New York Rangers

ECQF: Gm 2: NYR-MTL, Rangers look to take 2-0 lead in the series
April 14, 2017, 11:10 AM ET [331 Comments]
Jan Levine
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The Rangers look for a 2-0 series tonight in Montreal. Behind 31 saves from Henrik Lundqvist, a surprisingly goal by Tanner Glass and stout defensive play, New York won 2-0 Wednesday. Following today's game, the Rangers and Canadiens will meet Sunday in game 3.

Scheduling update: obviously out of the box tonight for the Sabbath, so new blog will be up Saturday night or Sunday am. Then out for the last two days of Passover starting Sunday night until Tuesday night. If anyone wants to do a Game 2 recap blog, a Game 3 recap blog and/or a Game 4 preview blog, please let me know before about 6pm today.

I didn't get to post it before the series started, but here was The Hockey News preview:




Some believe New York comes into this game playing with house money, A "surprising" win Wednesday already has given the Rangers the split desired when you go on the road. That would be 1000% the wrong attitude to have and not one that exists in the Rangers' locker room. In the playoffs, nothing can be taken for granted. If you have a chance to grab a hold and control of a series, you do it. If you have a chance to close a team out, take advantage of that chance, because one momentum turn can change the course and outcome of a series.

Carp alluded to this on twitter Wednesday night, stating a fact we know all too well: "Since this "run" began in 2012, NYR are 2-13 in games after taking a series lead. They've led 2 series by 2 games (MON '14, PIT '15)." New York has historically failed to take control of a series, letting teams work their way back in rather than putting the hammer down. When they have won, the extra effort required came back to haunt them in the future. Look at the series against LA, as the team was beaten down. Same with Tampa Bay in 2015, as the lack of freshness due to extra games also could be seen at times. Why make what is already insanely hard, even harder. Grab a 2-0 lead to allow yourself to have wiggle room.

Second, the Rangers had the worse home record of any playoff team. Even if they go up 2-0, what's your confidence level at MSG. Magnify by that if the series is tied 1-1 and you see why winning this game may be just as important as Game 1, therefore making tonight's contest not about house money but about securing victory and series control.

A few keys:

- New York needs to keep Montreal in the center of the ice, as they did in Game 1, preventing the Haps from beating them wide. The Canadiens may look to chip and charge, forcing the slower Rangers' D men like Girardi and Staal into foot races, which doesn't play to the Rangers' strength.
- When they get a chance to clear it, especially on the PK, the puck must up out of the zone, Way too often, the puck made it to the line, not out, giving the Canadiens extra chances.
- Defense and discipline - maintain your lanes, don't have two chase the puck behind the net, cover the slot areas. All those were on display Wednesday and need to be repeated tonight.
- Continue to let Hank see the puck. Lundqvist had great sight lines, enabling him to follow and track the puck with no impediments. When he does that, like most goalies, he is difficult to beat. Keep the forwards to the side and not in front and when blocking a shot, going full on not sideways are additional keys.
- Don't look for the perfect shot. Get pucks to the net and use the cycle to create room. When New York was rolling in the second period, that's what they were doing. It resulted in several good chances, more of that needs to occur tonight.

The lines tonight should be the same as Wednesday. while the bottom six, especially the fourth in limited minutes carried the team, not the burden needs to be on the bigger boys to get the job done. That includes the Mike Zibanejad and Rick Nash, who weren't bad, but didn't create any "Grade A" chances. Plus, the third member of that line - Jimmy Vesey - was the most notable component of that trio in his playoff debut.


Two-thirds of the 1A or 1B line - Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider- also need to make more of an impact. Mats Zuccarello - or Fratello - played as if he had a target on his back throughout the game. Montreal seems to have the view on punishing Zucc more than any other player with the hope that he wilts until that attack. If that's their plan, the picked the wrong player to target. Zucc won't give any quarter, if he didn't change his style after the devastating accident in the Pittsburgh series, expecting him to do so now is a major mistake.

On the blue line, it will be the same three pairings. Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi, despite G's poor Corsi numbers, weee solid. The same can be said and then some for Brady Skjei and Brendan Smith, as Smit may have had his best game as a Ranger. The third pairing of Marc Staal and Nick Holden was the weakest. Holden is clearly on a very small leash.

We all thought that Kevin Klein, scratched in Game 1, was next in line. That may not be the case. From reading AV's comments yesterday, Steven Kampfer, on the verge of signing a two-year extension, might be the next man up, bypassing Klein and Adam Clendening. When discussing Klein and Kampfer, Vigneault said: “I’m not sure I would want to call that a short leash. But I would say that because we have seven experienced defensemen — and I would say to you to some extent, Kampfer coming in and playing as strong as he did with his skating ability — it gives us options."

Pete said in his comments yesterday that maybe New York is traveling a bit under the radar. No one has really predicted a long for this team. In the past three of so years, especially 2012-2015, expectations and predictions were very high for this club. If they weren't the front runner, they were one of a select view to get that moniker. Now, that is not the case. Good, let them be an underdog, be taken a bit for granted and sneak up in teams. Everyone loves an underdog, maybe having that status will help dampen the expectations of the rapid faithful and provide some positive vibes if they do make the run many of hope they will. Rather than what we have seen whereby all they seem to get from the fan base is anger and criticism.

Playoff Schedule:

Montreal (A1) vs. New York (WC1)

G1 Wed., April 12 NY Rangers 2 Montreal 0, Rangers lead series 1-0
G2 Fri., April 14 NY Rangers @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, USA, CBC, TVA
G3 Sun., April 16 Montreal @ NY Rangers, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA G4 Tue., April 18 Montreal @ NY Rangers, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, NBCSN, CBC, TVA
G5* Thu., April 20 NY Rangers @ Montreal, TBD, TBD
G6* Sat., April 22 Montreal @ NY Rangers, TBD, TBD
G7* Mon., April 24 NY Rangers @ Montreal, TBD, TBD