It was a YAY and BOO night for the New York Rangers at Bell Centre in Habtown.
It was a YAY and BOO night for the New York Rangers at Bell Centre in Habtown.
YAY for an energetic comeback after being down three-zip to Marty St. Louis' better-than-expected Canadiens.
BOO for failing to tie the knot on the pretty gift package as up-and-coming young Sam
Montembeault out-saved not-so-young Jonathan Quick 46-28, making the most important stoppers in the Shootout.
New York's point is a tribute to their comeback ability and -- in this case, on the road in a barn in which it's not easy to make hay.
Kudos to Vincent Trocheck for starting the rally with The Visitors down 0-3 and Slingin' Sam making like The Great Wall of China in the home crease.
"We showed good character coming back with three," Trocheck allowed, "and In a shootout, anyone can win."
Breadman Panarin thought Vinnie had a good idea going and increased the rally to 2-3. That, in coach Peter Laviolette's view, was a turning point in the see-saw match.
"Once we made it a 3-2 game," added New York's skipper, "we really pressed them."
A one-timer from the point through traffic, courtesy of Adam Fox, capped the colossal comeback at 9:30. of the third period.
"We battled back hard," said Fox, who is looking every bit a Norris Trophy finalist.
Having tied the count at 3-3, the Rangers figured to complete the super-saga with just one more bit of lamp-lighting, but Monsieur Montembeau said, "Enough Already," and he meant it.
So did The Amazing Mister Quick for the rest of the way and in overtime, and you know what that meant, don't you; the shootout that so many hate and quite a few -- especially the Habs -- adore.
Although the Blueshirts went oh-for-three in what the angry purists like to call "A skills competition"-- and, by the way, what's so wrong with that? -- Mika Zibanejad nearly beat Slingin' Sam with his cutesy move.
But the Habs goalkeeper has a good memory, Just when it appeared that he was beaten, Mister M reached back to clear the rubber and save that second-rounder for his team.
"It was the same move he used against me last year," Montembeault recalled, "only last year he scored."
In the end, it was Montreal's Cole Caufield who sent the Seventh Avenue skaters back across the border with less-than-gigantic smiles on their mugs.
For those Rangers fans who hate shootouts, don't read the following:
The Blueshirts who struck out, apart from Mighty Mika, were Breadman -- the loaf got cold -- and Alex (He's Really Getting Better. Really!) Lafreniere.
No matter, the Rangers return secure in the knowledge of what really matters. To wit:
1. Comeback Ability: The New York arsenal could only be blunted by out-of-his-mind goaltending.
2. Adam Fox remains a contender for a second Norris Trophy.
3. The Rangers effectively have clinched first place in the Metro Division.
"We'd have loved to have gotten two points," Fox concluded, "but we worked hard for the point that we got."
Bottom Line: Good work; good point. Or, to put it another way, good point, good work.
The Maven's point; they'll take it!