Rangers keep Canadiens at bay in series opener
MONTREAL — Any troubles Henrik Lundqvist has had with the Montreal Canadiens were nowhere to be found in the opening game of the NHL playoffs.
The veteran goaltender survived a shaky first period to post a 31-save shutout as the New York Rangers topped Montreal 2-0 on Wednesday night.
It will be up to the Canadiens to come up with an answer in Game 2 on Friday night at Bell Centre, or risk heading to New York down two games in the best-of-seven series.
“We didn’t put out there that Hank [Lundqvist] is going to have a hard time here,” said New York coach Alain Vigneault. “We’ve always had a lot of confidence in his game and what he did tonight was what we expected.”
Montreal went 3-0-0 against Lundqvist and the Rangers in the regular season, continuing the trend of the last two seasons in which Carey Price has shone against the Blueshirts while Lundqvist laboured. But the same may not apply in the post-season.
When New York knocked off the Canadiens in six games in 2014, a series in which Price was injured in the opening game, Lundqvist was pulled for Game 5 but bounced back with a Game 6 shutout.
His clean sheet in the opener put him in the career lead among active NHL goalies with 10.
“We know Hank’s going to bring it,” said Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh. “His focus and determination really fed to the rest of the team.”
Montreal pulled Price late in the third, but Michael Grabner settled the issue with an emptynet goal with 1:10 left to play.
Shots were 31-31 in a fastpaced game with plenty of chances at both ends. Lundqvist looked to be fighting the puck as Montreal had a 16-5 first-period shot advantage but managed to keep it out of his net.
Fired up by 1960s pop star Ginette Reno’s national anthem, the Canadiens were all over New York, but it was the Rangers who struck first 9:50 into the game on only their third shot. Tomas Plekanec won a draw in the Montreal zone, but fourth line winger Tanner Glass pounced on it and lifted a backhand from the slot over Price’s shoulder.
“Certainly a goal helped to settle us down and get back to the focus and making the plays we needed to make,” said McDonagh. “A great play by [Glass]. It’s just working hard. It’s great to see him get rewarded there.”
Montreal coach Claude Julien wants to make “little adjustments” for Game 2.
“We can definitely get better in the board battles,” said Julien. “Little details here and there made the difference.
“You face adversity along the way, you regroup and go back to work.”
Bruins 2, Senators 1
OTTAWA — Brad Marchand scored the winner late in the third period as the Boston Bruins beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1 to win Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarter-final series.
Frank Vatrano, playing his first NHL playoff game, also scored for the Bruins. Tuukka Rask was solid, making 26 saves.
Bobby Ryan scored the lone goal for the Senators as Craig Anderson stopped 23 shots.
Marchand scored on the rebound of a Patrice Bergeron shot with 2:33 remaining in regulation to make it 2-1, shocking the sellout crowd of 18,702 at Canadian Tire Centre.
Sharks 3, Oilers 2 (OT)
EDMONTON — Melker Karlsson scored early in the first overtime as the San Jose Sharks came back to beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarter-final series.
The game saw the Oilers jump out to a 2-0 first-period lead only for the veteran Sharks to come back and tie the game with just over 15 minutes to play.
Milan Lucic and Oscar Klefbom scored for the Oilers before 18,347 fans at sold-out Rogers Place.
Joel Ward and Paul Martin replied for San Jose in regulation time.