First period
- Cayden Primeau looks as sharp early as he did in relief last night. He makes two early saves.
- Matt Rempe half lands a check on David Savard, and the Madison Square Garden crowd loves it. They start a “Rempe!” chant.
- I think Rempe’s shins may be as long as Cole Caufield is tall.
- Artemiy Panarin tries to outwait Primeau as he pulls the puck across the crease on his backhand, but Primeau keeps his leg out to shut down the angle.
- Seven minutes in, and it’s clear that it’s going to be tough to get any open looks versus the Rangers. Their structure is near perfect.
- But a Justin Barron activation will help, as he gets a rebound shot that just about squeaked through Igor Shesterkin.
- Some screens in front of the net from the third line lead to some more dangerous shots.
- Ryan Lindgren pulls the puck from behind the net and tries to tuck it in before Primeau can react, but the goalie is faster. Michael Pezzetta cross-checks Lindgren in the back trying to prevent the goal, and ends up in the penalty box.
- The Rangers are toying with Montreal’s defence right now. Lots of creative setups.
- Primeau might only have the stamina for another half-game at this rate.
- Alex Newhook sets up Joel Armia, who didn’t get as much on the one-time wrister as he wanted.
- The top line tries to open the scoring, but Juraj Slafkovský’s stick is hit during his windup, and that throws off his shot.
- Montreal has now realized the pace they will need to play with versus New York.
- Mike Matheson fires a shot that glances off the post.
- Cole Caufield is working on his pinball game. He banks one in off of Shesterkin, and now has a four-game goal-scoring streak. He’s three away from a new career high.
- No point for Nick Suzuki, however. He still needs eight more in five games and two periods.
- A bit of a miracle that Montreal is leading after how the first half of that period went, but Cayden Primeau held the fort to allow it to happen. He’s made 34 saves in his past 50 minutes of action.
Second period
- Brendan Gallagher decided to shoot the puck himself on a two-on-one- with Armia, and it just caught the stick of Shesterkin.
- The Rangers hem the Canadiens in their own end while Josh Anderson doesn’t have a stick, but the Habs survive.
- Nick Suzuki angles his stick to turn a rim around the boards into a slot-pass for Slafkovský, and the sophomore nearly converts. A lot of intelligent playmaking from that line.
- The game is beginning to look like the opening part of the first period, with New York holding the majority of the possession. At least the seas aren’t parting in Montreal’s zone this time.
- All Montreal can do it ice the puck. Fortunately, Primeau is looking like vintage Carey Price right now.
- Zibanejad hits the post square, with a loud clank.
- Primeau is playing so well the ref just assumed he had controlled the puck even though it had slipped behind him. He’s only going to get one of those, however.
- Slafkovský tries to peel Caufield checker off of his, and goes to the box for a trip. Not ideal on one of the rare moments in the offensive zone this period.
- And the Rangers tie the game within seconds. Zibanejad has one go off Armia and through Primeau.
- Primeau still has a .962 save percentage in this game.
- There has been no animosity in this game whatsoever, until a couple of hard hits in a scrum in New York’s zone, and now tempers have begun to flare.
- Slafkovský is making some really nice passes on his backhand. It’s catching defenders off-guard on both ends of the play.
- Jake Evans sets up Anderson with a pass from behind the net, but Anderson is ready for the pass. It didn’t help that he didn’t have his stick on the ice and had to swipe at it.
- But Montreal does get a power play later in the shift.
- Newhook fires one off the post.
- No late-period goal this time, but the Canadiens have some PP time to start the third.
- Montreal didn’t win the period, but the score was 1-0 for the Rangers, and not 3-0 or 4-0.
Third period
- Slafkovský holds and fires, and pops the snaps off Shesterkin’s helmet.
- The goalie is trying to pop his jaw back into joint after that blast.
- Primeau may have tweaked something lunging for a save. The danger of playing on back-to-back nights.
- He won’t get a chance to rest as the Rangers go on the power play as Armia’s stick-lift is called a hook.
- Chris Kreider get one of his signature tip-in goals to put the Rangers ahead.
- Two quick power-play goals in this game for New York.
- Matheson and Savard try to direct traffic in their zone. As the do, Alexis Lafrenière and Panarin complete a give-and-go right through them to make it 3-1.
- New York is doing very well to close this game down right now.
- TSN decides to advertise while the play is still gong on, but we didn’t miss any goals.
- Newhook isn’t prepared to see this game become a loss just yet. He gets behind the defence and accepts a zipped pass from Matheson to make it 3-2.
- This game is probably done now as Zibanejad scores his second of the game. It all started from the Canadiens being in full control of the play, but Barron and Anderson fumbles the breakout relay.
- I think St-Louis is sending a message by playing Suzuki at RD.
- The Habs can’t get Primeau out of the net, and that’s a about 30 wasted seconds as they try to launch a comeback.
- They finally get Primeau on the bench, but Lafrenière makes it 5-2 That’s the final.
- Montreal is back in action on Tuesday with a chance to spoil the Philadelphia Flyers’ playoff hopes.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) There are a few upgrades in the pipeline.
2) That rule vote failed 15-17 at the GM’s meetings.
1) He’s going to look good with Kirby Dach next year
