Focus needs to be on our game, Julien says
Habs, Rangers set for Game 4
A playoff series can resemble a chess match, with coaches making adjustments from game to game.
But the men behind the bench in the CanadiensRangers matchup are both hoping they can make the other guy adjust.
“I’d rather have teams adjust to us than to have to adjust to them,” Canadiens coach Claude Julien said as he prepared for Game 4 in the best-of-seven series Tuesday. “That’s not to say you don’t tweak a few things because (the Rangers) are good in certain areas, but you want to play your game.”
New York coach Alain Vigneault takes a similar approach, but he’s aware the Rangers didn’t play their game in a 3-1 loss to the Canadiens Sunday.
“We’ve played a certain way in the regular season and it got us where we are today,” Vigneault said. “There will be some minor adjustments, but the most important thing is our execution.”
The Rangers have struggled at home this season and they have a six-game playoff losing streak at Madison Square Garden.
“(The losing streak) isn’t something I’m thinking about today,” Vigneault said. “I’m thinking about the game tomorrow and, if we win, it’s 2-2.”
Vigneault used a golf analogy to express his philosophy.
“If you have a bad round, you can’t take that with you the next time you play,” Vigneault said. “Look at Sergio Garcia at the Masters. He didn’t dwell on his bad shots or all those years when he didn’t win majors.”
Both teams rely on speed, defence and the transition game and the Canadiens have done a better job of limiting the Rangers’ chances. After the Game 3 loss, Vigneault expressed frustration with the players on his top lines. Chris Kreider, the team’s leading goal scorer, is looking for his first point of the series. So are J.T. Miller, Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Hayes. Mats Zuccarello has one goal.
The teams prepared for Game 4 differently. The Rangers had a full practice, while the Canadiens viewed some videos, played a little soccer in the MSG garage and generally took it easy.
Vigneault said he was contemplating some lineup changes, while the Canadiens will, in Julien’s words, likely “stay the course.”