The New York Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Tuesday, tying the series at two games a piece. Here’s our full thoughts on the contest.
Rangers Game Four Improvements:
-The New York Rangers Game Four effort was a complete departure from their games two and three efforts in the most positive way possible. In Game Three, the Rangers were hesitant, weak on the puck, and let the Montreal Canadiens play their brand of hockey. In Game Four, the Rangers controlled the action, frustrating the Canadiens from start to finish.
-You could see the frustration building in Montreal throughout the evening. The Canadiens iced the puck seemingly every shift towards the end of the game, as they realized they couldn’t match New York’s speed. As we said all along, the Rangers need to prioritize skill, then watch as the Canadiens fail to match that skill. It worked for the Rangers Game Four.
-Mats Zuccarello joined Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller, and suddenly the line sparked the possession game. All four lines rolled throughout the night with ease. Pavel Buchnevich re-entering the lineup gave the Rangers the ability to play four lines in all situations. That was key.
-Alain Vigneault played the right lines and the right defensive pairings, and the Rangers won. It was a long overdue well coached game by the Rangers’ behind the bench boss. Just look at the defensive deployment:
Smith finally received the playing time he deserved, Holden was rightfully sheltered, and in the final minutes Ryan McDonagh was on the ice. Can’t ask for better than that.
-Additionally, the forwards saw new life. Every forward except for Jimmy Vesey finished with an above even Corsi For Percentage at even strength. Vesey finished at 48%, and looked impressive the entire night despite the below-even number.
-While in Game Two the Rangers sat back with the lead, in Rangers Game Four, New York pushed with the lead. They out-possessed the Canadiens in the third period and came away with the victory. However strong the defense is, the best defense is a strong counter-attack.
-Again, this Rangers team can be lethal. It’s about the team being utilized correctly and pushing, not being pushed. On Tuesday night, the coaching staff pushed all the right buttons and the players played their best hockey. Tuesday night’s Rangers can win the Stanley Cup. The Rangers with any other kind of deployment/lineup cannot.
Related Story: Nick Holden Attempts to Defend 2 on 1, Fails Miserably
Assorted Notes From The Win:
-Henrik Lundqvist. Yes, that is all.
-Nick Holden played the worst defense on a 2 on 1 I have ever seen. Read more about it here.
-At this point I believe a heavily sheltered Steven Kampfer or playing 13 forwards and five defensemen are better options over Nick Holden/Kevin Klein. This is assuming Adam Clendening is not an option.
-While Rick Nash not only scored the game winning goal, he also played an intregal part in keeping the puck out of the Rangers’ net in the dying minutes. However much you believe Nash should have scored in prior post-seasons, the man is on a mission this year.
Nash has been the best forward on the team throughout the first round by a sizable margin. He’s earning his salary in what may be his last season with the team.
-Pavel Buchnevich looked good in his first postseason action. Remember, Pavel Buchnevich, Brady Skjei, and Jimmy Vesey are all getting their first tastes of playoff action. Regardless of how far the Rangers advance, that’s valuable.
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-While I am not upset about the Canadiens’ goal coming on a 6 on 6, (too many men on the ice) I am irate at the officiating at the end of the game. Montreal got away with multiple vicious, illegal hits and plays on Brendan Smith. If Smith went down for any extended length of time, it would destroy the Rangers’ playoff chances.
I understand the referees wanting to let the players play, but that can’t mean letting the players injure each others. Penalties have to exist in some capacity. It was outrageous and unacceptable officiating, and the league should be ashamed. This coming from someone who believes referees get too much flack.
-However, I love the Rangers letting Brendan Gallagher and Andrew Shaw roam around and attempt to agitate to no avail. Let them do their weird tactics and beat them on the scoreboard. The last time the Rangers retaliated, Mats Zuccarello ended up in the box for four minutes and the Canadiens scored on the power-play.
Eventually Gallagher and Shaw will hurt their own team. Let them do that.
-Ryan McDonagh was a monster in Game Four. When he plays like that the Canadiens are left in big trouble considering how strong the Brady Skjei-Brendan Smith combination is. Montreal is left with only Marc Staal-Nick Holden to score on.
-Mats Zuccarello is a wonderful hobbit who deserves all of the praise in the world, but he must shoot more. While I understand where he’s coming from in the majority of his passes, the Canadiens are fantastic at getting sticks into passing lanes. Take the shot and aim for a rebound. It’s a foreign concept to Zuccarello, but it’s one he must follow.
Next: Rangers Game Three Thoughts: Home Debacle
-The Rangers are a Nick Holden away from being up 3-1 in the series. Still, tied 2-2 going into Montreal is not bad at all. If Alain Vigneault coaches like he did in Rangers Game Four, New York will win the series. If Alain Vigneault coaches like he did in Games Two and Three, the Rangers will lose the series. It’s that simple.