay goes to work. Would hate to see if finally click here.

- And it clicks. Habs PK just not fast or aggressive enough, Zuccarello with a snap shot that Carey Price likely should have stopped. Anyway, the streak is over, the Rangers have scored on the man advantage, and the game is tied.

- Rangers are pretty inspired now - maybe it's because Price let in a weak goal (by his standards). Any perception of weakness, can make an opponent play well above his shoulders.

- Habs again not putting enough bodies in front of Lundqvist tonight.  Unless it's Shea Weber from 20 feet, this man will not be beaten if he sees the shot.

- End to end action going here, which is the kind of hockey the home team loves to play. Habs still searching for a leader here, somebody to rise to the occasion. No sign of that in sight.

- Galchenyuk with some lost shifts this period. But that's often what happens when you force a centre out on the wing. Flynn isn't doing anything up the middle, more often than not this line has been a defensive liability.

- Rangers dominating this period, and not by coincidence, putting plenty of bodies in front of Price. Why the Habs aren't willing to do the same to Lundqvist is an eternal mystery to me.

- Huge mistake by Julien, who puts out the 4th line for a d-zone face-off, with the Rangers dominating the period and all the momentum. Shockingly, Ott and King don't know what to do, fail to cover the passing lanes, and Zuccarello is sprung totally wide open for a slam dunk 2-1 lead. That's a killer mistake that may very well cos the Habs their season.

- Habs late period powerplay. Sure, it's just the 2nd, but these are desperate moments for the Canadiens, who've been hammered throughout the period. Scoring here would surely be a deflating moment for the Rangers.

- Habs got hammered in that period. Blitzed. Dominated. The Rangers have all the momentum, and are absolutely pounding this team out of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It'll take a minor miracle for this series to go back to Montreal for a 7th game.

THIRD PERIOD:

- CF breakdown doesn't look horrible for the Canadiens, except that they're getting outplayed, especially in that 2nd period:

- The big bad news for the Habs tonight is the poor performance by the Danault line - each has been under 45% CF, Danault the worst at just over 41. That's pretty terrible for what's supposed to be your number one unit. Their total inability to make a goal scoring contribution this series is obviously one big reason why the Habs find themselves firmly on brink of elimination.

- Just keep the damn 4th line off the damn ice. It's killing this team. Fine, rotate McCarron into some 3rd line shifts, maybe give Flynn a breather. But no more 4th line. They're awful. It's done. Just stop this.

- Oh, speaking of Flynn. His play at centre isn't helping. Hasn't helped. Must be stopped. We have 15 minutes left. Stop doing losing things.

- 12 minutes left. At some point Julien has to play just two lines of his big guns. That time might just about have arrived.

- Kreider high sticks, Weber. 11 minutes left. This might be it, right here.

- Just pass the puck around the permitter on the powerplay with your season just about out of time.  That'll show 'em!!

- Just sag right now. I think this team, even though just behind a single goal, knows it's beat. 6 minutes left.

- 5 minutes left. Habs haven't even had a sniff of a quality scoring chance this period.

- 4 minutes. Still no scoring chances. No 1st line threat. It's dismal.

- First great scoring chance goes to Plekanec, but Lundqvist makes a great left pad save, less than 2 minutes on the clock. Now 1:17 left, Price on the bench. This is really finally it.

- Empty net, and the season is over. Lot's of post-game, post-series, post-season thoughts, but I'll take a little while to let it all settle out. One this is sure, there's a lot of responsibility to go around, players and management. More on that later.

NHL media. Better days for the Habs, when they properly utilized Alex Galchenyuk

THIS IS (LIKELY) THE END, MY ONLY FRIENDS, THE END

Enjoy the game tonight, it might be the last game you'll see with Alex Galchenyuk in a Habs uniform. Or Nathan Beaulieu.

Oh, wait. Beaulieu isn't playing.

Nope, he's a healthy scratch for the do-or-die game 6 tonight at Madison Square Gardens. Also Torrey Mitchell, who at this point is leading Max Pacioretty in playoff goal scoring. Also Andrew Shaw, not because he's largely been ineffective offensively, but because he's out from an upper body injury.

So who is playing? Brandon Davidson is back. And Mike McCarron. And Brian Flynn, who'll centre the Habs 3rd line, putting Galchenyuk out to flounder on the wing.

For a do-or-die game.

Enjoy it. It's like the last Habs game we'll see for 5 months.

Game 4 - ECQF: Habs vs. Rangers

New York 2, Montreal 1:

FIRST PERIOD:

- So Tanner Glass and Kevin Klein are the healthy scratches tonight for the Rangers. Klein isn't much of a surprise, but Glass is ... kinda. It's also a pretty good indicator the Rangers are changing tact, less emphasis on physical and grit, more on speed and skill.

- That said, Nick Holden, who had two miserable starts for games 1 and 2, is back in the lineup tonight, which Rangers fans won't be pleased about.

- So will the real Chris Kreider, at least as we've come to know him over the years, reappear tonight?

- Pretty energetic start for the Rangers, Habs being very cautious, even reserved, with the puck. Seems to be willing to take a few body blows by leaning on Price early.

- Galchenyuk needs to be much more aware with the puck - making far too many casual and careless passes that have been setting the table for a fast Rangers transition.

- Gallagher just keeps on motoring along doing the same old Gallagher thing, crashing Lundqvist and pushing the puck hard. Anything to get under Lundqvist's skin is a good thing.

- Rangers playing with a lot of urgency early out, besides no longer focusing on hits, likely their primary focus is to do whatever it takes to make sure they score the first goal. Very intense in their own zone, hard on the puck, and putting bodies in front of any shot attempts.

- Plekanec line seems more focused early on checking, rather than as a counterpunch line. Not a lot of forechecking emphasis, more zone defence. Basically Julien, like everyone else, knew the Rangers would come out inspired early, so he's made adjustments to try to slow the game pace down.

- 11 minutes left, here comes another Rangers charge. Habs just trying to clamp down high danger chances.

- Gallagher having a fantastic 1st period, absolutely fearless going to Lundqvist, has come very close twice to giving the Habs the game's first goal.

- Great breakaway save by Lundqvist on Shaw, who just can't deliver the goods. Still not sure if Lundqvist isn't looking more like the shaky version was saw mostly 1st period of game 1. Opportunity possibly at hand for the Habs.

- Markov misplays a shoot-in, Jasper Fast takes full advantage quickly taking the gift-wrapped puck, and backhanding the puck between the legs of what appeared to be a surprised Price. Rangers get the big first goal. Put a big checkmark next to one off their main goals.

- These bad bounces can sometimes have a spin-off effect. Andrew Shaw back to his bad ways with a wretched tripping penalty behind the Rangers net. The powerplay goal-less Rangers get another chance to get that unit working again.

- Rick Nash absolutely crashes Price driving the net (and picks up an interference penalty). Besides the call, that sure looked like intent to cause some injury. Rangers gotta be Rangers.

- Radulov careless high stick. Habs trying to play a grinding road game, but you gotta do it smart. So far, the Canadiens have not played an intelligent period.

- Radulov with another monster play, making a hit at centre ice to win the puck, and then feeding Mitchell for a two-on-one break which is beautifully finished by a wonder pass back from Weber to Mitchell who has a wide open net. Fantastic goal that doesn't happen if Radulov doesn't make that fantastic play in the neutral zone.

- That has to be a dispiriting result for the Rangers, who played a very solid 20 minutes, largely outchancing the Canadiens, and eventually taking advantage of a rare Habs defensive error. But all of that goes for not with the late Mitchell goal. It will be interesting to see how New York responds in the 2nd - it'll either be with resilience, or ... if the Habs score the next goal, they might fold up their tent for the night.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Rangers owned possession in the period, just over 61% CF at even strength. The heat map, however, a more even result, Habs with more scoring chances (9-5), and high danger chances 5-4 Montreal:

- Rangers get the critical 3rd goal of the game, as Benn and Petry have a poor shift, marked by confusion over responsibility, which allows Nash to pick up the puck off the boards and backhand it past Price.

-Nash goal has the Rangers playing at another gear. Habs simply holding on, weathering another storm. 13 minutes left in the period - critical juncture here. If the Rangers score again shortly, they might pull away. Canadiens desperately need not so much the next goal, but to scale back the pace of this game.

- Not sure how much longer the Canadiens can withstand this - too many d-zone turnovers happening now, Rangers are eating the Canadiens alive in the Montreal side of the rink. Canadiens don't even have a shot on Lundqvist, and we're nearly at the halfway mark.

- Rangers are winning most of the battles, especially so in the neutral zone. Canadiens forwards not more than a split second of time to handle the puck before they're immediately checked. Not much you can do other than hope your opponent eventually wears out. Rangers showing no sign of that yet, however.

- Rangers with massive pressure building and building, they're completely owning centre ice. 7 minutes left, just can't see the Habs holding out much longer.

- Pretty sure Petry is playing hurt. Nothing other than observation, but he's lost a step tonight, and has had some pretty up (and at times very) down shifts.

- Late period powerplay is "meh" - shots registered including a good chance for Lehkonen - gaining the zone has been fine, but not enough traffic in Lundqvist's face to really present a threat. Habs are likely going to need to crash and burn that Ranger crease if they want to tie this game up.

- Seems like Julien has lost a degree of confidence in Danault, who's been pretty invisible most of this series. He's been taken off the powerplay units, both the 1st and 2nd line. Just not enough playoff intensity in his game.

- That was a lopsided period in favour of the Rangers, Habs could arguably been happy with being just one goal down. The Rangers simply want this game more than their opponent, it shows with how they're winning puck battles, containing the Habs attack, and winning the neutral zone with a superior forecheck. The decision to shelve their hitting game seems to be paying dividends. Habs will need to muster up a terrific 3rd period if they want to gain a stranglehold series lead.

THIRD PERIOD:

- Hasn't been a classic road game by the Canadiens through 2 periods. An indicator of a well played game on another rink is you establish the mode. Well, the mode tonight has been mainly a Rangers game where they've been able to leverage their speed and skill superiorities.

- Habs trying to be more involved at centre ice, results have been somewhat promising with a few puck gains via backchecks and pass interceptions.

- Lundqvist almost completely muffs a Galchenyuk shot, looking behind for the puck (which actually squeezed through his legs). He's been great tonight, but he still has these occasions where you have to hold your breath.

- Rangers being very physical first 5 minutes of the 3rd, which is kind of ... weird? They're playing the same style which got them into a heap of trouble two nights ago.

- Habs 4th line continues to be a defensive nightmare, even with Martinsen no longer in the lineup. Both King and Ott struggle so much positionally, the Rangers are eating them alive. Price again holding his team in this.

- Yup, Rangers are going to try and bruise their way through this 3rd period. Canadiens are getting more opportunities to score the first 9 minutes of this period that they had the previous 40.

- Julien puts Shaw with Pacioretty and Danault, and Radulov is playing next to Galchenyuk and Lehkonen. Interesting. Obviously he's trying to find some inspired combinations as time wears down, but I'm not sure how familiar Radoulov/Galchenyuk/Lehkonen are with each other.

- Time isn't quite a concern with 10 minutes left, but at some point the Habs will need to open things up.  After early period pressure, the Rangers have really clamped down defensively. Montreal generating few scoring chances here, mainly because they're struggling so much to gain the New York zone.

- Habs with puck control in the Rangers zone, but can't muster a shot on Lundqvist. New York forcing the play to the permitter, and the defence is doing a great job guarding Habs forwards in the slot.

- Ott line can't be faulted for their ability to chance and win pucks, but constructing a scoring attempt, they're totally inept. 6 minutes left. Just no point putting them out there anymore.

- Rangers aren't exactly turtling their way through this period, not with all the hits they've been dishing out. Most of the play has been on the New York side of the ice, but the scoring chances have been limited.

- Oy. Icings aplenty by the Canadiens, which is exactly not what the Habs should be doing trailing a goal with barely 4 minutes left. Montreal simply unable to get clean pucks to their forwards, the Rangers are being aggressive at centre ice stunting attacks. Frustratingly effective.

- 3 minutes left, time to open all the engines and roll any dice in the room.

- Another icing. Poor passes from the defence to the offence is completely hampering the Canadiens.

- Habs 4th line out, with less than 3 minutes left. I don't understand that at all.

- Another icing. Long bombs, low percentage. Desperate attempts to get the puck down the ice. Not good. Not good.

- Brenden Smith is getting hacked to pieced this period. Radulov earlier, huge elbow to his face by Byron.

- Weber DING. I think that's his 3rd post this series. With 1:20 left. Sigh. That's the Habs closest chance in the game, which is also not good.

- Well, can't say the Habs didn't try. Absolutely ferocious scramble around Lundqvist with 50 seconds left, with 5 bodies in white jerseys throwing their bodies at the goal. Rangers getting plenty of puck luck tonight.

- Rangers make key late shot blocks, and eek out a win, which is some solace if you're a Habs fan. New York appears only capable of winning games by the narrowest of margins. The victory coming from a very solid 2nd period which generated the winning goal, and then holding on in the 3rd, with the added benefit of some lucky bounces. I'm not sure if this is a formula that will see the Rangers through to a series victory. From the Habs perspective, a tough loss. But through 4 games, the Canadiens are clearly the better team - which in a scenario of best 2 out of 3, would argue to favour the Canadiens eventually winning  the series. For what it's worth, that's my gut feeling.

==================================================================

Newsday

GAME 4 PREVIEW: RANGERS FACING MUST-WIN GAME AT HOME

A few observations in advance of tonight's 4th game between the Habs and Rangers, with the Canadiens seeking a 3-1 series lead, and the Rangers facing almost certain playoff extinction if they're unable to win tonight:

- Claude Julien, as widely anticipated, is making no changes to his lineup tonight, which means Alex Galchenyuk will start again at centre, while the 4th line will feature Torrey Mitchell with Steve Ott and Dwight King. Defensively, Alexei Emelin is still out with an unspecified injury, with Brandon Davidson earning his second consecutive start on the 3rd line next to Nathan Beaulieu.

- The Rangers lineup is again a mystery. Alain Vigneault has kept his card close to the chest all series long, is unlikely to show his hand until the puck drops. Even his pregame warmups have told us nothing - on Sunday night Vigneault attempted to fake out Claude Julien by running a bunch of fake line combinations. Judging by the final score, we're not sure how well that deceptive strategy paid off.

- A lot has been made about the Rangers hitting in the series. So far they've delivered 160 hits (by far the most registered by any team in this year's playoffs) against the Habs, which while bruising, isn't necessarily a positive indicator. Basically, if you're wildly outhitting your opponent, it's likely because you're doing more of the chasing. Also, the emphasis on physicality has largely nullified a significant quiver in the Rangers's arsenal of speed amongst their forwards. You can't body check and maintain a fast game. It's a weird strategy taken by New York, and the results, a 2-1 series deficit, speak for themselves.

- That said, I'd fully expect New York to significantly shift their approach tonight, scaling back the focus on finishing checks, and working on delivering a more intense forecheck, especially at centre ice, to generate more positive puck turnovers, which could then be brought quickly into the Canadiens zone.

- Another somewhat baffling missing element to the Rangers' anticipated attack this series has been the lack of traffic in and around Habs netminder Carey Price. Three years ago, the Rangers basically won their series against Montreal by pushing the Habs net - to the extent they (Chris Kreider) literally took Price, and in turn, the Canadiens, out of the series. This year, it's been very quiet around the Canadiens' crease, perhaps influenced by the presence of not only Shea Weber, but also Jordie Benn. Both have played excellent physical games this series, doing great work not only blocking shots, but stopping Rangers bodies from coming anywhere close to Price.

- As is often the case in a Stanley Cup playoff series, speciality team performances are having a significant impact. For the Canadiens, their powerplay, running at a 20% conversion rate this series, is aligned very close to the regular season average (19.6%). The big impact though, has been the Habs penalty kill, which at this point, has been a perfect 100.0%. From New York's perspective, the inability to score a single powerplay goal up to this point in the series has made an already difficult task - that is, scoring more goals against Carey Price, nearly impossible. If the Rangers can't get their speciality units on track, their odds of winning this series are minimal.

- The Canadiens hope to see another strong outing by their best line so far in the playoffs - Tomas Plekanec, Paul Byron and Brenden Gallagher. Those three have dominated the Rangers, especially in New York's zone. Plekanec, who's currently playing some of his best hockey in at least 5 years, has done an outstanding job applying pressure on the Rangers defence, while Gallagher, who's looked as good as ever in his career, has been fantastic winning puck battles along the boards.

- Will the Rangers finally shed themselves of their home ice funk? 0 for their last 6. Something's gotta give, right?

- Puck drops at MSG 7:10 EST.


OFF DAY NEWS 'N' NOTES:

Basking in the glow of an excellent game 3 victory over the New York Rangers, we have some series news in notes in advance of game 4, Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden:

- Habs held practice this morning, and ran the same line combos as game 3 - a very sure sign that Claude Julien, satisfied with what he witnessed Sunday night, isn't going to make any adjustments.

- While the Habs are standing pat, the same can't be said of the Rangers, who also held practice this morning, featuring significantly revised combos. The "*" indicates player being shifted to a different line compared to game 3's starting lineup:

Vesey* - Stepan - Nash*
Zuccarello* - Hayes* - Miller*
Kreider* - Zibanejad* - Glass*
Grabner* - Lindberg - Fast

McDonagh - Girardi
Staal - Holden*
Skjei - Smith*

Not a good sign if you're a Rangers fan.

More in a bit.

Game 1 - ECQF: Rangers vs. Habs

New York Rangers 2, Montreal 0:

FIRST PERIOD:

- Nesterov gets the start ahead of Davidson, which surprises (and concerns) me.

- If it seems like the Bell Centre is loud over your TV, you're right. Having been at a Canadiens playoff game in that arena, the noise cannot be described (or underestimated).

- Gallagher with a bad trip on Staal. As we mentioned in the series preview, it's important that the Canadiens avoid the penalty box, because it offers the Rangers a path to victory.

- Good PK by the Canadiens - not entirely suprirrisng since this unit has been among the League's best since Julien took over.

- Beaulieu with a couple of great scoring chances high slot, but can't deliver his shots on goal. That's been an issue with him all season - shot accuracy.

- Habs largely dominating the game so far, but Rangers strike first, as Plekanec wins a deep draw, but his wingers, specifically, Paul Byron, fails to tie up their marks, in this instances it's Glass, who with a fierce backhander that hits top corner. 1-0 New York.

- Galchenyuk looks great, but he isn't getting much help from his inept line mates Martinsen and Ott  both of whom are predictably mixing it up physically, but can't do a damn thing with a hockey puck.

- Lindqvist has stopped all 12 shots he's faced, but his style shouldn't endear Ranger fans with confidence. Scrambly would be a good way of describing his style so far.

- McDonagh gets nailed for an interference, with a strange play on Pacioretty at centre ice, with the puck really nowhere close. Gotta be smarter than that.

- Julien goes with Andrew Shaw first unit, a page out the book of Therrien. Doesn't work very well at least that first attempt. Galchenyuk  on the 2nd unit, which is something, I guess.

- Smith high sticks Lehkonen, Montreal's powerplay extends from 2 to 4 minutes.e

- Aside from the Glass goal, difficult to feel disappointed with that 1st period, the Habs outshooting the Rangers 14-5, which is not a sustainable number if you're hoping for a New York victory. Don't think Lundqvist looked anything but slightly shaky, which means he's likely getting too many good looks at shots. Habs could probably offer a bit more traffic around the crease, and shouldn't be wary of crashing the Rangers net when the opportunity presents itself (Ott had managed to run over Lundqvist earlier in the period). Don't like the score, but like the mostly dominated Habs period.


SECOND PERIOD:

- Domination by Habs in that 1st period, 77.3% CF ... at even strength. Rangers with a couple horseshoes helping them stay ahead on the scoreboard:

- While the Canadiens had a very strong 1st, one failing were their attempts. Just one high danger in the frame, which is not nearly good enough against any opponent or their goaltender:

- Underlying numbers are hard to debate, here. If the Canadiens play the 2nd and 3rd periods like they played the first, the Rangers will need a miracle to win this hockey game.

- Maybe Vigneault read them a copy of the riot act during the intermission - Rangers coming out a bit faster this period.

- Stumbling start this period, Rangers doing much better job retreating to their own zone, and for bottling up centre ice. Canadiens unable to muster much speed with the puck so far.

- Rangers clearly turning the tables this period, Habs need to regroup. Ott and Martinsen with two terrible shifts this period, at some point Julien has to think about moving Galchenyuk up, maybe switching him up with Dwight King, who's doing his line no favours so far, either.

- Rangers have the forecheck running full throttle, and it's keeping the puck mostly in the Habs zone. 7 minutes gone in the period, Montreal still hasn't registered a shot.

- Habs 4th line officially back to being a tire fire again. Julien needs to make an intervention, or at the very least, significantly scale back their playing time (while moving Galchenyuk to another line).

- Weber with a cannon, which is good. But it's a shot that Lindqvist is allowed to see without any distractions in front, which makes it a routine save by NHL standards. Habs have to get bodies in front, or they're not going to score.

- Mats Zuccarello, who's been the target of Shea Weber tonight, with a dirty low hit on Gallagher that the officials refuse to call. Not cool. Not cool.

- Great shift by Galchenyuk, one of the best I've seen all year, and it puts the Rangers entirely on the defence. Canadiens come close to score, with pucks loose around Lindqvist, but predictably, neither Ott nor Martinsen can shoot it home. At some point Julien will need to reconsider his strategy, Galchenyuk needs to be put next to people with goal scoring abilities. Otherwise, all this fine play is being wasted.

- That Galchenyuk shift has changed the dynamics of this game, Habs swarming Lundqvist, who has to make a couple of big saves to keep his team ahead.

- Galchenyuk with a *do'h* puck handling off the faceoff, which is probably the most avoidable penalty possible. Sigh. Goodbye momentum.

- Ut-oh, extended Rangers 5-on-3 advantage, as Gallagher is nabbed for a hold.

- Simply outstanding kill by the Habs PK, Markov and Weber really shining. Huge missed opportunity for the Rangers.

- Well, that was an unexpectedly bad period for the Habs, especially in light of what we saw in the first. Maybe this team came out a little too fast, too hard? It happens, especially game one at home in the playoffs. Still, there's no excuse for the way this team played in that 2nd period, the Rangers clearly reorganized and refocused during the 1st intermission, and took it to Montreal for the first 14 minutes of that period, dominating possession and the shot clock. Galchenyuk played a very strong period, Dwight King was very weak. Claude Julien, the hockey gods are basically screaming at you to make an obvious adjustment - moving Galchenyuk up to King's spot, and King back down to the 4th line. HEED THE GODS.

THIRD PERIOD:

- Oy, what a turnaround. Canadiens ridiculously lucky to be only 1-0 down at this point, including the fact they managed to kill an extended 2 man advantage. Rangers CF (5v5) in the 2nd alone was 67%+:

- Julien sticks with King along side Lehkonen and Shaw. Sigh.

- Rangers are stacking their line, and so far, the Habs have no response.

- Habs are gonna have to do this the hard way - shooting pucks, hitting and retrieving. Rangers also doing an excellent job covering passing lanes in their zone. Canadiens can't muster up any form of sustained puck pressure.

- Shaw sets King up perfectly in the slot, shot fired hits Lundqvist in the head. If that's Galchenyuk, it's like a tie game. CLAUDE TAKE A HINT.

- Rangers are winning most of the puck battles, especially in their own zone, against Bergevin's "bigger", "tougher" team.

- Habs look spent. Gave it all the 1st period, battled to keep the floodgates closed in the 2nd, limping through the 3rd.

- Julien steadfast with his line combinations, refusing to budge an inch. He's picked his hill to die on tonight, dammit.

- 6 minutes left, Habs will have to gamble now with hard pinches. Nothing else has worked. Julien won't make any adjustments, so now we need some luck to salvage this game.

- Phillip Danault won't be bookmarking this game as a career highlight, and he gets nailed for an anxious tripping penalty in the O-zone. Another viable candidate for some kind of line juggling, but Julien remains steadfast.

- Habs kill the Danault dumb-ass penalty, but lose two minutes off the clock. 3 minutes left, time to roll all the dice.

- Julien switches up King and Galchenyuk. With 2 minutes left in the 3rd. Too little, too late.

- Grabner, empty net. Game over.

- Habs get shut out. It's not rocket science. You put one of your best forwards on the 4th line for 58 minutes, you're going to struggle to generate offence. And now the Habs suddenly find themselves in a must-win position, with the playoffs literally just begun.

Game 2, there's no excuse for Galchenyuk to be mired next to Martinsen and Ott. There's no excuse for Dwight King to be in over his head on the 3rd line. This team ought easily handle an opponent like the Rangers. Instead, the Rangers easily handled the Habs tonight, especially in batting for pucks. This against Marc Bergevin's reconstructed "tough" hockey team. Well tonight, his troops got manhandled.



HABS AND RANGERS FIRST ROUND PREVIEW: 

Well, it's arrived. The Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For fans of the Montreal Canadiens, the fight for a championship has been two years waiting. 24 months have passed since the last spring of promise, and just 12 months time removed from the disastrous 2015-16 campaign, a season in which the Canadiens finished with just 38 wins.

This year, it's been different. From 38 wins last season, to 47 this season.

All of this while in the shadow of "the trade".

In late June of last year, the Canadiens sent star defender P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators in return for the hulking body that comprises Shea Weber. The deal stunned Habs fans, many of whom had developed a affectionate following for Subban, who, just weeks previously, had himself made a $10 million commitment to the Montreal Children's Hospital.

The trade, in itself, highlighted a deep and unabiding insecurity over certain perceptions that had haunted the franchise for years:  The Canadiens are too small. The Canadiens lack character. The Canadiens aren't tough or rough enough to compete.

The acquisition of Weber, all 6'4", 230 lbs of man mountain, changed the dynamics, or at the very least, the perception that Montreal didn't have the muscle required to ice a truly competitive hockey team.



The "toughing" of the Habs actually started in earnest before the Subban trade. In the days leading up, General Manager Marc Bergevin, then entering 4th season within the Canadiens' front office, traded away Lars Eller, who had attained a reputation for soft play, and then hours later, made a play for Chicago Black Hawks grinder-supreme Andrew Shaw, whom had caught the G.M.'s eye during his time as an assistant G.M. in Chicago. For Beregvin, Shaw shored up the "character gap" that had presumably dogged the organization for so many years.

The Eller deal and Shaw trade would, of course, be totally overshadowed 3 days later when P.K. said his goodbyes to Montreal. But in the aftermath of the trade, Bergevin made a free agent signing which, in retrospect, may have had a bigger impact on the Canadiens fortunes this season than either Weber or Shaw.

It was Canada Day, when Bergevin announced that he had won a fierce bidding war against the Colorado Avalanche for services of Alexander Radulov, who 4 years earlier had been banished from the NHL because of management conflicts with the Nashville Predators. It was a watershed moment for the Canadiens who entering the 2016-17 season, desperately needed scoring punch on the wing. Previous experiments with the likes of Dale Weise, Thomas Fleischmann, Alexander Semin and Devante Smith-Pelly had failed to pan out.

From game one it was clear the Canadiens had finally found their wingman in Radulov, whose speed, skill, grit and playmaking abilities made him an immediate fan-favourite:



While much last summer's roster limelight was cast on the likes of Radulov, Shaw and Weber, another roster move, which at the time received relatively little attention, has had a big impact on the Habs offence. That addition, made back in May, 2016, was the entry level signing of Arttruri Lehkonen, who had originally been drafted by the Habs in the 2nd round of the 2013 Draft.

Lehkonen, while not possessing Radulov's brawl or intensity, has in short order evolved into one of the most talented young two-way players in the NHL. Lehkonen's hockey intelligence, in combination with a fierce wrist shot, helped him to score 18 goals in his rookie campaign, no small accomplishment for a winger who had largely fallen off the radar of most Habs hockey observers before his signing. Just look at his shot from a game in early March against the Panthers:



These are not the same Habs as the old Habs. With Radulov, Lehkonen, elite scoring from captain Max Pacioretty, and 20+ goal production from Paul Bryon the Canadiens front lines have as much depth this season as any in recent memory - bolstered further by the presence of a healthy and productive Brendan Gallagher.

Ah yes, health. That's a big word around Montreal, especially so given what happened to Carey Price last season. The Canadiens, blessed they be with talent up front, will only go this post-season as far as their healthy all-world goaltender can carry them. It goes without saying that the Habs, with Price in top form, are a much more difficult team to beat in a seven game series. And while Price has had his ups-and-downs this season, his form has looked excellent since the Canadiens made a mid-season coaching shift in February, with Carey putting up a +.940 SV% since then.

Oh right. The coaching change. We almost forgot about that.

Truth be told, the Montreal Canadiens were never going to compete for a championship under Michel Therrien, who somewhere along the way, lost the room. Blessed with talent and a healthy Carey Price, the Habs nosedived from a comfortable 1st place lead at the start of the calendar year, into nearly out of a playoff spot in a mere 6 week span. The underpinning trend was dreadful:

Following a 4-0 loss at the hands of the Bruins, Marc Bergevin, realizing the season was slipping away, and born from the opportunity of having an available Claude Julien, made a change that so many Habs fans have been pining for years. The effect of the change was nearly immediate:

So what does this all add up to? It adds up to a Montreal Canadiens team that, for the first time in 25 years, has a viable chance at winning a Stanley Cup championship.

But it won't be easy. It will mean having to beat tough competition, be it the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Chicago Black Hawks - or someone else. 

It will mean, of course, beating the Habs first round opponent, the New York Rangers. So, before we put any carts before any horses, let's look at the 1st round, and break these two teams down a little:

OFFENCE:

Both clubs enter the playoffs with reasonably deep offences, but big questions surrounding their deployment. Under head coach Alain Vigneault, now in his 5th season behind the New York bench, the Rangers aren't a particularly strong possession team, as this season's rolling game average shows:

The Rangers, as per usual, bring plenty of speed to the rink, bolstered by the infamous Kreider, who's had an excellent campaign with 28 goals scored. Along with Kreider the Rangers have veteran Rick Nash, as well as Mats Zuccarello. The Canadiens defence will need to be fleet to contain the Rangers transition, which has the potential of turning the game in their favour on a dime. The Habs, meanwhile, have managed to build three relatively well balanced lines, headlined by Max Pacioretty, Alex Radulov and Phillip Danault first line pairing. Still, there are big questions surrounding how the Habs offence has been constructed and deployed. At the trade deadline, Marc Bergevin made questionable acquisitions in Steve Ott and Andreas Martinsen, both of whom bring physicality to the Canadiens lineup, but on any given shift, are a significant defensive liability. There's also controversy at hand - with Alex Galchenyuk, the presumed top-6 centre, who's found himself now buried on the 4th line wing along side Ott and Martinsen. If head coach Claude Julien is steadfastly intent on burying one of his best offensive assets on the bottom line, the Canadiens offensive potential will be hampered significantly.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: for the Rangers, keep an eye on both Derek Stepan, who's seeking to have a breakout post-season, and Michael Grabner, who's mired in a deep slump. If Stepan produces, and Grabner finds his game, the Rangers will be keeping Carey Price busy through most of the series. For the Habs, obviously it's Alex Galchenyuk - somehow he's got to find his way back to (at the very least) the Habs 3rd line. Being isolated next to marginal NHL forwards will make his ability to produce points limited at best.

ADVANTAGE: RANGERS

DEFENCE:

The Habs are making a few adjustments to their blue line with Alexei Emelin not playing tonight due to injury. Brandon Davidson, who was picked up at this year's trade deadline, will be in the lineup tonight in his very first playoff game. Otherwise, the Canadiens defence, with or without Emelin, matches up well against any League opponent. We all know Shea Weber's story and what he brings to the table - while Andrei Markov, even at the ripe age of 39, is playing arguably his best hockey in a decade. 

The Rangers' defence is lead of course by captain Ryan McDonagh, who'll be paired with Dan Girardi. While there's no question McDonagh is a top line defender, Girardi, who's had an up-and-down season, might not be the Rangers' best option compared to other more viable candidates like Brandon Smith or even Nick Holden. Vigneault seems to be taking a more diluted approach to his defence, in contrast to the Habs playing their top two defenders, Weber and Markov, together.

Keys players to watch this series. No doubt for the Habs it's Nathan Beaulieu, who had a sparkling training camp and pre season, but has struggled with consistency through most of the season. Beaulieu has demonstrated good puck moving abilities through much of his career - if he's able to consistently feed the puck to his forwards, it'll make the Habs transition and speedy forward much more difficult to contain. For the Rangers, it's Girardi, who we mentioned previously has struggled with consistency through much of the season. If he's able to get his game in order, the Rangers will have a potent shut down 1st pairing.

ADVANTAGE: HABS

GOALTENDING:

On paper, the series appears stacked in the Canadiens' favour. The Habs have a good record against the Rangers this season, winning all 3 contests by a margin of 12-7.

The difference makers in those game, both good and bad, was goaltending. And what helped the Canadiens win during the regular season is likely to help them advance in the playoffs.

From the Rangers perspective, hopes are pinned on King Henrik Lundqvist, the venerable veteran netminder who's had an excellent NHL career playing in a blue shirt.

Against the Habs? The picture changes.

Since 2012, King Henrik has played the Montreal Canadiens 12 times, including the playoffs. He has won 4 times. Of those 4 wins, Carey Price was in net for Canadiens a grand total of zero times. Lundqvist's winning success against the Canadiens, at least those 4 times, was because of this:


That collision came 3 years ago, knocking Price out of the playoffs, and with it, the Habs hopes of advancing to the Stanley Cup final.

What about with Carey Price in goal? Lundqvist's numbers drop to 0-7-1. A 3.22 GAA and a .886 Sv%. Under normal circumstances, those figures wouldn't be good enough to get you a backup job in the NHL.

Price, meanwhile, has owned the Rangers. Never losing over 5 years, Price has put up numbers that under normal circumstances, would result in a Vezina Trophy romp: A 1.29 GAA and a .955 Sv%

ADVANTAGE: HABS


SO WHO'LL WIN?

At the end of the day, the Habs are likely to win this series, because of their significant goaltending edge, and a more properly deployed defence. The Rangers best hopes are in their ability to outscore the Canadiens, meaning their forwards will need to elevate their game significantly, bolstered by a productive powerplay. Habs in 5 games.

Game 44: Rangers vs. Habs

Montreal 5, New York Rangers 4:

FIRST PERIOD LIVE GAME BLOG:

- So we got it all wrong about the Rangers starting goaltender, it's Antti Raanta between the pipes.

- Alex Galchenyuk taking short (very short) shifts to start the period - which isn't altogether unusual given how many weeks he's been out.

- Danault scores, Shaw had made contact with Raanta a second before the goal, but it looks like Shaw was bumped into the crease. Close call here.

- Hrmmm ... Shaw was definitely bumped towards the Raanta, but they still waive it off. Oh well. NHL needs to be black and white about this - Klein definitely hit Shaw, which moved him towards the Rangers's crease and into Raanta - and while Shaw made little attempt to avoid the contact, nonetheless he was bumped. If you're bumped or pushed by the defender, it should be fair game. Certainly for a league that continues to be starved for offence.

- Habs first powerplay, and guess who's back as first line centre? Andrew Shaw. His presence there before injury was maddening because the unit was, more often than not, inept. Right back to the same losing formula. 

- Rangers don't look like a team who played less than a day ago, at least not on that PK, where they totally outskated and outworked the Habs PP unit.

- Lots of broken plays so far, not a lot of flow to this game. Rangers are playing a fairly frenetic game, Habs are just kind of stumbling to get organized.

- Price catches a slapper from the line high around the mask or shoulder. Looked stunned a little. More reason for concern.

- So Shaw takes a goal off the board for goaltender interference, then takes a penalty for goaltender interference, which Pirri scores off a very nice one timer, 1-0 New York. Yeah, Andrew Shaw. Welcome back?

- Danault is playing possessed. Man, what when Desharnais comes back, what to do, what to do?

- And now Shaw gets nailed for a 5 minute major for a high hit on Fast.  Good lord. What a catastrophic return.

Shaw hit on Fast pic.twitter.com/vstKmuwIRW

— GIF Grand Maester (@myregularface) January 15, 2017

- One bright spot for the Habs? Shaw is out of the game.

- Shame, real real real shame that Shaw's return wasn't Monday night, because he single handedly took a goal off the board, put a goal on the board for his opponents, then got kicked out of the game and a 5 minute penalty to boot, and yeah - one of the worst periods ever by a Habs forward. And we've got this numbskull for at least another 3 years. Heaven help us all.

SECOND PERIOD LIVE GAME BLOG:

- Habs CF (5v5) was 55.6% in that first period, although it doesn't really mean a whole lot since Andrew Shaw was assessed 22 penalty minutes. 

- Rangers with clear sheet of ice to continue the Shaw major, which is always extra dangerous.

- Well, Lundqvist is now in goal, Raanta sustaining some sort of injury during that 1st period, be dammed if I saw anything. Lundqvist's career record in Montreal, for what it's worth, is pretty terrible. 

- Price makes a sparking pad save one end, Galchenyuk a sparking deflection off a Barberio point shot past Lundqvist, and the Habs tie the game. Lundqvist must be wondering if this Bell Centre is cursed.

- More awful Habs defence, a broken play and Emelin with his head in the cloud springs Hayes all alone. Price made the initial save, but then his stake hooked onto Price's pad, dragging him out of the crease. So ... technically speaking, how is that not goaltender interference?

- Unbelievable, Price dragged out of his crease, even accidentally, is not interference, while Shaw bumped into Raanta by a defenceman, is. Have no idea what the NHL rational or logic is, but it certainly is mystifying.

- Flynn scores after Rangers can't defend their crease, and Lundqvist can't cover the puck. And not even the League can take that one away. Tie game.

- Alexei Emelin has been a one-man tire fire tonight. When he's not making awful decisions, Ranger puck handlers are skating (literally) circles around him.

- Radulov is just a little too intense sometimes, firing a puck back to the point on the powerplay that Galchenyuk can't handle, spring Rangers with a 2-on-1 shorthanded break that's finished my Miller. Shea Weber was lone man back, totally misplayed the odd man rush. That didn't help either.

- Where was Weber on this play, and what was he doing? No idea:

Rangers score a shortie: pic.twitter.com/QLQYjAtADr

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 15, 2017

- Pretty messy period of hockey, Habs getting outplayed in that period, again failing to generate as many high danger scoring chances, certainly fewer than their opponent. Bright side, Galchenyuk looks right back on form, the kinds are again playing well. Bad news - the powerplay continues to look disorganized, and the Habs defence are making (again) for too many unforced errors that are leading to far too many goals against. 

THIRD PERIOD LIVE GAME BLOG:

- Habs shots on Rangers net pretty meek tonight - lots of harmless shots from the point, either easily blocked, or slow, harmless wristers. 

- Nash nearly tips home a pretty passing play, puck hits the post. All started with a bad pass by Beaulieu entering the New York zone. The speedy Rangers will make you pay with that kind of sloppy play.

- Brian Flynn is back, he took a slash on the hand after scoring the Habs first goal, missed the 2nd period. I'm not a huge Flynn fan, as regular readers will know, but Montreal can't afford to be down two forwards for that much of a hockey game.

- Habs zone entries have also grown progressively worse. New York doing a really good job guarding their line, and in the few instances where the Canadiens have any kind of puck control, New York is doing an excellent job checking and tying up Montreal forwards. Scoring chances have become few and far between.

- Habs have got to try some other way of penetrating the Rangers zone - carrying it over the line hasn't been working.

- Emelin ties the game with a shot from the line off the draw. Puck just finds a way into the net, Lundqvist - it's been that kind of year for him.

- Pacioretty gets a breakaway off a broken play, and makes Lindqvist look kind of bad.  Boom, Habs take the lead.

- Wow. Habs crash the net, puck goes in, I think Byron scores, and it's 5-3? Not sure if the Rangers will have this one reviewed.

- Byron indeed with the goal. No review, it was just a defence meltdown, with Clendening crashing into Lindqvist, who's having a nightmare period.

- No real big secret to the Habs turning the game upside down - Emelin's goal just found its way through a maze, Pacioretty off a broken play, and gate crashing to get the floodgates open. 

- Man, the Rangers pass awfully well, zooming the puck around with the powerplay, Habs lucky to have not surrendered another goal shorthanded. I think passing is likely the reason why New York's shooting percentage is so high, they set things up so nicely.

- Ain't over yet. Rangers get their own bounce, with Kreider tipping a shot from the line that goes overtop Price and is then deflected in by Stepan. Fluke goal, impossible to fault anyone.

- Marvellous lead-saving glove save by Price on Grabner on a breakaway (again, broken play, again sloppy reaction by the Habs defence - this time Petry and Beaulieu).

- So who predicted before the season started that both Lundqvist and Price would struggle this season? Anyone? 

- Habs are still being way too soft and sloppy in their zone, and are frequently abandoning slot coverage - too many players chasing pucks, not enough playing their positions and positioning correctly.

- Ranger empty net. Therrien goes with Weber/Emelin. Okay, then.

- Habs hang on for an incredibly untidy win - probably their sloppiest W of the season. This team is clearly eons better with Galchenyuk back in the lineup, Phillip Danault continues to play exceptionally good hockey, solidifying even further his name for 2C. Those are good things. Bad? Generally poor play, in particular defensive zone coverage, and passing, in general, is unsteady and uneven, creating far too many neutral zone turnovers, which are killer against a fast team the Rangers. The Habs are more or less lucky to have come away with the win tonight.

GAME PREVIEW: HABS HOST DONALD TRUMP'S FAV NHL TEAM

Hey, not that we needed a reason to hate the Rangers, there hasn't been much, if any, rivalry between the Canadiens and New York. Well, now that Donald Trump has arrived on the scene, we've got every reason to hate the Rangers, who shall not forthwith,  be referred to as the New York Trumpers. Tonight, revenge will be ours.

The Habs got two pieces of expected good news today - Alex Galchenyuk, who had been out with a LBI for exactly six weeks (minus one day), and winger Andrew Shaw, who's been out for 4 weeks, will return to action tonight at the Bell Centre. Woah, are the Habs actually starting to get ... healthy??

With both Galchenyuk and Shaw back in, Habs put Chris Terry on waivers this morning for purposes of demotion, and if he clears, he'll return to St. John's tomorrow. So, here's Montreal's lineup for tonight:

Pacioretty/Galchenyuk/Radulov
Lehkonen/Plekanec/Andrighetto
Byron/Danault/Shaw
Flynn/Mitchell/McCarron

Weber/Emelin
Beaulieu/Petry
Barberio/Redmond

One piece of not-so-good news, Andrei Markov, who's been dealing with a nagging groin injury, has been removed from participating in practices, and is strictly on rehab again - which beside Michel Therrien's proclamation this morning that Markov hadn't experienced a setup, is a pretty clear indication that Markov has experienced a setback. This is key, since the Canadiens defence has played some pretty disorganized and soft hockey in their own zone since Andrei was put on the injury list - the Jeff Petry and Nathan Beaulieu have been especially weak the past couple of weeks, their lacklustre performance against the Wild Thursday night serving as another example.

Okay, what's happening with the New York Trumpers?

The Trumpers are coming off a defeat last night at the hands of the (ha ha) The Toronto Maple Leafs Are Good. Too bad, so sad. That loss aside, it's been a decent season so far for the Trumpers - 28 wins so far, which in the crazy hard Metropolitan Division, puts New York in a wild card spot (the Habs with 26 wins by contrast, still enjoy a reasonably comfortable 1st place lead in the Atlantic).

The Trumpers, this season, like before - essentially since Alain Vigenault beacme head coach in 2013, haven't been a very strong possession team. At 47.7% CF (5v5), only the 24th best in the NHL, represents a surprising number because most hokey teams that play sub-par at even strength, tend to win at a .650 clip.

Add in the mix a somewhat disappointing season by New York's blue line - the Trumpers at 2.39 GA60 aren't even in the League's top half for rated defence. While Ryan McDonagh has put together another fine season, the same can't be said for New York's other key defenders Dan Girardi and Marc Staal, whose inconsistent play has given the Rangers fits on some nights (such as last night). Girardi, for example, has a 50.1% SA average this year, which isn't awful. But Girardi is prone to have awful games, a prime example was his effort on December 1st of last year, when Girardi got steamrolled by the (!) Buffalo Sabres, surrendering 2 goals, and a -28 (!!) corsi differential.

The Trumpers blue line inconsistency has made life much more challenging for Henrik Lundqvist, who's also struggling through a sub-par season. Lundqvist's 2.60 GAA (a career high) and .910 Sv% (a career low) has placed additional pressure on the offence, which, for the most part, has delivered. New York's salvation this year has been their ability to finish plays - with a 10% Sh%, a ridiculous number this far into the season, on most nights this year, the Trumpers have, even with poor possession, have managed to score more even strength goals than anyone else in the League.

The key to the game for the Habs tonight? Obviously find a way of containing New York's uncanny shooting abilities by limiting high danger scoring attempts (not easy given the state of the Canadiens' defence of late), while hoping to score a goal or two with the man advantage (perhaps an easier task with Galchenyuk returning to the lineup tonight).

It won't hurt either if Carey Price can have a bounce-back game - if Price's career history is any indication, that will happen tonight.

Puck drops at 7:10 EST.

Game Five - EC Final: Rangers vs. Habs

THIS JUST IN: DEREK DORSETT IS AN ASS:


He's also likely to be facing a couple of games in the press box courtesy a head butt. Get these idiots out of the game, already.


THIRD PERIOD:

- Gotta say, I'm really surprised that Lundqvist didn't start the third. Perhaps Vigneault senses that his goaltender is tiring? Lundqvist has played a lot of games over a pretty short period of time.

- Rene Bourque, with a hat trick? Nobody could write this stuff. Great feed by Weise off another neutral zone turnover by the Rangers, great shot by Bourque into the corner. The Habs have a critical 2 goal lead. 6-4.

- Fans flood the ice with hats, which the Rangers will take, thank you very much. Gives them a free timeout to recompose themselves. And now Gorges takes a dumb penalty. It ain't over.

- Man, you just know the Rangers are going to score on this powerplay. You can feel it all over.

- Absolutely crucial PK for Habs here. The season on the line.

- Rangers allowed to set everything up. Not good. It's unbearable to even watch.

- And now Bouillion gets nabbed for holding. Rangers with HUGE 33 second 5-on-3. Avert your eyes.

- Tokarski coming up huge, here. Habs almost through this.

- What an absolutely massive kill by the Canadiens. Weise, however, hurt by a high hit by Moore. It's a five minute, intent to injure penalty against Moore. That will almost be reviewed by the League for further discipline.

- Habs being ultra careful with the 5 minute advantage. Too careful. One more goal will totally put this game to bed. But they can't get zone possession set.

- Eller called for an incredible hold with 1:30 left in the major. I didn't see the penalty. Amazing call.

- Markov with another poor judgement play, bad pinch creates another odd man break for the Rangers. New York pulls their goalie. Nervous times here.

- Desharnais hits the scoresheet to clinch the game. WE LIVE ANOTHER DAY, BABY.

- Lars Eller kind of goes off the rails, with a brutal board on Zuccarello. The Rangers go back on the powerplay, their net empty. Less than 3 minutes left, though.

- Tokarski has done a pretty good Carey Price impersonation on frequent occasions tonight, four goals in, aside.

- Well, an amazing win tonight. A roller coaster victory, extreme. But a win nonetheless. The Habs face a massive challenge in less than 48 hours, as they battle to force a deciding game at home. But they've somehow clawed their way to stay alive. A win, in this writer's opinion, will give them a significant advantage for a game 7. But they need to win more ... just ... one more.

If you read the pregame preview, you'll see I noted how critical it would be for those who haven't produced, to finally get on the scoresheet. Well, there you have it. Bourque, Plekanec, Desharnais, Gallagher, et al, finally found a way. If they can somehow keep this up ... well ... who knows? Anything is possible.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Silly interference by Markov. Rangers go to the powerplay, and nearly score because Habs PK continues to play far too passively. This will eventually hurt the Habs if they continue to draw penalties.  

- Brilliant, absolutely brilliant effort and blind pass by Gallagher to Pacioretty, who snaps a shot through Lundqvist's five hole. 3-1. Not the strongest game of the postseason so far for King Henrik.

- Bourque! After Rangers powerplay explores, fine work by Vanek and Eller behind the net, to wide open Bourque. Habs with big 4-1 lead. Key players who absolutely needed to deliver, coming through in aces tonight.

- Lundqvist apparently is yanked, and the Rangers getting very frustrated after the whistle. It's all been going very wrong for New York so far tonight.

- Lundqvist gets the hook before the game is half over. That's sort of incredible, if you think about it.

- Plekanec should have made it 5-1, and seconds later, Gorges makes a careless deflection of a soft pass into his own net. Instead of a four goal lead, it's two.

- I haven't bought into the CW what Markov is playing "tired", but he was completely manhandled going back after a simple chip in. The Rangers narrow the lead to one, and everyone in the Bell Centre gets very, very quiet.

- And now the Rangers go to the powerplay. Plekanec. Oh boy.

- Rangers are gonna score on this. You just know it. They're gonna tie it.

- Yup. Kreider. That passive PK finally burns the Habs. Tie game. Incredible.

- Speaking of incredible, Bourque gives the lead back to the Habs, a fine shot just off the post, Talbot struggling to find depth and angle. It's 5-4.

- These two are just going to slug each other until the death. I'm thinking a 6-5 final. I'm also thinking that Lundqvist will be coming back in to start the 3rd period.

- That 2nd period. I don't even know where to start. The Habs clearly thought the game was won, after Lundqvist was pulled. The bench saw that switch, and read it as though the Rangers had decided to wave the white flag. The following letdown was absolutely unforgivable. In an elimination game, you play to your maximum, regardless if your lead is one, or three goals. These players surely are aware of the blown leads in this post-season. What were they thinking? In any case, look for Lundqvist to start the 3rd, and the Habs to feel the full brunt of Rangers pressure. Canadiens are going to need at least one more goal to have a good chance of sending this series back to New York.

FIRST PERIOD:

- Well how about this, Therrien shifts the chairs on the defensive deck, bringing in Beaulieu, and sitting Emelin. Goodness.

- Derek Stepan appears to be in playing with Kreider and Nash. Oscar Lindberg is out.

- Mike Weaver gets another promotion - he'll play along side Andrei Markov.

- 22 seconds in Kreider with a slew foot. Because, Kreider.

- Finally. Habs get zone possession on the powerplay, and Galchenyuk tips in a Subban cannon. Habs get critical first (and early) goal.

- Habs way faster, also generating piles of turnovers in the Rangers zone. Very impressive.

- Tokarski with his best, perhaps the best save of any Habs goaltender this spring. Happened all because Markov made a silly, silly pinch. Keeps Habs ahead, while the Rangers seem to be working through early game jitters.

- Beaulieu, cool, calm, collected, and very fast tonight. Such a shame he was a scratch for so many games this spring in favour of Murray and Bouillon.

- Stepan. Really? Ouch. Tokarski whiffs. And the game is tied.

- Plekanec. There you are. 2-1. Lundqvist taken totally by surprise.

- Habs continue to rely on chipping the puck up the boards to clear the zone, the Rangers continue to anticipate this crude approach.

- Questionable roughing call on Desharnias, to say the least. Rangers get late period powerplay.

- New York SO much more effective gaining the zone with the man advantage, Habs PK way too indifferent. They have to make an immediate adjustment, starting first with being far more aggressive in the neutral zone. Make the Rangers shoot, rather than carry in.

- End of the first. Mission accomplished for the Habs. Scored early, have the lead. Nice to see Plekanec hit the scoresheet - his production is an important first step toward the Habs earning some victories. Still waiting, however, for some signs of life from Vanek and Gionta. Also wouldn't hurt if Desharnais and Pacioretty could start clicking again. They most certainly didn't that first period.





PREGAME PREVIEW:

It's been quite a journey this year, and tonight, the road towards a 25th Stanley Cup in Montreal might come to a dead end, unless the Canadiens can muster up another elimination game victory against the New York Rangers.

There are few things left to disseminate. The Rangers have beat the Canadiens at their own game, combining speed and a strong forecheck, while limiting defensive turnovers in their own zone. Append a strong and accurate transition game, something the Canadiens don't excel at, and it equals a mostly well-deserved 3-1 series lead.


While hopes for recovery are dim, the Habs do have some shades of hope centered on the arrival of players who have simply failed to produce, not just in this series, but in the playoffs as a whole. We all know about the Vanek story - that's old. But a couple of forwards who haven't received nearly enough attention for their lack of production simply must find a way to start producing. Right now.


Those two? Tomas Plekanec, who's had a dreadful series against the Rangers, and Captain Brian Gionta, who's had .. well ... a dreadful playoffs, period. Both veterans, who've received regular shifts each and every game of this post season, have not lived up to expectation. Not nearly.

Plekanec, who headed into the series with a modest 7 points in 11 playoff games, has scored just one assist against New York, and posted a -3 (for that matter, an accumulative -7 for the post-season, and this for the guy many thought was deserved a Selkie Trophy nomination this season), and an accumulative 43% Corsi (all situation). That's bad for a supposed two-way centre. Meanwhile, the situation for Gionta is even more dire. Just 6 points in 15 games, only one goal.  Now, Gionta wasn't exactly a goal-scoring machine at the best of times, as his age has risen, his production totals have fallen off the cliff - this year, a GPG average of just .22. But to go from scoring a .22, to a .06? That's dismal.

So the situation is pretty straightforward. The Habs badly need the producers to produce. Plekanec, Gionta, toss in Pacioretty, still looking for Desharnais to score, wondering where Rene Bourque has disappeared to .. well, you get the idea.

If ... and this is a big if ... but if those guys, and maybe Vanek, can register some actual offense tonight, the Habs stand a very good chance of extending this series to Thursday night. This means producing on the powerplay, a factor that probably cost the Habs game 4, this means putting more bodies in even tighter against Henrik Lundqvist, and it means a more aggressive contribution from the Habs defense, in the form of pinching the line more frequently to maintain zone pressure against this Rangers team.

Otherwise, this is it. The end of the road will have been reached. It's been a heckova ride, but it doesn't have to end. It shouldn't end.


Puck drops at 8:10 EST.


GAMEDAY NEWS AND NOTES:
HEY, guess who was in full gear skating this morning? THIS GUY:



Okay, so it's just part of the whole rehab process, and yes, there's no way in heaven's earth he'll play tonight, or Thursday ... or in this series (we think), but still - his presence surely serves as a positive motivator for his teammates. It's telling them - "hey guys, you can still do this. You can still win this series and get to the Finals, and then have me between the pipes for a championship run."

So that's all nice to see. What else is going on?

- Michel Therrien ran his practice without set lines, for whatever reason. I guess to put a shroud of mystery around a lineup that everyone already knows about?

- Derek Stepan HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE AND WILL PLAY.  Less than 100 hours after MAJOR face surgery after a DEVASTATING hit (not to the head) delivered by Brandon Prust (who's still suspended), Stepan will play! INCREDIBLE!! IT'S A MIRACLE I TELLZ YA!!

More in a bit.

Game Four - EC Final: Habs vs. Rangers

OVERTIME: 

- Subban cracked the half hour mark through 30 minutes. Expect him to play every other shift from here on out.

- What a dumb penalty by Pouilot. Wow.

- All Habs in this OT. Lots of pucks at Lundqvist. Looking for a game winning bounce.

- And there you have it. Habs 4th line unable to clear the zone after multiple chances, and St. Louis finally solves Tokarski at the greatest possible time. Emelin probably the biggest failing culprit. Heartbreak. Pure heartbreak.

- So much Emelin did wrong on that last sequence, but whatever. He is what he is, what's done is done. The Habs ultimately were undone by their inability to capitalize on multiple powerplay opportunities. The game itself really shouldn't have even required an overtime. The Habs forwards, and there were many, just didn't do their jobs, didn't put out their best effort, and didn't deliver a victory that was so hard fought for by the remarkable Dustin Tokarski. That's the real tragedy in all of this. Tokarski has come to the Habs goaltending rescue, but too many of his linemates have failed to hear and respond to his heroics.


THIRD PERIOD:

- So Pacioretty has 15 minutes through 2 period, Therrien obviously sensing an impending breakout (man, Max .. if there was ever a time ...). Vanek. You remember him? He used to play beside Max. Just over 7 minutes. 

- Here we go. Early powerplay chance.

- SUBBAN. LE CANNON. Tie game.

- Rangers continue to be besieged by penalties, mainly trips, and the officials are calling everything. While they haven't converted in all of the 7 received so far (except 1, of course), it's given the Habs plenty of tempo in this period, the Rangers spending most of the time so far on the defensive. Tokarski hasn't had much work ... yet ... but with the game settling, that'll change.

- Vanek's effort level right now is just slightly that above a sloth. At this point, he's dangerous to even shift. Therrien would be wise just to staple him to the bench.

- Period winds down, mainly controlled by the Habs, but it's a nervous finish. Looks like the game, and quite possibly the series, will be determined by a mistake.

- Lots of warriors out there for the Habs tonight, but also a lot of floaters. The difference is pretty stark.

- Sweet jesus of christ, Therrien puts out Briere, Vanek and Bourque with less than a minute left. What IS HE THINKING!?

- Well, the mission, at least the important part, was accomplished by the Habs. They tied the game, and will get their shot of taking some control over this series if they can score the next goal. But that won't come easy. This has been an extraordinary game with some incredible physical battles for the puck. These teams are pushing each other to their respective outer limits, and for hockey aficionados, it's been a joy to watch. The bottom line is that the Habs have been the better team since the start of the 2nd period, and are on the cusp of making a remarkable series recovery.


SECOND PERIOD:

- Amother sluggish start to the period for the Habs, their collective legs simply not moving.

- Habs bright spot - their PK. Rangers have decent passing but unable to penetrate the Montreal crease for a high chance scoring opportunity.

- Rick Nash barrels into Tokarski, full speed. When will this madness stop?

- Habs better this frame than last. Still getting outskated, but they appear to be more involved defensively - New York not nearly as free wheeling. Right now it appears the Habs are sticking around, looking for a mistake.

- And there it is, Rangers defense make a terrible pinch given Habs a three on one, and Bouillon, of all the players, beats Lundqvist high. Not sure how Therrien is doing this, but the defensive switch pays off.

- Markov shows JT Miller the consequences of taking runs at goaltenders. Face, meet goalpost.

- Rangers look disorganized, maybe even a little stunned, after that tying goal. Habs getting much more puck possession in New York zone now.

- Huge blocker save by Tokarski, about as good as the two gems against St. Louis Thursday night. He's doing about all you could ask and more.

- Vanek really struggled last shift, be interested to see if we see him again anytime soon.

- Tokarski with a sick glove save on a St Louis break - perhaps the best of the playoffs. Oh yeah. A shorthanded break. 

- Bouillon somehow totally misses a shift call as Habs changed after getting the puck deep. Brassard left wide open to receive a 150 foot pass and blasts a slapper past Tokarski. Unstoppable. Unforgivable, really. How Bouillon didn't go out when he was supposed to is utterly perplexing.

- Bouillion giveth, Boullion taketh away. Really shouldn't be surprised by that, but it's particularly maddening given how well the Habs played in that period, fighting to tie, and then very nearly taking the lead off a pretty good late period powerplay. But Bouillon, his head in the clouds, undoes all that hard work. And now the Habs find themselves down a goal with 20 minutes left in a must-win game.

FIRST PERIOD:

- Confirming what we've already reported, Stepan is out for the Rangers, as well as Beaulieu for Montreal. Bouillon slots in.

- Big question of the night, is Dominic Moore going to make the Habs deeply regret letting him walk four years ago?

- Crazy soft call on Gorges. Officials setting a very bad tone early.

- Habs defense continues to do a lousy job of getting shots on goal, even with the shooting lanes wise open. 

- Habs powerplay simply unable to gain puck possession in the rangers zone, tonight and the entire series. This team's powerplay units go into dreadful funks at the worst possible time.

- What the hell was that? Markov and Subban completely screw the pooch and surrender a shorthanded goal. Abysmal.

- Habs totally manhandled the first 15 minutes - trying to think of a bright spot, all I can find is Tokarski. Otherwise, nothing. All Rangers. This could be another 7-2 final.

- Rangers putting out top line, as we said earlier, whenever Bouillon hit the ice. New York totally dominating, swarming the Habs like a pack of infuriated bees. Tokarski keeping them in - barely.

Well, we've arrived. The pivotal fourth game of the Eastern Conference Final. The winner tonight gaining a substantial advantage towards determining who will play in the Stanley Cup Final. So a few pregame thoughts:

- By now you've heard about the kerfuffle over the Rangers sending a couple of assistant coaches to scout the Habs practice on Saturday, which is a long established no-no in the NHL playoffs. The coaches were called out mid-practice by Michel Therrien, in a rather loud epitaph containing some rather salty language, as you do if you're Michel Therrien.  The whole incident, including Alain Vigneault's silly expression of innocence today, is pure gamesmanship, mainly on the part of the Rangers. There are, of course, no actual strategic advantages to watching the opposing team practice - both teams know each other inside out, both are fully aware of the other's game plan and their key strategies. Hockey, especially in the post-season, is pure execution. Anyway, the Rangers are clearly doing what they can to get under the skin of the Habs - to that extent, I find attending the Canadiens' team practice totally transparent and juvenile, offering no real benefit, except to tick the Habs off (which might actually backfire).

- More gamesmanship nonsense today over Therrien's comments about being aware of what Derick Brassard's injuries are, the insinuation being that the Habs might try to focus exploiting that injury (upper body, almost certainly a mild shoulder separation). The Rangers took exception, of course, but the bottom line is this: If an opponent has a known weakness, it's your responsibility to focus on that vulnerability to gain advantage. Especially in a seven game series where there are exceptionally narrow differences between the two opponents.

- Although nobody has confirmed, it's a pretty safe bet the reason why Frankie Bouillon is drawing in tonight in place of Nathan Beaulieu is because the Habs rookie defenseman is nursing some sort of an injury. Putting Bouillon on at face value, makes little logical sense. Beside Doug Murray, he's the Habs slowest starting blue liner, which matches up very badly against the Rangers speedy forwards. Fully expect Vigneault and company to do line matching to the extreme whenever Bouillon and his defensive Mike Weaver, take a shift.

- Game Three hero Dustin Tokarski will be asked one more time, to deliver an excellent performance tonight, which is mandatory if the Habs are to stand a reasonable chance of evening the series. Tokarski as we know, was excellent on Thursday night, and his post-game comments were very impressive in how calm he maintained his demeanor. Still, you have to believe that Tokarski, at his age and experience, must be feeling some pretty tremendous pressure - his ability to overcome the focus of five million hopeful fans in Quebec will, more than anything, determine whether he can play the role of hero one more time tonight.

- Michael Bournival also starts tonight for the suspended Brandon Prust, which I think is a significant blessing in disguise. Bournival brings so much more to the table against an opponent like the Rangers, in that he's got tremendous speed, and has proven himself a far more effective checking forward than Prust. I fully expect the Habs to be better in generating more turnovers, and holding their own at centre ice, tonight.

- Speaking of Prust and his suspension, Derek Stepan, who someone sustained a broken jaw after taking a no head contact hit, will not play tonight, which won't be an easy spot to fill for the Rangers offense. They won't be as fast, or as skilled tonight.

- The three day break between games, I believe, were of greater benefit to the Rangers, the extra time allowing them to compose themselves after a disappointing Game Three loss. This is a series very much determined by momentum, and the 72 hour separation didn't do the Habs any favors towards capitalizing against a (somewhat) reeling opponent. If the Canadiens were to win game four, then the Rangers would almost certainly be fit to be tied, the Habs would be heavy favorites to win this series in 6 or 7 games.

Puck drops at 8:10 EST.