Following Wednesday night’s 5-1 defeat to the Canadiens at the Garden, Vigneault set up Thursday’s practice in Westchester County with Emerson Etem skating as the fourth-line right wing, while Dylan McIlrath came in on defense in place of Dan Boyle.
Advertisement
Behind Price, who won 44 games, the Canadiens finished first in the Atlantic Division with 110 points. “If (the Canadiens) play a hundred foot, a hundred fifty foot, game they are a very deadly team”.
Third Period_4, Montreal, Smith-Pelly 3 (Plekanec),:17. “A lot of guys have been playing with a lot of (different) guys. The first line is really the only that’s stuck; everyone’s used to moving around playing with everyone”. At that point, things began to look pretty grim for the Rangers, then Max Pacioretty put the nail in the coffin to make it a 5-1 game.
Blue Jackets 2, Devils 1 – Matt Calvert scored the tiebreaking goal late in the second period and Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves to help lift visiting Columbus. “It’s really important to take [Thursday’s practice] and get ourselves moving in the right direction”.
“It will be great, it will be exciting”, coach John Hynes said. “We’re going to get better, there is no doubt in my mind”. With all due respect to Mike Condon, go back to his four appearances before Wednesday night and you’ll find he allowed 13 goals and came up with one win against three losses.
Solving Henrik Lundqvist will prove to be the biggest challenge the Habs have had to face in a while, as the Swedish superstar is having a tremendous season. Smith-Pelly extended the lead to 2-0 at 2:25 of the second period after the Rangers lost track of him in coverage.
The Hart Trophy victor returned to action for the Canadiens last Friday, and the Rangers were just the third opponent he had faced since coming back.
Carey Price has excelled against the Rangers since the start of his professional career, posting a 1.75 GAA and a 11-5-1 record with seven shutouts against Alain Vigneault’s team. “We made a bunch of mistakes that ended up in the back our net”. Well, the one drawback now that Price is injured again. Condon has been solid all season, as the rookie is 7-2-2 with a respectable.
“We don’t know how long Carey will be out, but for us, it’s business as usual”, Therrien said.
Canadiens coach Michel Therrien told reporters after the game that Price has a lower-body injury of the same nature as the one he suffered October 29.
Injury update: Price aggravated the knee injury that sidelined him for nine games this season and that prompted a suggestion that he came back too soon.
Advertisement
The Canadiens were clearly the better team for the first half of the game and jumped out to a 2-0 lead, scoring early in the first and second. C Bud Holloway and D Jarred Tinordi were scratches….
