The day started out gloomy in Montreal, and ended with a bad storm. Earlier this morning Canadiens coach Michel Therrien announced that Carey Price would be lost for the series with a leg injury. The night ended with another loss to the New York Rangers. This loss puts the Montreal Canadiens down 2-0 in the best of seven series.
The Rangers 3-1 win has put them in the drivers seat, as they head back to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on Thursday night.
Henrik Lundqvist had another very impressive night in goal. He stopped 40 shots in the win. The Canadiens actually controlled most of the play despite losing, but Lundqvist made countless big saves to keep the Rangers in front of the pressuring Canadiens.
The Canadiens got on the board first when Max Pacioretty got the puck past Lundqvist at the 6:14 mark of the first period. This was not a classic pretty goal, but one that actually deflected off the body of Pacioretty. The Rangers responded quickly when Ryan McDonagh got the puck past Canadiens surprise starting goalie Dustin Tokarski. The Rangers then moved past the Canadiens when Rick Nash scored his second goal of the series late in the first period.
Midway through the second period Martin St. Louis blasted a power play goal past Tokarski to give the Rangers a commanding 3-1 lead. This was the final tally of the night, as the Rangers smothered the Canadiens offense. The Habs pulled their goalie with just over three minutes to go in the game, while on the power play. Although the Canadiens peppered Lundqvist late in the game, he stood strong and stopped the late game flourish.
This loss really puts the Canadiens into a deep hole. Down two games, and heading on the road is a very difficult position. What make this even more difficult are the lack of offense the Canadiens have shown, and the dominance of Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
Brad Burud the owner/editor of the Inside Edge Hockey News. I am a huge fan of hockey, from youth hockey, to junior hockey, and of course professional hockey. I have played, coached, worked as statistician, and watched hockey all of my life. Hockey is not just a game, it is a lifestyle and family. The game of hockey is great! It can bring you nights of great enjoyment. It also brings nights where you feel like your team will never win. I am proud to be a journalist for the greatest game in the world. I have a degree in Business Administration, Psychology from Minot State University. I also have a Hockey General Manager and Scouting, and Sports Communications/Journalism degree from Sports Management Worldwide. I am also a member of the Sports Executives Association. Most of all I am a fan. Hockey is a huge part of my life and my families life.