The New York Rangers have been terrific on the road all season (their 27-12-2 record away from MSG was tops in the NHL), and that continued in Games 1 and 2 of their series against the Canadiens.
Thanks to their ability to play solid defense, score timely goals and get saves in key situations, New York is heading back home with a 1-1 split.
Usually, going back home tied after the first two games of a series is good news, but is that really the case for the Rangers?
Stream Rangers vs. Canadiens on NBC Sports
“I think regular season we had our struggles, but this is a new season once playoffs come around, and everything that’s happened before is erased,” forward Rick Nash said, per the New York Daily News. “Our fans, I think the building is gonna be loud and we’ve got to be ready for the start of the game.”
Of all the teams in the playoffs, the Rangers are the ones that have collected the least amount of points at home (46) in 2016-17. They’ve also dropped each of their last five home playoff games. To make matters worse, they’ve been outscored 18-3 during that stretch.
On the bright side, they’re getting key saves from goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Don’t let the four goals against in Game 2 fool you, Lundqvist has been terrific throughout the series. He’s given his team a chance to win both games, and they were 17 seconds away from doing just that.
“We look forward to playing in front of our own fans,” said Lundqvist. “That’s exciting. “They’re a good team; they’re a fast team; they create a lot. It hasn’t changed. We go home and get ready for a game.”