Series Thread: Round 3 vs. the NY Rangers

[BigTed3]

Round 3 ECF: Montreal Canadiens vs. New York Rangers

Season Series:

Oct 28, 2013: Mtl 2 - NYR 0

Nov 16, 2013: NYR 1 - Mtl 0

Apr 12, 2014: NYR 0 - Mtl 1 (OT)

The last time these two teams met, the Habs needed a Brian Gionta penalty shot in OT to seal the deal. These two teams have played the season series close and they've played some low-scoring games. Both of these teams made high-profile acquisitions near the deadline, Vanek for the Habs and St. Louis for the Rags. Both have top-tier goalies. Will the Habs prevail and do what they couldn't do 4 years ago: make their first Cup finals since 1993?

[Guest]

The best part of meeting the Rangers is that we're relatively healthy coming out of that Bruin series. No major injuries to report and Chuckie has to be close.

[BigTed3]

The best part of meeting the Rangers is that we're relatively healthy coming out of that Bruin series. No major injuries to report and Chuckie has to be close.

Definite chance of getting Galchenyuk back. I'm sure the guys are more banged up than they were coming out of Tampa with a long rest afterwards, but that's playoff hockey. Rags have had a little bit of a tougher road there, but they're also in relatively decent health. It should be a good series, but I like to think that like Boston, this is a team whose number we've had over the past few years. Hopefully that can continue.

[Kindred]

Round 3 ECF: Montreal Canadiens vs. New York Rangers

Season Series:

Oct 28, 2013: Mtl 2 - NYR 0

Nov 16, 2013: NYR 1 - Mtl 0

Apr 12, 2014: NYR 0 - Mtl 1 (OT)

The last time these two teams met, the Habs needed a Brian Gionta penalty shot in OT to seal the deal. These two teams have played the season series close and they've played some low-scoring games. Both of these teams made high-profile acquisitions near the deadline, Vanek for the Habs and St. Louis for the Rags. Both have top-tier goalies. Will the Habs prevail and do what they couldn't do 4 years ago: make their first Cup finals since 1993?

i REALLY REALLY wanted the Pens. I think the Habs could have taken them in 5. the Rangers? they match up very well against us . I literally want t puke when I see McDonagh i want to puke because I am reminded that he could have been playing for us.

If we play like game 6 against the Boooinnnss, we will take this in 5. If we play like we did in game 5 aginst the boooiinns>???? i expect this to go the to the Rags in 5

[Guest habs1952]

Habs in 4!!!

[hwy19man]

Game 1 on Saturday at 1000h Pacific/1300h Eastern

Ron MacLean mentioned the rest on HNIC.

Game 2 on Monday

Game 3 on Thursday at MSG

Game 4 on Saturday at MSG

[HabsRuleForever]

Round three, no light-less bolts, no flightless birds & no gutless bears around.

[BigTed3]

Round three, no light-less bolts, no flightless birds & no gutless bears around.

It's been a crazy playoffs, as it was the last time we were in this position in 2010... if you look at the top of the NHL regular season standings, most of the top-tier ones are gone: Bruins, Pens, Blues, Sharks, Lightning, Avalanche. The Ducks are the highest-ranked team left and a lot of experts had them bowing out early. Chicago and LA are playoff-experienced teams, but at the very least in the ECF, we get a team that hasn't had a recent Cup run either. It'll be based on head-to-head, even up hockey, not which team has been there before and knows how to work the ropes.

[hwy19man]

Game 4 will be at 1700h Pacific/2000h Eastern.

NBC will broadcast Saturday afternoon games on May 17-18, and on Saturday, May 24 at 8 p.m. ET in primetime.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/04/02/nbc-sports-group-to-televise-every-stanley-cup-playoff-game/250625/

[habs_93]

The New York Rangers are a solid, well-constructed team from top to bottom. High-end talent. Loads of depth. One of the best goaltenders in the world. Experienced coaching. Strong veterans and promising rookies. This is an entirely different animal.

I really don't see how Douglas Murray, Francis Bouillon, and Travis Moen can safely see any ice time in this series. We need tight, fast, high-end play from the drop of the puck to the final whistle in every single game. New York WILL take advantage of players like that, and we CANNOT choose to disadvantage ourselves. We'll need Beaulieu, and I think we'll need Galchenyuk, too.

[Manatee-X]

My biggest worry here is that we'll see a bit of an emotional let-up after this super charged Boston series. I mean it's still the playoffs and I don't think that they're just going to roll over for NY or anything, but if the Habs take them lightly, even for just a game, it could mean the difference between winning and losing.

[kinot-1]

I picked the Habs in 5, because Carey will outplay Lundqvist ,and our Habs are determined.

[habs_93]

My biggest worry here is that we'll see a bit of an emotional let-up after this super charged Boston series. I mean it's still the playoffs and I don't think that they're just going to roll over for NY or anything, but if the Habs take them lightly, even for just a game, it could mean the difference between winning and losing.

The phrase "opportunistic" has been thrown around a lot to describe this year's Habs team. At times it's just been a lazy journalism code phrase. But if we're being honest, it works in description of the Rangers, too. They're going to notice flaws and push. Vigneault is a great coach and he has a real good roster. Boston may have been a better team overall, but the Rangers don't have the Habs baggage that the Bruins did. Therrien cannot rest on his laurels and revert to failed lineups and strategies. The power play has to be better, too.

[ColRouleBleu]

My biggest worry here is that we'll see a bit of an emotional let-up after this super charged Boston series. I mean it's still the playoffs and I don't think that they're just going to roll over for NY or anything, but if the Habs take them lightly, even for just a game, it could mean the difference between winning and losing.

You could say the same thing for the Rangers. Their series against the Pens was highly emotional too.

[Guest mrsmarkov]

I say Habs in 5. I think the Habs will win both games at home and then they split it at MSG, then come home and win. Though Henrik is one of the greatest goalies, I predict he will have a tough time. He's going to need to adjust because honestly when was the last time he played at the Bell Centre? It's been a while. Every time the Rangers come to town he sits on the bench due to his poor numbers in Montreal. Considering that it's the playoffs, Vigneault wont be looking at the stats and he will obviously be in goal. I think we got this. My biggest concern is St. Louis...plus he will want to play even better since he will be home.

[vegasrick]

I don't think this series will go seven games by any means. It could actually turn out more like the Tampa Bay series, where we thought it was a pretty even match, but the end result sure didn't make it look that way.

Of course, the Rangers have their star goalie whereas TB did not. But I watched several of the Rangers' games in these playoffs, and at times, they look like the worst team still playing. I think they may have looked better than they are because Pittsburgh's defense was simply awful, and Fleury was even worse than that.

What makes this matchup interesting is:

A. Lots of ex-Habs on the Rangers' team: Benoit Pouliot, Dominic Moore, Ryan McDonagh, Raphael Diaz, and even Coach Alain Vigneault. Imagine.....Diaz and Weise playing each other in the Conference Finals! (If Diaz plays, that is.....)

B. No Rene Raincoat singing murdering the national anthems.

C. Won't be a goon-fest, but instead, a skill-fest. I'm sure there'll be hitting and lots of physical play, but aren't we all glad that the dirty cheap shot slimeballs from Bean Town are eliminated?

D. No Rene Raincoat fist pumps after singing murdering the anthems.

E. Neither team has been to the Stanley Cup Finals in twenty years or more, but one of them will represent the East this season.

F. Won't even have to look at Rene Raincoat.

G. It's an Original Six matchup, with a third Original Six team, the Defending Champion Chicago Blackhawks, still very much in the hunt to represent the West in the Finals.

Is this the Habs' year? I sure hope so. It's been a long time since that first Cup season where I became a fan of both the Montreal Canadiens and the game of hockey. It wouldn't just feel good to see them skate for the Cup again after all this time, it might feel, just for a moment anyway, that all is right with the world.

[dreegking]

The New York Rangers are a solid, well-constructed team from top to bottom. High-end talent. Loads of depth. One of the best goaltenders in the world. Experienced coaching. Strong veterans and promising rookies. This is an entirely different animal.

I really don't see how Douglas Murray, Francis Bouillon, and Travis Moen can safely see any ice time in this series. We need tight, fast, high-end play from the drop of the puck to the final whistle in every single game. New York WILL take advantage of players like that, and we CANNOT choose to disadvantage ourselves. We'll need Beaulieu, and I think we'll need Galchenyuk, too.

I'm not gonna disrespect the Rangers. But we've played them well. I don't appreciate their team as much as I did Boston. Oddly, they are my second most hated team, after the Bruins. What a great play off year for me as a fan.

I think Gally needs to come back, fourth line minutes. In fact, It has to be Briere who comes out. He's been productive but in two game flashes really. It's hard to pull one of the all time playoff greats. But he has also been largely a disappearing act for some games. And everyone else is playing better. If we want Gally, coming off injury, it's a good swap. Gally is better already, as a two way hockey player. More suited to the 4th line than Briere. And still allows us that skilled 6th forward on the power play.

As for Beuiieau. He got 5 minutes of 5 on 5 time. I'd especially say the Bouillion is a better fit as the 6th D. Or TInordi. Especially when it comes to the Rangers. I don't think we will be flipping pucks and dumping and chasing as much against them. More of a normal game plan. Less reliant on speed is fine. MOre savvy. IMO of course.

Go Habs.

[Woodenhhead]

I think we'll get more scoring chances than we had against BOS but it'll be tougher to put the puck past Lundqvist.

[NewfoundlandHab]

Hagelin-Richards-St.Louis

Kreider-Stepan-Nash

Pouliot-Brassard-Zuccarello

Boyle-Moore-Dorsett

McDonagh-Girardi

Staal-Stralman

J.Moore-Klein

Lundqvist

Thats a solid team from top to bottom. Speed, size and skill. We can't under estimate the Rags. Come out flying and try to get this done as early as possible.

Interesting that there are s many players in this series playing against former teams. McDonagh, Moore, Pouliot, Diaz, Prust and AV.

[Larry-Launstein-Jr]

I've picked the Habs in 6 because the Rangers are more of a mirror image of the Canadiens than any team left in this series. And they have a very fine goaltender. Looking at the Rangers D-corps, they look on paper to be slightly weaker than the Habs do, because they lack someone of the ability of Subban. Look to see more out of him than what you saw against Boston.

[careypricefan]

What is the Rangers style of play?

Are they a speed team like us?

[Habs_Hockey_Nutz]

Watched the Rangers vs. Pens... they are on a mission just like the Habs.

It will be a close series IMHO. Two great goalies and talent on both sides of the equation. They play a similar style with speed assets. The Rangers may not play as dirty as the Bruins, but still can play a physical game. At forward the Rangers have 3 players under six feet... the Habs 6. On defense The Rangers have 2 (Diaz/Stralman) under six feet... the Habs 2 also (Weaver/Bouillon). Lundqvist is smaller than Price but Talbot is bigger than Budaj. Both teams have great goaltending overall IMO. So a slight advantage to the Rangers in terms of size.

Habs have home-ice advantage if that really counts for anything.

Key players to watch for the Rangers... Nash, St, Louis, Richards, Zuccarello, Brassard, Pouliot and Moore at forward; McDonagh, Marc Staal "A", Dan Girardi "A"; Lundqvist of course. Brian Boyle could be an x factor because of his size at center and skill on the PK. John Moore is also an x factor to watch on defense. Daniel Carcillo and Derek Dorsett represent the Rangers agitators.

[careypricefan]

Who is a better goalie between Rask and Lunquist?

[77bourque77]

Guess I was a tad slow at getting in the virtual waiting line...didn't take long for those to games to sell out, not surprising considering they sold out the bell center for last night game in boston. Crazy that the prices double as soon as they hit stub hub... molson zone tickets are going for 300$

I think this should be a good series, more or less like round one VS Tbay, better goal tending and defence, but i think we are pretty even up front.

[HabsRuleForever]

I'm not really sure what this series will bring. We just had a huge emotional series but so did they.We have a super goalie, they have a great one. One things for sure, I'm not taking the Rags lightly.