Game 1, Eastern Conference Quarter Finals
Rangers at Canadiens -7:00 PM MSG, NBCSN (if you’re out of town), 98.7 FM. Online streaming is available on nbcsportss.com or the NBC Sports app (cable subscription required and may be blacked out locally).
The playoffs are finally here. After watching three weeks of a second preseason, our heroes finally play a meaningful game. All of the talking is over. It’s time to see how the many “ifs” are answered. You can read my preview on the previous thread. You can read Carp’s preview here.
This is the first legitimate “Go Time” post that we’ve had in probably three months. Clearly, this is an HAV.
Tonight’s probable lineup for the Rangers, via Matt Calamia (@mattcalamia):
Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Mats Zuccarello
Jimmy Vesey-Mika Zibanejad-Rick Nash
Michael Grabner-Kevin Hayes-JT Miller
Tanner Glass-Oscar Lindberg-Jesper Fast
DEFENSE
Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Marc Staal-Nick Holden
Brady Skjei-Brendan Smith
The big news of course is that Kevin Klein and Pavel Buchnevich find themselves as healthy scratches in favor of trade-deadline acquisition Brendan Smith and late season AHL call-up Tanner Glass, respectively. While I’m not a fan of either Smith or Glass, I would imagine both guys are on short leashes, Smith in particular. Henrik Lundqvist obviously gets the start. Here’s hoping he can find his old form.
For the Canadiens, Max Pacioretty, who had to be helped off the ice during yesterday’s practice after taking a high stick, seems to be recovered and will play. Slow footed Alexei Emelin will be out with an injury. Talented young forward Alex Galchenyuk will start on the 4th line, but will see PP time. Carey Price obviously starts in goal.
For those of you watching on channels other than MSG (i.e. NBCSN), I hope you aren’t sick of seeing Kreider crash into Price in 2014, because you’re about to see it more times than you’ll care to remember, broken down frame by frame like the Zapruder film. Kreider’s leg goes back, and to the left. Back, and to the left.
I’m sure MSG will show it a couple of times as well, but definitely less.
Don’t forget to tell everyone you know and to follow me on Twitter @rangersreport2. And don’t forget to vote!
[polldaddy poll=”9569860″]
693 responses to “Rangers at Canadiens… It’s Go Time!”
Stop Foregliding!!!! Geez!!!
Pure tripping!!!
BGG baby!!
B.G.G.
CAN I GET A LGR CHANT UP IN THIS BIYATCH?!
ALL OF YOU! TYPE LGR!
NOW!
Rangers SUPERB in-zone this period. Need 4-5 more minutes, and then les Habs have to gamble.
Too much time in our zone. Need to make some plays and move the puck.
LGR!!!!
When will the 2 quick ones come.
Don’t forget to vote!!!!
LGR !!!
The 4th line has been excellent in this game.
LET’S GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!
Once AGAIN- pulling up on the forecheck…. I don’t get it!
LETS GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lindberg is having an amazing game. Glass, too.
Does it worry anyone else that the rangers best player on the ice is Tanner Glass.
nash playing scared – cant’ get puck out of zone – take a hit big boy!
LGR!
Anyone having blog loading issues or is it just me, again….
So far Rangers successfully clogged middle and north of own zone. For how long?
Give us freakin’ bounce, hockey gods!
LETS GO MF RANGERS!!!
Kalinka Malinka Kalinka Moya!
And Rick Nash or Holden are going to be the death of Henrik.
Hank’s having a pretty decent game I think…..
Jinxing everything and everyone, I’ll just say it: Lundqvist has made mostly good plays with the puck tonight. [runs away.]
I want 2 def on the pp now.
Now SCORE you idiots!!!!!!!!
Big Game Smith?
A delightful oppor……ah, never mind.
Smith with the plekanek
Smith with the Plekanec
If the ref didn’t call that trip right in front of him I would have been done for the series.
They better play this one conservatively. I don’t wanna see any stupid defensive gaffes here.
Took a minute for the ref to call it…
WHoa Booby lol. vibin’
Better give up this PP just for scratched 2 min of time.
AND COMING UP …OUR POWER PLAY BROUGHT TO YOU BY NASCAR…PASS…PASS…PASS…PASS…PASS…PASS..
Danault did NOT have to do that–refs DYING not make that call, but he gave them no choice. Dubious Opportunity. (Though a 2-D, safety-first DO might not be the worst idea. No shorties.)
E.A.T. M.E. P.R.I.C.E.!!!
Nash with a strong 3rd period (s)
Norm – i was going to post that; much, much better decision with puck. Praise progress
JamesG you spelled it better!
Bobby and James, that was kinda creepy!
THESE RANGERS ARE MAKING ME THIRSTY!
McD in not really good on PP…
…Never was for some reason.
KEEP AWAY
Is THE palying tonight?!
I don’t care if we win this by a decimal point….a win would be huge.
Foxwood final 4, coming up!
Tanner effing Glass..UNASSISTED …stay the F away from me I’ll do it myself
LOL, Mama. Booby I cheated. I checked the spelling.
As encouragingly good was PK this game, PP is dangerously bad.
McD not having his best game. Lot of teammates are, though. Staal and Girardi arrived in Montreal in a time machine.
Bos 1 Ott 1
Pit 3 CBJ 0
I looked forward to this game for weeks yet I don’t seem to be enjoying it.
Socks are off, bout to start going to town on the little piggy nails.
dare I say Lundqvist too, Norm
Da boys are gonna be sore tomorrow. Nice to have a day off.
S.C.R.U. W.E.B.E.R.
Nails biting time!!
I have my playoff beard growing below the belt. Imagine what it’ll be like mid-June God-willing?
BAD icing. Dang it.
God damn icing whyyy
Just don’t screw up and do something stupid…please!!!!!!!
Another one. C’mon, fellas.
Dumb icing by Nash
Just DONT PANIC! No matter what…
HeadZ Z t op
Nothing better than PO hockey. Just slightly more intense than the last 10 games this year. Slightly. (S).
Lindberg, Girardi, Glass for me. Hank didn’t actually have that much to do, though he did it when he had to.
Empty netter suckas@!
Grabby EN!
40!
Grabber just closed the border!!!!!
Yes!!!!!!!L!L Jamba hartnelling Yahtzee !!!!!!
GRAB that game 1! WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Grabby was due!
Grabs Yeah baby!!!!!!!
YAHTZEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We got this one!
C.OCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!!
Staal also superb, Fast as well.
That a boy grabs
I called Glass, Grabner, and JT as the goal scorers. 2 out 3 ain’t bad.
You’re the bestest, Jesper.
BGG – say my name!
Wow…..just wow….in my head they are saluting me!!!
Nacho libre lightweights
Zuc Gorilla!
SN – Nobody messes with Big Game Glass!!
Henk, Tanner, Oscar in that order
.
HM – Grabber and Girardi
Grabner by the Pu….. Gallagher!!
Ok, now I’m kinda enjoying it.
I don’t want to hear any more soft-Rangers crap after this, win or lose. I will, though. Can’t keep a good narrative down 🙂
BGG is the man! Say my name!!
BGG – “say my name mutha******”
The Montreal sweep has been cancelled!
Can’t win em all if you don’t win the first !
Ole, Ole, Ole Ole…
RANGERS WIN RANGERS WIN RANGERS WIN!!!
Glass, Hank, JT
Lundqvist = ELITE.
So….you’re sayin’ there’s chance?
Well done boys. LGR!!
SHUT OUT!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!! Excellent way to start the series….I am exhausted and it’s only night one…..
HUGE win. Vintage Hank. But mark my words someones going to get hurt in this series
15 more!
Are you the Glass man?
Hank just sh_t all over his doubters and I LOVE it.
Montreal is not the LA kings – most of their ‘tough’ forward don’t weigh over 175 lbs.
.
Won and didn’t play great; Henk played well, didn’t cash in on PPs.
.
Survive and thrive baby
How bout Hank last two playoff games against Montreal: 2-0, 0.00 gaa, 1.000 save %.
I’m getting personalized license plates when I move back up north next month—->GLASSMAN. Hopefully the DMV won’t screw it up
fekin ayyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And I got an early alarm….catch up with the post game commentary tomorrow…..happy niters all and LGR!
I have it LQ Glass, Grabner.
Ironically, the second period was their best.
Best defensive team effort in a long time…great win and liking this 4th line
Gotta find a way to put a few past Price in this series though.
4th Line! Yes!
Grabner?
Rangers forward depth was supposed to be a thing going in. And sure enough, even with mere 4th line minutes, that line made the difference, and not only with the goal.
Henrik flicks it!
LQ, Glass, Quickie. Simple as that.
BOS 2 OTT 1 Final
PIT 3 CBJ 0 so far.
Can you guys believe there are people who, while born and raised in NY choose to, of their own free will, be habs fans. I think they are spies, not sure but probably.
I work with one, perhaps one of the most annoying men I know, top three for sure. Any who, had the boys lost, I may have had to choke him out. So really for his sake, tonight’s game was a Must Win. Funny how things work out.
Headzo – GLASSMAN plates, lol.
How about my boy Tanner! 4th line all night was the best, strongest forecheck
Agree, Coos… Glass and Fast were great and both contributed to this win on the ice and on the board.
Coos –word up. You know E3 has the other plates!
methinx glass may verywell make everyone forget the name gretzky
The best takeaway from this game, besides the W, is a little confidence boost for the King winning in the usual house of horrors.
if born in ny and root for the habs you and your family deserve death..give me his name and address i’ll make it slow and send you pics…please
Rangers put them to sleep in the third, great period.
AV, picking at his crack: “I thought that Tanner brought us a bit of energy, and… (picks at crack) I thought Quickie gave us some nice minutes.”
I’m so happy.
100 overall hits and #21 and #13 missed out on the fun as usual.
I just love the doubt that is running through all the habs fans heads.
..but Kevin Weekes said the habs were sure to win tonight.
Screw le habs
I saw Hayes hit a guy in the third. D-zone, top corner boards.
What’s the HAV record btw?
Kenny and Dave say team that wins 1st game wins almost 70% of series. Lose first game and your odds are a measly 30%.
Haze should get traded to Vegas where he can say ‘Hit Me’ over and over.
Larry Robinson likes Gladiator movies!
The Big Russian Kid from America that the Habs have on their 4th line sure looks like a “change of scenery” candidate this summer.
You cannot speak French and expect to be a world power.
Wee
Wee wee
Is there another 8 million dollar + guy in this league who is fouled so often as Nash with no call?
wow still wound up.. had my Flyers fan neighbor over for the game.. at least he hates the Habs more so did not add to the three periods of 1-0 tension. Wonder if NYR can lobby to get the first four games in MTL?
Did anybody see Chris tonight? Need better. At least Zuc did his best Avery impression.
Marc Andre the flower having a night at three rivers stadium.
Vote vote vote
Now it’s on to Chicago and let’s win there.
Kinda disappointed in our top guys tonight… Zika, Krieder, Steps, Haze all took a day off.
This morning’s debate on the 12th man is looking a little… off. The thinking was that if the 12th man was under any kind of serious consideration, the Rangers were in trouble. Or that if it was such a minor position, why not play Buchnevich. Both notions, which I agreed with in large part, were WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. Maybe AV knows what he’s doing, perhaps knows even more than we do. Maybe.
I’ll take those 20 Step minutes any time. Solid defensive center.
Just caught up on dvr’d game….woo falking hoo!!! Love the physicality…love it! Scrums after whistles, great great hockey!
–
I voted hated, opg, and glass…in no particular order.
–
HM to beat wide, who played a very physical game finally, good for him.
That was mind blowing. Tanner Glass with the gwg and Hank with the shutout after everyone had him dead and buried. Seeing him actually giggle in the post game interview when they showed his reaction after taking one of Weber’s shots off his head was priceless.
Hank – Glass – Zucc, in that order.
You can argue who’s better between Lundqvist/Price all you want, but Lundqvist has NEVER given up a goal to Tanner Glass in the playoffs.
Glass/Machine/G for me HL gets the HM
Everybody survive?
Anybody think Buchnevich should have played?
AV’s an idiot.
Rangers intimidated.
Hank, Glass, Zuuuuucccccc! He’s like the Energizer bunny. He took a beating and kept on going.
I think Holden should wear a Canadiens jersey next game so the Rangers can realize where his passes are going.
4th line was plenty special tonight.
TAM also pitching a shutout but it’s early….
pitching.
That’s a possibility EV. He won’t be wearing a Ranger jersey in game 2, I’m fairly certain.
How did everybody miss this little fact?:
I was quiet all night because I didn’t want to jinx them. Fast showed why the coaches love him on the clear to Grabner for the EN goal. Holden made some awful clears but they survived. We got 60 minutes tonight. Danny G looked fresh and Stahl won some battles. VC looke ok fo rhis first playoff game. PP goal would have helped but can live with that as long as the PK works. The King ( no Shampoo Boy tonight) Mister Tanner and the Machine- in that order.
Gallagher is a punk thru and thru.
Well that kinda puts a dent in the whole “Hank can’t play in Montreal” thing.
I don’t know, Dave. AV doesn’t normally like to change a lineup after a win. And De-Klein hasn’t exactly been Brian Leetch.
Well of course he hasn’t been Leetch, he’s a righty…
Who got the Broadway hat?
True Carp. Klein’s not THAT un-deserving a scratch…sure it’s a bit of a numbers game, but he was probably a solid choice as least-solid-of-the-4-right-siders. I just thought that Holden was objectively bad, and didn’t do much that factored into the win.
But yeah…it’s AV. Keeping a winning lineup is both his MO and not a bad rule of thumb anyhow.
I forget, does somebody owe me a Walter’s double now? or do I owe somebody? Or what? Cause I’m up for it.
I thought Holden had two (obviously) atrocious turnovers, and maybe one or two other bad plays. But he as also physical in front of the net and along the wall and that counts for something.
Also, if you’re benching guy for two turnovers, how many games would Miller or Zuccarello or Vesey sit out?
What is that?
I painted my face.
You painted your face?
Yeah.
Why?
You know, support the team.
Well, you can’t walk around like that.
Why not?
Because it’s insane?
Hey, you gotta let them know you’re out there, this is the playoffs.
Holden played some very good defense tonight. He was also philanthropic with the puck the first two periods. Better in the third.
Vibin’ Carp.
hey look at me I’m on the innernet
“I don’t know, Dave. AV doesn’t normally like to change a lineup after a win. And De-Klein hasn’t exactly been Brian Leetch.”
Unless of course it’s after a game 2 win against the pens last season in the first round 😉
As you can see, clearly this is not my face.
I usual score turnovers by defensemen as more negatively impactful (at least generally) than forward turnovers. Of course it depends on the turnover.
I don’t remember, Wick? Was it an injured guy coming back?
Jimmy is on right now.
Kathryn Tappen is easy to stare at
Z pack and zucc took some shots tonight…wow.
–
Onions game most definitely
I can’t watch a man sing a song
Carp
Yeah, I don’t think that was it 😉
Ricardo – you can’t spell Turnovers without an N A S H
You remember Mr Thirsty
Nash had 4 turnovers, in his own zone, on the same shift. He was terrible.
Markov bought the Marchand pitchfork instructional tape I see..what a coward
Tap that
Zucc 20+ minutes of dispelling playoff-disappearance theme. It’s not always points-for in these things, and he played some excellent points-against tonight.
(And he made a dirty play on a dirty guy.)
(And he made a dirty play on a dirty guy.)
our power play was atrocious tonight we absolutely got away with having a 5 on 3 and not knowing where to go what to do or who was going to eventually send the puck on net shot selection was awful twice
but i’m happier than the velvet fog
PP was horrid tonight. Minute plus on a 5 on 3???? That was their too Bueno.
As long as our pk plays well, I can live with a sub par power play….for now
Not too Bueno –
Who got the hat? Big Game Glass or Hank?
hank got the hat E3
E3’s favorite Western player: Can-or McDavid.
Did someone mention Mel Torme?
When you’re smiling, when you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you …
seriously, Wick. I don’t remember the lineup changes after Game 2.
This Minny – Blues game is nuts 🥜
Is it nuttier than Steinbrenner negotiating with Tyler Chicken for Costanza?
Parise’s kid ties it with 20 seconds to go
Ricardo – The Wrath came out after playing in game 2 last year vs Pitt. The only game our sexy boys won had The Wrath on D.
SN / Minn StL has been a great game, OT now.
The stop on Shea Weber ( high shortside glove) on the PK was awesome!!!
Hank looked real good tonight.
how many minutes did the wrath play in game 2. oh i know 9 minutes.
how many teams picked him up on waivers (twice) this year. oh i know ZERO
ps sorry Craig.
home teams 1-4 tonight.
i can’t even imagine this place if we did what Edmonton did tonight in losing a 2-0 lead.
wicky will love this
Darren DregerVerified account @DarrenDreger
McLellan says some of his players were looking for home run plays (too fancy), but says their batting average in game 1 was pretty low.
Alex – still think TB can beat the penguins? No? Me either!
Not sure why you have such a hard on over The Wrath. I was merely responding to Carp’s statement that the lineup was changed last year after game 2.
E3
ton of injuries for tampa. simple as that
re the wrath. much ado about nothing. receives too much credit from people like you re the one win last year. proof in pudding. put on waivers twice and nobody went near him. that says it all.
Everyone has injuries. Poor excuse.
AV doesnt like to change players after a win
Question was asked, did the Rangers’ lineup change after last year’s game 2?
Answer: yes it did. Wrath came out.
Much ado about nothing. Why your eyes cross every time someone mentions the Wrath is a bit strange. The inverse of man love.
there is no reason to mention mclrath. you and others brought him up not me, but i will say you are delusional if you think mcilrath had anything to do with the one win. it certainly seems you see it as cause and effect though.
you’ve got to be kidding if you minimize tampas injuries. many top players for long periods including the captain.
Good morning Boneheads! Coffee always taste better after a win. Hank was great last night hope he stays focused and can keep it up. Rangers need him to be at his best. I think I’m going to have to add MTL time my list of hated teams Ole Ole Ole!
Good morning all! I’m still fired up…..whoever voted Hank, Glass and Zucc with me was right on the money….
After watching Gallagher act like a jackwagon, I know know how other fans felt like watching Avery clown it up when he was a Ranger.
Saw an interesting stat this morning. The Habs are 1-11 (I think that was it, flashed by too quickly) in playoff series when they are shutout in Game 1. Of course, that only means something if this particular Habs team went 1-11.
Most important take away from last night is the Rangers held on to road-ice advantage. 🙂