Canadiens vs Rangers Top Six Minutes: Early Exit

For our new readers and community members, the Top Six Minutes is a continuation of the discussion in the game thread. We try to keep it light and entertaining. Full recaps are up the morning after every game.

Pre-game

• It’s Game Six.
• Habs are down 3-2.
• Shaw is out with an upper-body injury.
• The anxiety is building.
• But ... Carey Price. /

First Period

• If the Habs are even half as nervous as I am ... we’re in trouble.
• A big (get it? Big?) welcome to Michael McCarron who’s making his NHL playoff debut. You know what would go well with a playoff debut? A goal.
• Radulov gives Lundqvist a snow-shower while Pacioretty drops the gloves with Vesey. Pacioretty fighting?! Oh, it’s on tonight.
• Off they go to the box for seven minutes.
• Emelin opens the scoring! This is one weird first half, but I’ll take it.
• So, crosschecks on Gallagher don’t even count as a penalty anymore, do they?
• Radulov breaks out the old school hockey skills and blocks a shot by McDonagh.
• Lehkonen heads to the bench nursing a bloody nose after a high stick by Kreider. Refs call it, “follow through.” Well, if the refs say so./

Second Period

• Rangers head to the power play after a holding call on Benn. Zuccharello takes advantage and goes short-side on Price to tie the game.
• The Habs get called for holding but the Rangers get away with crosschecks and high sticks. Time to kick this up a notch fellas.
• Halfway through and it’s been a fast four minutes without a whistle. Good pace but really just looks like chaos out there.
• Oh! I have an idea. Get out of your zone Habs.
• Zuccharello strikes again to make it 2-0. Get. Out. Of. Your. Zone.
• Ott taps Zuccharello on the head like he’s a child. Best part of the second period so far.
• A high stick to Davidson and the Habs head to the power play. Again, refs are making up their own rules and not calling a four-minute penalty even though Davidson is bleeding.
• Weber with a beautiful shot but Lundqvist came up with a pretty save.
• Okay. Second periods are not normally a strong suit. Take a break. Regroup. Do yoga. Whatever you have to do./

Third Period

• We have 20 minutes to win this. Nobody needs to be eliminated tonight.
• Did someone remember to lock Zuccharello in his dressing room?
• They didn’t lock him in, but Lehkonen gave him a nice hit. ‘Atta boy!
• He may not have stole the game, but Price is keeping them in the game during the first part of the period.
• The top line finally showing up with a few good attempts but still can’t manage to get one past Lundqvist.
• Weber breaks up the rush and draws a penalty from Kreider. Weber is not ready to go home.
• I miss Andrew Shaw.
• Face-plant for Weber into Price’s skate. Luckily, his helmet took the brunt of it.
• Plekanec so close to tying it up but Lundqvist kicks it away with a tip of the toe.
• Price heads to the bench with 1:20 left.
• The nail in the coffin with 17 seconds left with an empty-netter by Stepan.
• Well, Habs. It’s been fun. Excuse me while I go cry in the corner. Rangers win, 3-1 /

EOTP 3 Stars

Third star

Second star

First star

Habs Highlight of the Night

Emelin snipes one