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Canadiens vs Rangers

(Page 5 of 6)
Canadiens vs Rangers - 2014 Eastern Conference Final

Rangers goalie Lundqvist regains world-class form

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

MONTREAL -- Remember when New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was plagued by his own play in October, November, December and even early in January? Remember when he looked pedestrian and barely a legitimate No. 1 NHL goalie, let alone a superstar?

Seems so long ago, right? Seems like forever, in fact.

Not to Lundqvist. He remembers it well.

Lundqvist can describe the strange, nervous feeling he had early in the regular season when things were going so bad and he couldn't figure out how to fix them.

He can tell you about the saves he didn't make, the saves he always used to make. He can tell you about his positioning, how he was challenging shooters well above the blue paint, something he absolutely never does when he's on his game.

Canadiens goalie Tokarski plays well in surprise start

Sean Farrell - NHL.com Correspondent

MONTREAL -- Dustin Tokarski's championship pedigree won out in Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien's mind when it came down to choosing between the third-string goalie and backup Peter Budaj to take over for injured Carey Price.

Tokarski, who has won an IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal and Memorial Cup and Calder Cup titles, couldn't carry the Canadiens in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers on Monday. New York defeated Montreal 3-1 behind the 40-save performance of Henrik Lundqvist to take a 2-0 series lead.

"The number one reason why that we decided to go with Tokarski, you look at his track record, he's a winner, and I thought he played well tonight," Therrien said.


Canadiens must choose between Budaj, Tokarski

Arpon Basu - Managing Editor LNH.com

BROSSARD, Quebec -- The Montreal Canadiens have been in this situation before, except the stakes were not nearly as high.

Carey Price returned from representing Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics with a gold medal around his neck as well as a lower-body injury.

The Canadiens said at the time that Price aggravated a previous injury at the Olympics and that his absence would not last very long.

It wound up being two weeks.

In Price's absence, Peter Budaj was called upon to carry the load during a very difficult stretch of eight games; six of the opponents qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.

Budaj started seven of those eight games and won two, neither in regulation, and put up a 3.51 goals-against average and .868 save percentage.

Ramsay: Canadiens must rally behind new goalie

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

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.

The Montreal Canadiens might be stung by the news that goalie Carey Price will not play again in the Eastern Conference Final, but longtime NHL coach and player Craig Ramsay said all they have to do is look back at their own history to find examples of goalies stepping up and shining in the big moment when no one was expecting them to.

Ramsay: Kreider didn't mean to crash into Price

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

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 believes goalies should be protected. He's not a fan of any player who maliciously runs into a goalie.

But Ramsay doesn't think New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider fits the mold of a player whose intentions are to injure goaltenders.

In breaking down the Rangers' 7-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, Ramsay told NHL.com that he doesn't think Kreider had any ill intentions when he went barreling feet first into goalie Carey Price early in the second period Saturday.


Canadiens' Price uncertain for Game 2 vs. Rangers

Arpon Basu - Managing Editor LNH.com

BROSSARD, Quebec -- On the southeast corner of Bell Centre stands a photo of Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price that is six or seven stories high.

He is larger than life here. And a cornerstone. And possibly injured.

One game into the Eastern Conference Final, Price's health has become the biggest story in the series. And how he might have been injured, if indeed he is, ranks a close second.

Canadiens coach Michel Therrien would not confirm Sunday that Price will play in Game 2 of the series against the New York Rangers on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS). The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 1-0.

Rangers mourn with St. Louis at mother's funeral

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

MONTREAL -- Less than 24 hours after beating the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, reality punched back at the New York Rangers and perspective ruled the day.

Instead of practicing Sunday, the Rangers traveled to Laval, Quebec, to attend the funeral of Martin St. Louis' mother, France, who passed away on May 8 from a heart attack. She was 63 years old.

Players, coaches, management and other staff members all went to be there for their mourning teammate, who has played through grief and has four points, including two goals, in four games (all wins) since his mother died.

Rout by Rangers brings Canadiens 'back to earth'

Arpon Basu - Managing Editor LNH.com

MONTREAL -- It is a mantra repeated in locker rooms around the NHL throughout the season. Whether a team has won three straight games or lost five in a row, every team is always trying to find the same equilibrium, and they all use the same terms to describe it.

Never too high. Never too low.

The Montreal Canadiens entered the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers coming off a massive high, beating the archrival Boston Bruins in their building in Game 7 to earn the right to play the game they played Saturday afternoon.

The Canadiens, it would appear, were a little too high.

The Rangers were the sharper team right from the drop of the puck and were rewarded for it in a 7-2 blowout win in Game 1 of the series at Bell Centre, stealing the home-ice advantage from the Canadiens.

"You never want to lose a game, but it's going to bring us back to earth," Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said. "We, as a group, have to be ready to compete and play every night if we want to have a chance to win.

"So we put that game behind us, we've got to move forward, but that's a good lesson."

Lundqvist earns first win in Montreal in five years

Sean Farrell - NHL.com Correspondent

MONTREAL -- New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist skated onto the Bell Centre's frozen stage Saturday for the first time in more than two years with a bleak history to his credit in the Montreal Canadiens' raucous arena.

Lundqvist entered Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final with a 4-5-2 record, a 3.87 goals-against average and .876 save percentage in Montreal. But the Rangers' 7-2 win consigned those bad numbers to the history books.

"I'm going to be honest with you, I felt good coming into the game and, yeah, you guys like to talk about it, you like to ask me about it," said Lundqvist, who made 20 saves in his first start in Montreal since Jan. 14, 2012. "I haven't played here in a while, but it's still the same game. Last time I played here, we had a different team, and I think I've grown as a goalie as well."

Canadiens GM suggests Therrien will get extension

Arpon Basu - Managing Editor LNH.com

MONTREAL -- Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin didn't come out and say it Saturday, but he certainly made no effort to hide that coach Michel Therrien can expect a contract extension at the end of this season.

Speaking 90 minutes prior to the Canadiens facing the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final at Bell Centre, Bergevin showered his coach with praise while Therrien was about 100 feet away in the dressing room preparing his team.

The hiring of Therrien to return behind the Canadiens bench was one of Bergevin's first moves as GM, and it was hardly met with enthusiasm by fans. However, the lukewarm reaction to the move did not faze Bergevin, and he remained convinced Therrien was the right man for the job.

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