The New York Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens by the score of 3-2 in overtime of Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal match-up to take a 3-2 series lead. For a box score, click here.
3 Stars
1st Star – The joy I had watching this helpless nucklehead behind Zibanejad being reduced to a neanderthal who can do nothing but give the finger after his team goes down in flames (H/T to reader John)…
2nd Star – Lundqvist’s postgame reaction…
3rd Star – Vigneault jumping around like a little kid after the winner…
Post Game Cocktail Recommendation
Since Mika Zibanejad had the final say in tonight’s game, I’ve got to recommend The Last Word.
Gif of the Game
Girardi hits Shaw so hard his glove goes flying off…
Just Put It On Loop Rangers Fans
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a-SgFE8O7Q&w=560&h=315]Brassard who?
To say it’s been a struggle for both Zibanejad and Kreider in this series could be the understatement of the century. Right, Chris?
So the two of them teaming up on the game winner should be huge for their confidence going forward.
And don’t discount the addition of Buchnevich to this line as the Russian rookie is creating offense on every shift.
FYI, make sure you do watch the above video for no other reason than the Dave Maloney scream when Zibanejad scores.
Warrior
Ladies and gentleman, your Captain: Ryan McDonagh!!!!
The guy is almost knocked out of the game, then on the very next shift puts Shaw through the boards as the umpteenth reminder to Montreal that they made one of the worst trades in NHL history…
Watching McD take that kind of jolt and bounce back reminded me of 2012 playoff series against the Capitals when he shrugged off this hit…
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4goOcqyWk5s&w=560&h=315]I swear McDonagh should have this song as his intro music whenever he walks into a room…
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47y5bo8wtqM&w=560&h=315]These Refs Suck!!!!!
The officiating was so atrocious, I literally don’t have the bandwidth to give you gif after gif after gif of the refs looking the other way at not just penalties, but dangerous acts of violence from Canadiens players. I mean, if a slash to the face isn’t being called, then I’m not sure the Rangers will see a power play unless a Montreal player takes off one of their skates and stabs somebody with it. And even then I’m not sure.
[protected-iframe id=”00e12d50d66f8b5d3f05b4976831f62b-114320562-46273279″ info=”https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/embed/d86256b6-5e8c-434a-abb7-55fddcb13d6b?autoplay=false” ]Look, I’m an old school guy who wants the refs to let them play in the postseason, but what’s being ignored is downright criminal. Montreal wants this to be a street fight because they can’t beat the Rangers straight up, so for the refs to be complicit is beyond frustrating.
The Rangers deserve some of the blame as well because if they, you know, actually scored on the rare power play chance they do draw, the Canadiens might be deterred from being so physical.
I can’t tell you how furious I was at the officiating tonight.
I Love You Man!
I F’n love Brendan Smith…
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hckdoms3kyQ&w=560&h=315]Smith wasn’t acquired to be the missing piece of a potential Stanley Cup run. His services were summoned to provide some stability to a wobbly Rangers blueline. But the more you watch him, the more he looks like the kind of guy you need on the backend of a championship team. Sure, he provides zero offense, but he’s been able to thrive in the dirty, ugly, mean minutes that have become commonplace in this series.
Unfortunately, Smith’s solid play this postseason is only raising his price tag this summer, but hopefully his time in New York will entice him to give Gorton a hometown discount.
Mini Recap
Between the Canadiens dirty play and the ref’s blind eye, I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted the Rangers to win a game as badly as I did tonight. I literally woke up all three of my sleeping children when Zibanejad banged home the winner. I’m still so jacked!!!!!
The first 38 minutes sadly resembled much of what we witnessed in Game 3. Zero net front presence. No pucks deep. And Lundqvist bailing the team out. But then Rick Nash drove to the net and the entire complexion of the game changed. Rangers fans have waited five long years, but Nash is finally dominating a playoff series.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhU4BuHcbfw&w=560&h=315]The Calder Trophy (top rookie) candidates were nominated today. And while Skjei was rightfully no where near the top three, we are getting a glimpse of a game breaking defenseman in the making.
Similar to Montreal in the overtime of Game 2, it wasn’t a matter of if the Rangers were going to win, but when as they completely dominated the extra frame.
Can you award The Broadway Hat to an entire penalty kill corps?
After posting an early game changing breakaway save in Game 4, Lundqvist had a sequel in Game 5 only this time it was late in the 3rd period…
I’m not sure if it was the time off due to multiple injuries or that he just matches up well with Montreal, but Dan Girardi has been a rock in this series. And, as Micheletti reported after the game, he’s doing this with an ankle so gruesome from blocking a shot earlier in the season, he’s had to use a modified skate to get his ankle into the boot.
After one of his best defensive efforts of the season in Game 4, Marc Staal may have had one of the worst sequences of his career on Montreal’s first goal tonight…
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtJw-O7mTA0&w=560&h=315]Has there ever been a more unheralded Rangers player than Jesper Fast? Never gets the credit he deserves.
The Rangers have taken two out of three in Montreal, but I’m assuming they want nothing to do with a return trip to the Province of Quebec, so expect them to come out hard and fast with their, hopefully, new found confidence on home ice Saturday night.
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