Canadiens vs Rangers

MONTREAL -- New York Rangers defenseman John Moore has a hearing scheduled Wednesday with the NHL Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head of Montreal Canadiens forward Dale Weise in the third period of Eastern Conference Final Game 5 on Tuesday.

Moore received a match penalty at 10:41 of the third for his hit that knocked off Weise's helmet. A match penalty carries an automatic suspension from further competition until Commissioner Gary Bettman rules on the issue, according to Rule 21 of the NHL Rulebook.

MONTREAL -- The players, coaches and systems change, but the New York Rangers continue to make their lives difficult in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Holding a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Final with a chance to close out the Montreal Canadiens and book their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 20 years, the Rangers did not show up in Game 5 on Tuesday until they were down 4-1.

Though they managed to tie the game during a wild second period when the teams combined to score six times on the first 15 shots, the Rangers' poor start is what ultimately did them in.

The 7-4 loss puts the Rangers in a situation where if they lose Game 6 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS), they will be forced to come back to Bell Centre and attempt to win Game 7 for a third time this postseason.

MONTREAL -- The New York Rangers failed to take advantage of their first opportunity to make it to the Stanley Cup Final in 20 years on Tuesday. Fortunately for them, they have two more chances to beat the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final.

New York lost 7-4 to Montreal in Game 5 at Bell Centre, but the Rangers hold a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 is Thursday at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS).

Trailing 4-1, New York coach Alain Vigneault pulled goalie Henrik Lundqvist before the midway point of the second period. Cam Talbot made his second relief appearance of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Rangers rallied to tie it 4-4 before Canadiens left wing Rene Bourque scored twice to complete a hat trick and David Desharnais scored into an empty net with 4:17 remaining in the third.

"We made a lot of mistakes and were lucky it was only 2-1 after the first period," Rangers right wing Martin St. Louis said. "We fought hard in the second. That's hockey sometimes. They're a good team on the other side. We had to expect them to come hard, and we struggled to adapt."

For additional insight into the Stanley Cup Playoff series between the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens, NHL.com has enlisted the help of former NHL coach Craig Ramsay to break down the action. Ramsay will be checking in throughout the series.

Ramsay played in more than 1,000 NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres before going on to coach the Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and Atlanta Thrashers. In the 2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he led the Flyers to the seventh game of the Eastern Conference Final. Ramsay most recently was an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers.

Craig Ramsay watched P.K. Subban's end-to-end rushes, his attempts to put the Montreal Canadiens on his back in the first three games of the Eastern Conference Final. Ramsay's final assessment was that Subban was playing selfish hockey.

BROSSARD, Quebec -- Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien expects his friendship with New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault will return to normal soon enough. He just hopes it isn't too soon.

The opposing coaches in the Eastern Conference Final crossed paths prior to the Rangers' 3-2 overtime win Sunday at Madison Square Garden that gave New York a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series.

Television cameras caught Vigneault lowering the passenger window of his car to speak with Therrien, who smiled.

"When I saw him coming I said I made sure to move away, and so what I told him was that I didn't want him to hit me, and he laughed about it," Therrien said Monday after the Canadiens held an optional practice at their suburban practice facility. "I thought it was funny."

NEW YORK -- Like a group of well-trained magicians, the New York Rangers have not yet been burned by the fire they've been playing with in the Eastern Conference Final.

The Rangers are one win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years because goalie Henrik Lundqvist was brilliant in Game 2 and their penalty kill was the difference in Game 4.

Getting outshot 41-30 and relying on terrific saves by Lundqvist one night, and getting bailed out by their surging penalty kill despite giving up eight power plays on another night isn't the best way to live in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but that's how the Rangers have taken a 3-1 lead on the Montreal Canadiens.

NEW YORK -- In an illustrious NHL career filled with a number of historic victories and memorable moments, New York Rangers forward Martin St. Louis has played the hero countless times.

He was more than happy to do it again Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden.

St. Louis' goal 6:02 into overtime gave the Rangers a 3-2 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. New York leads the best-of-7 series 3-1 and is one win from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years.

Left all alone by the right faceoff circle, the veteran wing demonstrated the patience that comes with 15 seasons worth of NHL experience. Rather than frantically one-timing the puck on net, he took his time before wiring a shot over the left shoulder of Montreal goaltender Dustin Tokarski.

NEW YORK -- There's seemingly never a moment when Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban doesn't appear to be in control of a situation.

He was at it again following a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 4 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. After leading all players in ice time and blocked shots, the unflappable Subban fielded more than a dozen questions from reporters in the visitors' locker room before announcing "last question" when he felt the time was right.

"We walked in the room here and a couple of guys said that we're going to put this behind us and get ready for a bigger game come Tuesday," Subban said. "We did a lot. We had a lot of opportunities, but pucks didn't go in. There is a lot of hockey left to be played, and we just have to be prepared to go home and play a good game."

NEW YORK -- Clichés exist largely because they are often true.

Hockey, or any sport really, being a game of inches is one of them.

Except when that inch means the difference between stealing back home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference Final and being on the verge of elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the cliché can become a devastating reality.

It can burrow itself into the deeper reaches of your mind and live there for days.

The Montreal Canadiens are living through that reality as they find themselves down 3-1 in the best-of-7 series to the New York Rangers after a 3-2 overtime loss Sunday that could very easily have been a 3-2 regulation-time win if Alex Galchenyuk's shot with 3:15 to play in the third period had moved an inch.

NEW YORK -- New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault and Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien continued their war of words Sunday following the morning skates and hours before puck drop in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference Final series at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m. ET; CBC, RDS, NBCSN).

The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 2-1.

Vigneault took exception to the post-practice commentary provided by Therrien on Saturday when the Canadiens coach questioned why Rangers assistant coaches were viewing his team's practice.