Home ice no advantage for Rangers
Canadiens grab series lead while New York’s MSG skid hits six games in post-season
NEW YORK— Carey Price made 20 saves, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarter-final series on Sunday.
Montreal leads the best-of-seven set 2-1. Game 4 goes Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Artturi Lehkonen and Shea Weber scored power-play goals for the Canadiens, and Alexander Radulov added a spectacular even-strength goal late in the third.
Despite a strong 26-save performance from Henrik Lundqvist, New York dropped its second straight in the series, and sixth home playoff game in a row. In that stretch, dating back to Game 2 of the 2015 Eastern Conference final, New York has been outscored 20-4 at MSG. New York’s 21-16-4 home record in the regular season was the worst of all 16 teams in the playoffs.
Brady Skjei’s goal at 17:04 of the third was New York’s lone goal.
It took 37:37 spanning the first and second periods to beat either goaltender. When the ice was broken, it was Lehkonen one-timing a goalline feed from Brendan Gallagher for a power-play goal. It was Lehkonen’s first in the playoffs and third in three career games against New York.
Until that goal, the game was almost a virtual replay of Games 1 and 2. In that the Canadiens forced the Rangers into playing a style of hockey that they are not built for. At their best, the Rangers play a quick puck movement, up-tempo, pressuring style of hockey.
Through much of the first two games and essentially all of Game 3, Montreal forced New York into neutral-zone dumps, most of which were cleared with ease. In doing so, the Canadiens limited New York to 21 shots. By comparison, Montreal was credited with 29 shots on goal.
Weber’s power-play goal 7:42 into the third period decided the game. Weber one-timed a feed from Alex Galchenyuk past Lundqvist to finish off a sequence that began with Jeff Petry knocking the puck off Rick Nash’s stick in the defensive zone to start the counterattack.
Montreal went 2 for 3 with the man advantage and killed all three New York power plays.
Radulov’s forehand-backhand goal with 4:25 left increased Montreal’s lead to 3-0. The right winger held off New York centre Kevin Hayes as he barreled down the slot, then flipped in his second of these playoffs, and his seventh career playoff goal.
Skjei’s goal ended the scoring and ruined Price’s shutout bid. It was his first career playoff goal.