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New York is in pursuit of their fourth Presidents’ Trophy, however that’s typically the kiss of loss of life for gassed groups come playoff time.
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With two consecutive defeats on house ice towards Tampa Bay and Toronto this week, and with the season winding down and no playoffs of their rapid future, it might have been simple to recommend the Canadiens have packed it in.
Nevertheless, Sunday evening at Madison Sq. Backyard towards the New York Rangers, Montreal performed a spirited recreation, matching the Broadway Blueshirts stride for stride by two intervals — and this regardless of Montreal taking part in its second recreation in 24 hours.
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Say what you’ll about this group and its lack of offensive aptitude past the highest line, however it would by no means stop below head coach Martin St. Louis. That’s a commendable high quality to own shifting ahead. And, now, it’s as much as normal supervisor Kent Hughes to seek out options to the quite a few issues.
Watch out what you want for: The Rangers are in pursuit of their fourth Presidents’ Trophy — awarded to the group with essentially the most regular-season factors — in franchise historical past. However that has been the kiss of loss of life lately for almost all of groups who’re left with little gasoline within the tank come playoff time.
No group has received the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup for the reason that Chicago Blackhawks in 2013. Final season, Boston was eradicated by Florida within the first spherical, whereas, in 2022, the Panthers misplaced within the second spherical. And the Bruins additionally fell within the second spherical in 2020.
It’s good to be assured home-ice benefit all through the playoffs. Not so good when your gamers are sitting at house when the chalice is received.
Information you want (Half I): The Canadiens have a 1-11-0 document within the second half of back-to-back video games — their solely victory coming Dec. 22, 5-2, at Chicago towards one of many league’s worst groups. For these questioning, that win gave Montreal a 15-13-5 document. Since then? Not so good.
Highway to the Cup
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Milestones: Joel Armia was taking part in the five hundredth recreation of his profession on Sunday evening — one thing the group’s nominee for the Invoice Masterton trophy may need puzzled he’d attain earlier this season after being demoted twice to the AHL’s Laval Rocket. His teammate, Cole Caufield, was taking part in his 2 hundredth recreation. Caufield opened the scoring for Montreal late within the opening interval.
Information you want (Half II): The Rangers’ victory was their 53rd this season, matching the franchise document established in 2014-15. New York is now 28-10-0 on house ice and has received 13 of its final 16 at MSG. When the Rangers enable two or fewer targets, their document is 36-1-0. And after they rating 4 or extra, they’re 32-0-1. This win was their twenty seventh come-from-behind triumph. Yeah, they’re fairly good.
The hype was for naught: Many anticipated a heavyweight slugfest between Michael Pezzetta and 6-foot-7, 241-pound Matt Rempe. Whereas they bodily got here collectively within the first interval, neither got here near dropping their gloves. The actual fact Pezzetta fought, and misplaced, Saturday to Toronto lunkhead Ryan Reaves may need entered into the equation.
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Unusual, however true (Half I): Nick Suzuki has performed the Rangers 12 instances in his profession, but remains to be in search of his first objective towards them. It wasn’t an excellent evening for the Canadiens’ captain. He didn’t generate a shot on objective, whereas dropping 13 of 18 faceoffs.
He deserved a greater destiny: Cayden Primeau got here on in aid of Samuel Montembeault on Saturday towards the Maple Leafs within the second interval and stopped 18 photographs and didn’t enable a objective. Primeau stopped 25 extra — 16 alone within the first interval — earlier than being crushed by Mika Zibanejad on the ability play at 12:31 of the second interval. The shot deflected off Armia, or Primeau may need stopped that one as properly. With 41 stops, Primeau’s save share was .911.
Dangerous penalty: Juraj Slafkovsky took an offensive-zone infraction, tripping the splendidly named Kaapo Kakko. Ten seconds later, Zibanejad scored.
Faceoff of the evening: Vincent Trocheck beat Jake Evans, starting the sequence that led to the above objective.
Information you want (Half III): New York head coach Peter Laviolette, who has led three totally different groups to the Cup last, received for the 805th time on Sunday. That’s second amongst energetic coaches, trailing solely Florida’s Paul Maurice (865).
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If he had any luck: Snake-bitten Josh Anderson, caught on eight targets this season — and none since March 2 — was arrange in entrance within the last minute of the second interval. Predictably, he whiffed on the shot.
Information you want (Half IV): Chris Kreider’s power-play objective early within the third interval was the 109th of his profession, shifting him into second place, forward of Rod Gilbert, in franchise historical past. Camille Henry (116) leads.
When it rains it pours: Barely greater than two minutes after Kreider scored, Artemi Panarin made it 3-1 for New York.
Cross of the evening: Mike Matheson, from simply contained in the Canadiens’ blueline, to Alex Newhook, who scored on a breakaway at 12:13 of the ultimate interval, making it 3-2 and offering the Canadiens with some short-lived life.
Don’t take penalties: The Rangers went 2-for-3 on the ability play.
Information you want (Half V): That is solely the second time within the storied Canadiens’ franchise historical past the group has missed the playoffs three successive seasons.
They mentioned it: “I felt good,” Primeau informed reporters in New York following the sport. “It’s a troublesome constructing to return into, particularly on a back-to-back after taking part in an excellent group (Saturday) evening. I simply tried to offer the group the most effective alternative to win. They’re an excellent group. Going into the third interval (tied) 1-1 is sweet for us. On the finish of the day we wish to be competing towards these groups and beating them.”
“Actually, I felt we did a fairly good job all through the sport,” Justin Barron, who was recalled from Laval on Saturday on an emergency foundation, informed the media in New York. “Our first interval I believed was actually good. The consequence’s disappointing. I wish to present (administration) the enhancements I made in Laval, show to them I generally is a common within the NHL.”
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
twitter.com/HerbZurkowsky1
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