2014 NHL Playoff Schedule, Standings, This Week's Predictions: Rangers Have Chance to End Series Against Canadiens
It's been a long time for Rangers fans, 20 years to be exact.
In that time period, since 1994, the Big Apple and the New York Metropolitan area has witnessed two Super Bowls, three Stanley Cup titles, and five World Series championships. Unfortunately for the Rangers, they have not been back to the Stanley Cup since 1994.
But this squad has a chance to end that drought. The Rangers are just one game away from the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals, and they have a chance to advance Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens. The Rangers will take their 3-1 series lead into the Bell Centre in Montreal in front of thousands of screaming Canadiens fans. The Canadiens have a very difficult task of overcoming a 3-1 series deficit, and they must win three straight games without their starting goaltender Carey Price.
There were recent rumors that Price would attempt to make an entry in game five. However, coach Michel Therrien has debunked that myth. Price was injured in game one, when Chris Kreider slid and fell into Price injuring his knee and he hasn't played since.
The Rangers are led by Swedish goalie Henrik Lundqvist who has been spectacular this postseason. In his 18 games started this postseason, Lundqvist has a record of 11-7 and a 1.93 goals against average. He has stopped a combined 93 percent of the shots he's faced this postseason. Aside from the overall numbers, Lundqvist has been extremely clutch for the Rangers when they needed him most. In both game sevens this postseason, Lundqvist was brilliant allowing just one goal to the Philadelphia Flyers and one goal to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Canadiens may be playing without their starting goaltender, but their inability to put the puck in the net is the problem, not keeping it out.
Most of the pressure will fall on the Canadiens in game five. They are playing home, and they are in a "win or go home" scenario. This could be the last game the Canadiens play of the 2014 season. The country of Canada bleeds hockey, and a Canadiens elimination would be devastating as they were the only Canadian based NHL team of the seven to make the postseason. The last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was 21 years ago in 1993, when Patrick Roy led the team to victory over Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings.
For New York fans, this would be huge as the Knicks and Nets have both been eliminated from the NBA playoffs, and the NFL season is still not for another four months. A New York team hasn't been crowned at Madison Square Garden since the '94 Rangers, and before that, the '70 Knicks who defeated the Los Angeles Lakers at home. The Los Angeles Kings remain in the playoffs in the Western Conference Finals and have a 3-1 lead over the Blackhawks. Maybe there's some good luck for Madison Square Garden teams that play against Los Angeles teams in the finals.
Game five begins Tuesday night at 8 p.m. EST.
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