Battle Of Hudson

Eastern Conference Champions: An excited group of Rangers pose with the Prince of Wales Trophy after defeating the Canadiens to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.
AP Photo/Kathy Willens

The Rangers are officially Eastern Conference Champions. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 18 shots and Dominic Moore’s second period goal was enough to shutout the Canadiens 1-0 in Game 6 at a wild MSG. For the first time in 20 years, they’ve advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Amazingly, it all came together at the right time. Finally home after witnessing the single greatest win in my 17 years, it still hasn’t sunk in. So, I’ll just let this sentence do the talking. The New York Rangers will play for the Stanley Cup for the first time since winning it all in 1994.

I can’t put into words what it means. All these years going to games and it’s finally here. By finishing off a gritty opponent who wouldn’t go away despite losing Carey Price after Game 1, the Rangers become the first team to reach the Cup Finals by going seven in the first two rounds. If the Kings close out the Blackhawks Friday night, they’ll join them. For the first time all postseason, we can actually sit back and relax as two other teams beat each other up and find out who the Rangers will play. Game 1 isn’t until next Wednesday, June 5.

After needing seven to oust the Flyers and Penguins, the Rangers actually gave their fans a break by eliminating the Canadiens in six. For the first time since ’08, they didn’t need seven to win a series. A welcome change from the nightmarish Game 5 at Bell Centre that saw them get beat 7-4 opening them up to criticism. Many including myself wondered how they’d respond to the Habs’ challenge. They were awfully confident entering last night. So much so that Rene Bourque chirped that Lundqvist hadn’t been better than Dustin Tokarski. To be fair, Tokarski played his best game of the series making 31 saves in defeat. He gave his team every chance.

Physically and emotionally, the Blueshirts were a mess Tuesday. It didn’t carry over. They came out from the opening shift and established momentum in front of a frenzied environment. The national anthem performed by John Amirante had plenty of decibels reminiscent of glory days. The electricity was unmistakable. “Let’s Go Rangers” chants rained down and playoff towels were waved in support of the home team. You could really feel it as soon as you walked in the building. Prior to the opening introductions which included former ’94 hero Stephane Matteau pumping up the crowd, I walked around with Justin’s friend Michael during warm ups. I ran into Kenny Albert and Dave Maloney before. Mike had never been around the Chase Bridges. It was good to take it all in. I took photos and videos. It probably will be up sometime this weekend.

Following Amirante’s rousing Canadian and American national anthems, it was finally time to drop the puck. Appropriately, coach Alain Vigneault opted to start his fourth line. A big part of the team Moore, Brian Boyle and Derek Dorsett have been Vigneault’s guys. He trusts them enough to send them out for a regular shift. Their opening shift was tremendous. They immediately got the puck in deep and forechecked the Canadiens, forcing Tokarski to make a couple of tough stops. That only fired up the crowd more. It was a harbinger of things to come.

Unlike Game 5, the Rangers were much sharper with and without the puck. They attacked more vigorously and didn’t give the speedy Canadiens enough space through the neutral zone. Montreal struggled offensively and turned over the puck. A lot of it had to do with the Rangers’ team defense. Every player made a conscious effort to get sticks on loose pucks and force the Habs into mistakes. It was a complete reversal.

Continuing to skate and get shots through, they forced Tokarski to come up with some good saves. They outshot the Canadiens 11-5 and out chanced them. Lundqvist still had to make one key stop shrugging aside a tough backhand in the slot. He would make his best save a period later that people will be talking about for a while. Or at least until the next series. On a night he didn’t have to stand on his head, Lundqvist responded to the challenge the best way he could. By giving up zilch.

Due to Tokarski, the game was still scoreless after one. The Canadiens had a minute left on a power play entering the second due to a Marc Staal interference minor. Instead of building on it, they watched as each Ranger penalty killer outworked them and cleared the puck out. In fact, I nearly predicted a Carl Hagelin shorthanded goal before the period began. Sure enough, he broke in and tried a wraparound which Tokarski just got a skate on. As he has all series, Hagelin was flying. Rick Nash also had an opportunity on the same kill.

When P.K. Subban was nabbed for interference, the crowd let him know about it. It wouldn’t be Subban if didn’t protest and have to be forced to skate from his bench to the penalty box. That was only the tip of the iceberg for the former Norris winner. On their second power play, the Rangers moved the puck around looking to expose Tokarski side to side but simply didn’t get enough quality shots. For a third consecutive home game, they failed to score on the man-advantage taking the collar in four chances. They later failed with Andrei Markov off for tripping. So much for one of my keys to victory.

Hen-rik: Henrik Lundqvist makes an incredible save to rob Thomas Vanek.
AP Photo/Kathy Willens

Montreal found themselves in a tie game with a chance to grab momentum. Thomas Vanek came very close to scoring the first goal. Off a Staal turnover, he was set up perfectly in front. One on one with Lundqvist, he sent a backhand that was labeled for the top half of the net. But Lundqvist made an unbelievable save that defied logic. I can’t begin to describe it. It was so acrobatic and reminded of Dominik Hasek. He flung himself at the puck getting just enough of it in mid-air to rob Vanek of a sure goal. It was incredible. The save came with under 5:00 left and got everyone up. Chants of “Hen-rik, Hen-rik!!” were well deserved. It was fantastic. That moment was the one that told me they would win. He basically said, ‘You’re not beating me tonight.’

Dominic Moore is congratulated by Brian Boyle after his series clinching goal in the second period.
AP Photo/Kathy Willens

Inspired by it, the Rangers finally broke the ice on Tokarski. It took a perfectly executed play to beat him. On a dominant shift from the fourth line, Moore scored the game’s only goal with 1:53 remaining in the second. Fittingly, it was that line which got the goal. All season long, Vigneault has preached rolling four lines. The polar opposite of John Tortorella, who despite those shortcomings helped prepare the core of the team for this moment. The line of Boyle, Moore and Dorsett kept the Habs’ third line pinned in for a long time. Cycling the puck behind the net, Dorsett was able to beat Markov and work it to a pinching Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh pushed it to Boyle, who quickly dished for a wide open Moore for a beautiful finish that sent the crowd into bedlam. The reaction was priceless. Everyone could tell that one goal might be enough.

Able to generate their best pressure in the final minute, the Canadiens searched for the equalizer forcing Brad Richards to take down a man in front which led to their second power play with 13 seconds left. It was a good penalty because it eliminated a scoring chance. When the period ended, Montreal still had 1:47 remaining. Having stood for Moore’s goal, I decided I wasn’t sitting down in our section again. My brother motioned to me but he figured out why I stood for the rest of it. Why mess with superstition?

I was already 2-0 during this run. But this was different. They were 20 minutes away. You had plenty of fans screaming that line during intermission. It was funny. All I was thinking about was killing the penalty and hoping the Rangers would play a good period. They saved their best period of these playoffs for that final 20 minutes. The Habs never got a sniff on the remainder of the power play. Even with Subban and Markov manning the points, they couldn’t even get set up. The only time they did was when Michel Therrien had the second unit out. It resulted in nothing.

The Rangers didn’t just sit back. They stood up at their blueline and took away Montreal’s biggest strength. That resulted in turnovers and led to plenty of chances. The third was simply dominant. In every aspect, they controlled the play. From puck possession to defense to quick transition, they were everywhere. Only Tokarski kept his team alive by doing his best work of the series. He stifled Derick Brassard at the end of a huge shift from the third line. They did everything but score with Brassard unable to lift the puck over a sliding Tokarski, who stacked the pads. Benoit Pouliot narrowly missed a rebound. After a miserable game Tuesday, they along with Mats Zuccarello were much sharper.

Derek Stepan had another strong game. He and linemates Chris Kreider and Nash were flying. They easily could’ve scored if not for Tokarski. What it comes down to is this. For a goalie who didn’t have much experience, he did a great job. Otherwise, it could’ve been 3 or 4-0. When they weren’t peppering him, the Rangers continued to win the battles and get pucks in. They outshot the Canadiens 13-5. When former Blueshirt Brandon Prust took a bad slashing minor with 5:42 left, he heard it. I didn’t partake in the chants because this is the same guy we supported. And he showed class apologizing to Stepan and again during the handshake. The fourth power play was awful. At least it killed two minutes.

The Habs really had a difficult time mustering anything. One shift saw Martin St. Louis hound Subban into a turnover which led to a Richards chance at the opposite end that Tokarski got a leg on. That kind of attention to detail is why the Rangers are moving on. When Montreal did get a shot, a cool Lundqvist used his head like a soccer player to knock it away.

Jubilation at MSG: Excited Rangers celebrate with Henrik Lundqvist after advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.
AP Photo/Julia Jacobson

Not once did I ever feel panic. The defense wouldn’t allow it. When McDonagh skated back in his end and cleared the zone with five seconds left, it was finally over. They had done it. It’s pretty amazing to think they’re playing for the Cup. When the buzzer sounded, it was pandemonium. Fans rejoiced. A Daily News cameraman took a pic of us with the headline. The building was loud and chaotic. It seems like a blur. I watched the teams shake hands shooting video and then took video of the on-ice presentation of the Wales Trophy. With de facto captain Richards agreeing with St. Louis not to touch it, the team gathered around and took a picture.

The whole thing is surreal. Sometimes, it things don’t seem real. This is one of those moments that you’ll never forget. It isn’t 20 years ago. This team isn’t supposed to be here. They’ll be heavy underdogs no matter who they face. And you know what? I’m fine with that. This is one hell of a run. Whoever they play, it doesn’t matter. They finally have a chance to play for the Cup!

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Ryan McDonagh, NYR (assist, 2 SOG, hit, takeaway, blocked shot, +1 in 33 shifts-25:27-a superstar is born)

2nd Star-Dominic Moore, NYR (series clinching goal-3rd, 7-for-10 on faceoffs, +1 in 23 shifts-13:53-of all the players is there a more fitting hero)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (18 save shutout-didn’t have to be great but they’re not here without him)

Mats Zuccarello mobs Derick Brassard following his set up for Benoit Pouliot.
Associated Press

There’s no doubt that the pressure is on the Rangers tonight when they host the Canadiens for Game 6 at MSG. They don’t want to go back to Montreal for a Game 7. Whatever happened the other night is over. This is their best chance to clinch the franchise’s first Stanley Cup appearance in 20 years. Do it at home in front of what will be a loud Garden reminiscent of the glory days.

That means their best players must deliver. It starts with Henrik Lundqvist, who must shrug off a dreadful showing in Game 5 that saw the Habs chase him. He can’t have a repeat. Nobody has more pressure than the self-proclaimed King, who gives the Blueshirts a clear advantage in net. Though you wouldn’t know it by the way Dustin Tokarski has conducted himself. He was beatable Tuesday but found a way to hang in there and make key saves to give his team life. He can’t outshine Lundqvist. It’s time for Lundqvist to deliver a performance worthy of playing for a Cup. He’s proven he can bounce back in the postseason. This is his moment.

If Lundqvist needs to be better, the same has to be echoed for the Rangers’ top four defensemen. They were miserable at Bell Centre. Particularly Marc Staal, who has looked slow and gotten victimized by the Canadiens’ speed. As good as he was against the Pens is as bad as he’s been this series. That can’t happen. He and Anton Stralman are a cohesive second unit Alain Vigneault trusts enough to play almost as much as top pair Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. Girardi hasn’t been great either. Clearly, the two Rangers’ most experienced blueliners can raise their game. It can’t just be McDonagh carrying the load. He’s also cooled down after a great start to the series.

There will also be attention on former Hab Raphael Diaz, who steps in for suspended defenseman John Moore for a dirty hit on Dale Weise. Moore played with underrated third pair vet Kevin Klein, who was the best defenseman in the 7-4 drubbing. He is a defensive D but looked for offense and got tons of opportunities. Klein shouldn’t be needed to do something that isn’t his job. Moore had been steady working with Klein. Now, Diaz gets a chance against his ex-team creating a cool storyline which I’m sure NBC will play up. That should include time on the second power play unit where he possesses a good shot. Wouldn’t it be something if he factored in? For Diaz, he must avoid trying to do too much. It’ll be interesting to see how much Vigneault uses him. Especially if it’s tight in the third.

Offensively, the Rangers scored four times the other day. However, they didn’t get enough out of Mats Zuccarello, who admitted that he was bad. Zuccarello has been a huge part of this run. Along with linemates Derick Brassard and Benoit Pouliot, they were instrumental in the second round comeback over the Pens. Pouliot must avoid being overaggressive and stay away from undisciplined offensive zone penalties. He has superb speed and is capable of contributing. He’s been noticeable for the wrong things versus his former team. Brassard, Zuccarello and Pouliot are the club’s best forecheckers. They need a big game tonight.

It’s mostly been Carl Hagelin and Martin St. Louis throughout. Both have been everywhere using their speed and scoring big goals with none bigger than St. Louis’ overtime winner in Game 4. Hagelin has never played better. He’s not just using his speed but now he’s creating and finishing chances. I always felt he was a mini-Callahan minus the physicality. But Hagelin makes up for it with his speed and willingness to get the uniform dirty. He’s really stepped it up.

Derek Stepan showed guts coming back with the broken jaw and scoring twice after missing Game 4 due to Brandon Prust’s blindside hit. Prust btw is back after serving his two-game suspension. He’s sure to get a Garden welcome. Stepan has seven points in the series. His game has come together and it’s resulted in Chris Kreider and Rick Nash having good series. Of course, Kreider has been a presence in front since knocking out Carey Price ‘unintentionally.’ He had a goal and three assists Tuesday but was miserable defensively. He also took a bad penalty that set the tone with the Habs drawing first blood. Kreider and his teammates must do the little things tonight. That means coming back defensively and avoiding doing anything that will result in a Habs’ embellishment. Nash has three goals in the series and has finally shown a pulse. He still frustrates with his hesitation to shoot. His commitment defensively is admirable. There’s no time like the present for Nash to deliver a defining game.

Brad Richards centers Hagelin and St. Louis. He has that going for him. But he’s been turnover prone and thrown pucks away. Against a speedy and opportunistic opponent, the former Conn Smythe winner knows better. You can’t make those mistakes. Richards has been a locker room leader. He along with St. Louis called the closed door meeting after the Rangers fell behind 3-1 to Pittsburgh. Richards emphasized how hard it is to get here. Once, he and St. Louis were on top of the world in their 20’s winning the Cup a decade prior in Tampa. Now, they’re near the end and still striving to get back. Richards has a big responsibility running the power play. It would be nice to see him deliver a power play goal tonight. That means winning offensive draws and getting his shot through. He can’t be tentative. It also requires the Rangers to forget they’re playing at home where they tend to be too fancy. Simplify it. Move it quickly and fire away. Get traffic and bounces.

If there’s one thing they must do, it’s avoid penalties. Play the Habs 5-0n-5. Get off to a quick start and feed off the energy of the crowd. It promises to be electrifying. These opportunities don’t come often. Don’t chance it. Finish it tonight.

There will be a Game 6 Thursday. The Canadiens made sure of that. Rene Bourque’s hat trick led Montreal to a 7-4 win over the Rangers to take Game 5 at a raucous Bell Centre. They avoided elimination by chasing Henrik Lundqvist in the second period. He allowed four goals on 19 shots before Cam Talbot replaced him.

Unlike the first four games, Montreal never trailed. Far more desperate, they overwhelmed the Rangers jumping out to a 4-1 lead. A major difference was the Canadiens finally played with the lead. Alex Galchenyuk scored a power play goal less than two minutes in to establish momentum. Since returning, he’s scored twice including the overtime winner in Game 3. He also recorded an assist on Tomas Plekanec’s goal that restored the lead.

One of the themes was the return of Derek Stepan. After sitting out Game 4 with a broken jaw, the center returned wearing a full cage to protect the injury. Fittingly, he was the best player for the Rangers scoring twice. His first of the game was a weak one that fooled Dustin Tokarski. He beat him to the short side evening it up. But less than two minutes later, Plekanec took a Brian Gionta feed and beat Lundqvist.

Trailing 2-1, the Rangers had 33 seconds left on a power play. After failing to capitalize, they were given another chance with Andrei Markov going off for interference. In what amounted to a turning point, they failed to connect. For some reason, they were too hesitant and didn’t get enough shots on a shaky Tokarski. The power play is again a sore spot. They went 1-for-7 and it really hurt them throughout.

What followed was total chaos. Following a big penalty kill, Max Pacioretty increased the Canadiens’ lead to 3-1 when his shot went right thru the wickets of Lundqvist. For sure, a bad one to allow. Brendan Gallagher made the play by taking a Markov feed and using his speed to set up Pacioretty. With the crowd in a frenzy, Bourque scored the first of his three 3:10 later from Lars Eller and Thomas Vanek- giving the Habs a 4-1 lead with 13:06 left in the second.

Following a stoppage, Alain Vigneault pulled Lundqvist for Talbot. The move sparked the Rangers. Despite only getting six shots on Tokarski during the second, they scored on half of them. In fact, Rick Nash connected on the Rangers’ first shot of the period for his third of the series. Taking a Ryan McDonagh feed, he circled around the net and centered a puck that went off a Montreal defenseman past Tokarski cutting the deficit to 4-2 with 10:12 remaining.

As if on cue, the Rangers scored three straight goals in a 4:24 span to tie the game. Stepan got his second when he got to a loose puck in front and scored into an open side cutting it to 4-3 with 7:54 left. The play was created by Chris Kreider, who continued to battle in front with Nash forcing Tokarski to fumble a loose puck to Stepan, who buried it. Within one, they finally got a call. The Habs have been embellishing all series. This time, Plekanec got caught. Pretending he was high sticked, he lifted his head. Instead, he was called for unsportsmanlike diving handing the Rangers a power play. On it, McDonagh caught Tokarski out of the net and centered for a Kreider redirect which tied the game with 5:48 left.

But before they could finally breathe easily, Bourque got his second off a well executed 3-on-2 rush. After the Rangers came close at one end, Eller passed for Dale Weise, who found an isolated Bourque for a laser stick side on Talbot that put the Canadiens back in front 5-4 less than a minute later. It was a killer. The Rangers had worked so hard to get back in the game. But lax defensive coverage was a problem and they simply didn’t get back. Back in front, P.K. Subban embellished to draw a phantom trip on Benoit Pouliot. As NBC’s Ed Olczyk contested, the replay showed Pouliot never tripped Subban, who went down. Montreal’s penchant for embellishing is embarrassing. It’s disrespectful and shouldn’t be part of the game.

”It was a different game than what we’ve had so far in this series,” Vigneault said.

Montreal coach Michel Therrien opted to trap in the third. It worked. Unable to get through the neutral zone, the Rangers were sloppy and turned over the puck repeatedly. Eventually, their poor puck management resulted in Bourque’s hat trick. Markov stepped up at his own blueline sending Weise the other way. He made a perfect pass for a wide open Bourque, who went top shelf on Talbot on a mini-break increasing the Habs’ lead to 6-4 with 13:27 remaining.

There was plenty of time for the Rangers to get back in it. Josh Gorges sent Nash into Tokarski leading to an interference minor. A minute and a half into the power play, Francis Bouillon went off for holding to give the Blueshirts an abbreviated 5-on-3. All they mustered was one shot with Tokarski not allowing a rebound on a tough McDonagh low shot through a Kreider screen. On the remaining 5-on-4, Tokarski didn’t allow any rebounds.

A foolish play by John Moore ended the power play with five seconds left. He delivered a cheap blindside hit on Weise sending his helmet flying. Fortunately, he was okay. That didn’t stop the refs from actually making the appropriate call. Moore was sent off for a slashing major. I’m not sure how it was ruled that. It was clear interference. The hit he delivered was dangerous and made contact with Weise’s head. A no no. There’s a pretty good chance Moore will be suspended for the remainder of the series. That would mean ex-Hab Raphael Diaz is in. We’ll see if he’s up to the challenge.

The Rangers were aggressive on the major. They took chances shorthanded and eventually drew an Eller hold. It didn’t matter. Despite getting looks during a 4-on-4, they just didn’t get enough shots through. Their lack of killer instinct could prove costly. Now, they’re facing a lot of pressure to finish off the Habs at MSG. If they don’t, I might not even want to look at a potential Game 7. That would be a worst case scenario. As they already know, you can rally from a 3-1 deficit. The Habs are seeking to become the first team in a Conference Final to do so since the ’99-00 Devils.

An Eller hit from behind on Mats Zuccarello gave them another man-advantage. It only resulted in a desperate Vigneault putting Talbot on the bench for a useless 6-on-4. As only they can do, the Rangers won the faceoff and then watched as David Desharnais scored into an empty net to seal it with 4:17 left. Pacioretty got to a loose puck and pushed it ahead for Desharnais for the easy finish.

The only other question from tonight is whether Vigneault made the right call for the third. Down a goal, he could’ve gone back to Lundqvist. Instead, he stuck with Talbot, who was beaten again by Bourque for a back breaker. Granted. The team defense stunk. But maybe the coach erred not going back to Hank. If he keeps the deficit at one goal, I like our chances. Tokarski leaked out rebounds. He did improve in the third stopping all 11. It’s a wonder what will happen in two days.

Right now, the Rangers know they must win Thursday. If not, enter at your own risk. All the embellishment aside and questionable calls, they better suck it up. You don’t get too many opportunities to compete for a Stanley Cup. At what will be a revved up MSG, they better take their chance while they have it.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Derek Stepan, NYR (2 goals-4th, 5th, +1 in 29 shifts-19:43-inspirational return didn’t rub off)

2nd Star-Dale Weise, MTL (2 assists, 4 hits, +2 in 21 shifts-11:21-feisty performance for Habs’ enforcer)

1st Star-Rene Bourque, MTL (hat trick-6th, 7th, 8th, +3 in 20 shifts-12:21-as clutch as it gets)

Martin St. Louis celebrates his overtime winner that sent the Rangers to a 3-2 Game 4 win over the Canadiens.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Just call him a playoff saint. Martin St. Louis continued a storybook postseason by delivering a clutch overtime winner lifting the Rangers to a thrilling 3-2 Game 4 win over the Canadiens at a raucous MSG. His goal at 6:02 of sudden death pulled the Rangers within one victory of reaching the Stanley Cup Final.

The play was made possible due to the hustle of Carl Hagelin and Brad Richards. With the Canadiens struggling to get out of their zone, Richards and Hagelin combined to force a turnover keeping the puck in. Hagelin turned and passed for a wide open St. Louis at the right circle. One on one with Dustin Tokarski, who stoned him earlier, a patient St. Louis found just enough room going top shelf inside the post to touch off a wild celebration.

”I just got open,” said St. Louis, who finally figured out Tokarski after the 24-year old Canadien netminder had robbed him twice in Games 3 and 4. ”I tried to trust my instincts. I hit some good shots, he made some good saves. I was fortunate this one got by him.”

With Game 4 hanging in the balance along with this closely fought Eastern Conference Final, the Canadiens and Rangers needed overtime for a second consecutive game to decide the winner. On a night where Montreal had the majority of the play which included more brilliant play from Tokarski (26 saves), this one went to the home team for the first time in the series. Interestingly, the road team had won the last eight games in sudden death. With one majestic shot, St. Louis erased that.

The Rangers were able to overcome themselves. They were penalized eight times including once just 30 seconds into OT when Benoit Pouliot went to the box for holding the stick. It was exasperating for coach Alain Vigneault, who saw his team commit egregious penalties with most coming in the offensive zone. Their penalty kill bailed them out repeatedly. In fact, it took the Canadiens until the sixth try to finally capitalize when P.K. Subban finally got a shot through that deflected past Henrik Lundqvist tying it at two with 18:00 left in regulation.

A good part of the third period, it looked like Montreal would find a way to sneak one more past Lundqvist and even the series with Game 5 looming back at Bell Centre on Tuesday. They came awfully close with Game 3 overtime hero Alex Galchenyuk hitting the crossbar with 3:23 left. Lundqvist got just enough of it to send the puck off the bar. Fortunately, it never crossed the goal line.

The Canadiens controlled most of the OT by getting dangerous chances that forced Lundqvist to be sharp. That included their eighth power play which kept the puck in for a long time. Lundqvist made one save and an exhausted Rangers penalty kill did just enough to get out of trouble. Lundqvist made a couple of difficult stops including an Andrei Markov low try through a screen. He also squeezed the pads to deny Brian Gionta.

Overtime hero Martin St. Louis raises his arms as Brad Richards and Dan Girardi greet him.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig

The winning play was started by a strong shift from the fourth line. Brian Boyle and Derek Dorsett did a good job getting the puck in deep. That allowed the Rangers to get fresh players on. Hagelin, who back in the first scored a shorthanded goal on a breakaway, had a great shift. His speed has been noticeable the last two games. It was his tenacious checking that resulted in St. Louis’ winner.

”He has been great for us ever since he got here,” Hagelin praised of St. Louis. ”He shows a lot of tenacity and emotion every time he steps on the ice.”

”I’m really proud to be out there with those guys, and hopefully can keep it going a little more,” Lundqvist said after making 27 saves with five coming in sudden death.

Similar to Game 3, the Rangers started quickly. A Tokarski strong stop preempted a Ranger power play that halted. The parade to the penalty box saw Miller, Pouliot and Moore all take bad penalties. Despite that, an aggressive Rangers penalty kill didn’t give up anything. While killing Pouliot’s first minor, Brian Boyle took a Ryan McDonagh pass and made a great outlet that sprung Hagelin, who moved in and tucked a backhand five-hole on Tokarski for a shorthanded goal at 7:18.

Aided by the power play and better puck possession, Montreal was able to take the lead in shots (11-9). However, it wasn’t overly impressive. While the Habs struggled on the man-advantage, they didn’t hesitate to tug and slash Rangers. One such scenario saw Max Pacioretty get away with one in the corner, repeatedly hooking Dan Girardi. When there was a break, Vigneault had a heated discussion with Dan O’Rourke. On the flipside, you had Michel Therrien hot after Rick Nash pushed Tokarski following a save. He didn’t freeze the puck.

Montreal recovered to tie it thanks to an unlikely source. New York native Francis Bouillon was the beneficiary of some strong work in the neutral zone from Rene Bourque and David Desharnais. An overzealous Girardi got turned around turning it into a 2-on-1 with Bouillon firing past Lundqvist’s glove 8:08 into the second.

Despite continuing to lose their discipline, the Rangers managed to outshoot the Canadiens 11-6. A couple of penalties were followed by embellishment from the Habs. One Subban reaction drew the ire of NBC analyst Mike Milbury between periods. In between that, Tokarski was very strong robbing St. Louis on a clean break with a tremendous glove save. He also got across to deny Brassard. There also was some feistiness from Markov, who injured J.T. Miller during a scrum. Miller didn’t return for the third or overtime.

With the Rangers and Canadiens still locked at 1-1, Girardi caught Montreal napping. Taking a Lundqvist pass, he made a seam pass for an isolated Brassard at the Habs’ blueline. With no one between him and Tokarski, he broke in and wound up for a slap shot that easily beat the Montreal netminder to restore a one-goal lead with under a minute left.

It didn’t hold. A Moore trip 32 seconds into the third led directly to Subban’s first of the series. Desharnais started it by dishing to Markov at one point. He quickly passed for Subban, who rifled one home two minutes in which tied it at two. The Canadiens failed on another power play. They outshot the Rangers 8-6 and had better chances. But didn’t get the bounce on Galchenyuk’s try.

Thanks to clutch goaltending from Lundqvist, the Rangers cashed in their one chance with St. Louis striking for a memorable finish. One more win and they get to play for the Cup 20 years later.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Derick Brassard, NYR (breakaway goal-5th, 18-for-24 on faceoffs, +1 in 25 shifts-14:37)

2nd Star-Carl Hagelin, NYR (SHG-6th, assist, 4 SOG, 6 attempts, +2 in 35 shifts-23:44)

1st Star-Martin St. Louis, NYR (scored winner at 6:02 of 1st overtime-6th, team high 5 SOG, +1 in 30 shifts-21:01-inspirational)

Derek Stepan’s broken jaw didn’t prevent the Canadiens from running their mouths. The war of words has escalated.
AP/Getty Images

Apparently, it’s not enough that the Canadiens are back in the Eastern Conference Final. They continued to run their mouths a day before Game 4 at MSG. The latest commentary came from Daniel Briere and coach Michel Therrien. First, Briere charged the Rangers with lying about Derek Stepan.

“I think it seems a little fishy to me,” Briere told reporters regarding Stepan’s uncertain status for Sunday. “It seems like a little bit of a game.”

Briere isn’t the only one to comment on Stepan. Teammate Brendan Gallagher also doubted as to the extent of Stepan’s broken jaw. Stepan was injured by Brandon Prust, who delivered a late illegal check in Game 3.

“He got up and he was yapping and yelling [after the play],” Gallagher said. “So, I’m sure the jaw isn’t hurting too much.”

Following the bizarre commentary, Alain Vigneault informed the media that Stepan had a plate inserted into the jaw as part of Friday night’s surgery. He was still at the hospital recovering and remained doubtful for tomorrow. At least Prust had the decency to text Stepan.

“Once I found out he had a broken jaw, I reached out to him,” Prust told USA Today’s Kevin Allen. “I told him I feel awful. I didn’t want to injury anybody, especially a friend of mine.”

He said Stepan responded with a brief text. “But I think he understands where I’m coming from,” Prust added. “It’s a tough situation right now.”

Regarding the hate he’s received from Ranger fans who once cheered him Prust said, “I’m not worried. They’re not my fans anymore. I’m in Montreal now and those are my fans. That’s who I care about. (But) I remember my time (in New York) and still love this city and the organization.”

When asked about his former teammate, Henrik Lundqvist emphasized that he doesn’t have any friends in Montreal right now. About as well put as you’d expect.

That wasn’t the only topic. Briere also had more to say on Ryan McDonagh. “I haven’t seen anyone slash as much as he has since Chris Pronger,” he charged. You can’t make it up.

As usual, Therrien was his chatty self following Montreal’s practice. During it, they caught Rangers assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson taking it in. A no-no according to a “gentleman’s agreement.” Samuelsson eventually left.

”Coaches are not allowed to attend practices between games,” Therrien said. ”Game day is different.”

”It’s always been like that. That’s the way it is.”

Of all the things he’s said, this is one thing I agree on with Therrien. I don’t get why Samuelsson was there. It just fuels the fire. Of course, the Montreal coach wasn’t done even making a ridiculous comment in French about Derick Brassard’s return.

That sums it up. Since losing Carey Price, Therrien has done nothing but complain. After losing Game 2, he emphasized needing “bounces and calls” to win. Coincidentally, his team got those bounces to prevail in Game 3. As for the calls, no comment.

It’s amazing that out of all the Rangers opponents, it’s the Canadiens that’s brought out the most hatred. In the first round, the Rangers went about their business defeating the rival Flyers in seven. It was an odd series without much emotion. Against the Pens, the second round comeback was about the team rallying around Martin St. Louis. The Rangers ousted two traditional rivals without getting into a war of words. Brian Boyle summed it up best.

“Winning Game 4 is retribution.”

After failing to win Game 3, they put themselves in this spot. Win tomorrow to prevent the Canadiens from having all the momentum. Game 5 is Tuesday at Bell Centre. What it boils down to is this. There’s no reason the Rangers shouldn’t win the series. It’s not about what’s said off the ice. Actions speak louder than words. Let’s see it.

When the Rangers take the Garden ice for a critical Game 4 tomorrow, they’ll get back Derick Brassard. After missing the last two games with an upper body injury, he declared himself ready to go. He sustained an injury due to a hit from Canadiens’ defenseman Mike Weaver a couple of shifts into Game 1.

“I was told he cleared himself,” coach Alain Vigneault sarcastically told a group of reporters after practice. “That’s good to know. He didn’t tell me.”

With Derek Stepan’s status doubtful due to a broken jaw suffered on a late hit by Brandon Prust, at least the Rangers will have Brassard. He can return and center Benoit Pouliot and Mats Zuccarello. After having solid chemistry with Dominic Moore, they were ineffective in Game 3. Getting Brassard back should certainly help. He also can provide a boost on the power play which went 0-for-2.

Brassard’s return comes at a perfect time with Daniel Carcillo suspended 10 games for making physical contact with linesman Scott Driscoll. Carcillo received Level 2 of a mandatory suspension. Level 3 would’ve been three games.

“I can’t begin to tell you how bad he feels about the whole thing,” Vigneault said. “His situation, his personal future, the team. There’s nothing he can do about it now and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“I heard a lot about him before but I don’t have one bad thing to say about him,” added Brad Richards on Carcillo.

With Vigneault indicating that Stepan was “unlikely” for Game 4 due to recovering from surgery which included a plate, J.T. Miller will take his place in the lineup. Miller has played in three postseason games tallying two assists with both coming in the first round against the Flyers. Since playing Game 3 of the second round against Pittsburgh, he’s sat out seven in a row.

It’ll be interesting to see how Vigneault uses Miller. Will he slide him on the top line or move Moore up? Maybe he’ll mix and match with Chris Kreider and Rick Nash. He hasn’t been afraid to double shift his best players. It won’t be easy to replace Stepan, who’s picked it up. With an assist in Game 3, he extended his playoff point streak to five straight (1-6-7). That includes a goal and four helpers in the first three games against Montreal. Everyone must step it up without him.

The NHL has suspended Brandon Prust two games for his illegal hit on Derek Stepan in Game 3. On the controversial play, Stepan suffered a broken jaw. The Rangers have listed him as day to day.

The full explanation of the suspension emphasizes that Stepan had already released the puck and took two steps away from Thomas Vanek when Prust blindsided him. As has been noted, he had enough time to avoid Stepan but instead delivered an illegal check that made contact with the chest and jaw. This is interference. Let’s examine it further.

Based on Rule 56.4, a major penalty can be assessed if the referee interprets the degree of violence as such. Rule 56.5 states the guilty player can be given a Game Misconduct Penalty. If it’s ruled a major penalty due to the foul resulting in an injury to the opponent, a game misconduct shall be imposed. In Prust’s case, it should’ve been an interference major and game for his deliberate attempt to injure Stepan. Instead, the three referee tandem of Marc Joanette, Kevin Pollock and Wes McCauley missed it entirely. Linesmen Steve Miller and Scott Driscoll must’ve been sleeping.

Here’s the long and the short of it. The Rangers should’ve been on a power play. Instead, no call was made. To their credit, they continued to press the attack and took a 1-0 lead to the locker room. However, they didn’t take full advantage of a sloppy period from the Canadiens. Who knows how it would’ve played out. The bottom line is they had an opponent on the ropes and let them off. Game 4 looms large.

What’s frustrating is the lack of consistency from the NHL. By all accounts, the officiating was abominable. There was more than one tweet about how substandard it was for a Conference Final. At this critical juncture, that shouldn’t be the case. The refereeing should be secondary. Last round versus the Pens, it was. They actually did a good job allowing the teams to decide it without missing many blatant infractions. Like the hockey, the officiating standard is supposed to go up. It hasn’t.

Even more baffling is that the explanation for Prust’s suspension would seem to indicate that he deserved more games. Granted, it’s only the second time he’s been suspended. However, he had every chance to avoid Stepan. So much for his motto, “accidentally on purpose.” Only because Stepan was able to return and play so well did Prust get off light. Plus the Rangers played a little gamesmanship to try to get more games. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Stepan returned Sunday and played with a caged helmet. Maybe he can put on his cape and pay back Prust on the scoreboard.

The Rangers got bad news on Derek Stepan. It was revealed that he suffered a broken jaw as a result from Brandon Prust’s late hit during the first period in Game 3 last night. Prust delivered the dangerous hit from the blindside making contact with Stepan’s chest and jaw. Stepan immediately went to the locker room for x-rays which came back negative. He missed over six minutes before returning.

Coach Alain Vigneault revealed the injury at a press conference earlier today. There’s no timetable for Stepan’s return. He’s undergoing surgery.

Prust is scheduled to have a telephone hearing this afternoon. The NHL will determine whether he’ll be disciplined for a hit that went unpenalized. I don’t think there’s any doubt he’ll get suspended. But for how long? What does it even matter? He did his job.

Obviously, my disappointment with the league officiating is at an all-time high. How five officials missed that is mystifying. Ironically, they called Stepan for hooking later because clearly that’s more blatant than Prust successfully injuring his former teammate. This is what you get from a hypocritical league that doesn’t get it. They program refs to call every hold and hook no matter how soft.

We already know Daniel Carcillo is likely to receive 10 games for making contact with an official. Yet there’s evidence that the same ref touched him escalating the situation. How about suspending the five blind mice?

https://twitter.com/TBLightningLove/status/469893956508352512

Following a disappointing 3-2 overtime Game 3 defeat, Rangers center Derek Stepan took the high road regarding Brandon Prust’s late hit that sent him to the locker room in the first period. The questionable play came in the game’s first few shifts when the former Ranger came across and delivered a dangerous check that caught Stepan’s chest and made contact with his head.

When he left the ice, a furious Stepan let the referees know about it. He also had some strong words for Prust, who certainly got the Rangers attention. It was earlier in the series that he accused Chris Kreider of knocking out Montreal starting netminder Carey Price “accidentally on purpose.” With his team desperate to back in the game, Prust pushed the envelope by catching Stepan up high after the puck had been released. To get technical, it came nine tenths of a second late yet went undetected.

When asked about the severity of the hit, Stepan told a group of reporters he was mostly concerned about the head. He also noted that Prust got shoulder and that he was a bit vulnerable which resulted in contact to the head. There’s no question it came from the blindside. Before being asked whether the league should review it, Stepan was quick to point out that the main focus was on losing Game 3 and needing to respond Sunday.