HABS & HAB NOTS
The Rangers will cross divisions as the first wild card to face their old foes, the Canadiens, in the first round
It was just three seasons ago when the Bell Centre in Montreal was still the House of Horrors for the Rangers. But after they beat the Canadiens in the 2014 Eastern Conference final, that little bit of bad feeling was extinguished.
At least, that is what the Rangers hope as they head up North to start the first round of the playoffs against the Habs, Wednesday at 7 p.m. Both teams have gone through big transitions since that series, so The Post’s Brett Cyrgalis breaks down who the Rangers will be facing. COACH
Claude Julien. In a move that only happens in the NHL, the Bruins fired Claude Julien on Feb. 7, and on Feb. 14, the Canadiens fired their coach, Michel Therrien, and immediately named Julien his replacement. Believe it or not, it was the second time this exact thing happened with both men in the Montreal organization, the first time coming in the middle of the 2002-03 season.
Since Julien took over (again), he righted a ship that had gone astray. The Habs had started 13-1-1, but by the time he took over, they were 31-19-8. Julien got them to play more sound defensively, and finished the season on a 16-7-1 run, winning the Atlantic Division with 103 points.
WHO TO WATCH
UP FRONT
Max Pacioretty. The Connecticut kid and the Canadiens captain had another terrific regular season, leading the team with 35 goals, 32 assists and 67 points. He is a bigbodied center who has a knack for the front of the net and the skill to play away from it.
BACK END
Shea Weber. Part of the league’s blockbuster offseason trade, Weber came to the Habs from Nashville in exchange for the bombastic P.K. Subban. Nicknamed “Man Mountain,” Weber is 6-foot4, 240 pounds, and the righty has the hardest shot in the league. Rumor has it he lost a puck battle sometime in juniors, but no one can be sure.
IN NETS
Carey Price. One of the best players in the world, Price is a likely finalist for the Vezina Trophy again. He was infamously run over by Chris Kreider in Game 1 of the 2014 matchup, and missed the rest of the series won by the Rangers in six games. But Price has been healthy for most of this season, putting up a 2.23 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage, and is fully able to steal games all on his own.
X-FACTOR
Physicality. General manager Marc Bergevin has been under siege for some time now, and after pulling off the Weber-Subban deal last summer, revamped his lineup again at the deadline by adding some grit. Bergevin obtained forwards Dwight King and Steve Ott, along with defenseman Jordie Been, adding a snarl to their previously finesse style of play.
HEALTH CONCERN
Defenseman Alexei Emelin missed the final two games of the regular season and was set to be re-evaluated before Game 1. If he’s out, the Habs’ blueline depth with be tested.