Empire Writes Back
Fansided

New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadians: 5 Players To Watch

By Kenneth Teape

Mar 4, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Montreal Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty (67) and New York Rangers center Chris Kreider (21) battle for position during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Monteal won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Montreal Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty (67) and New York Rangers center Chris Kreider (21) battle for position during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Monteal won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next

New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens: 5 Players To Watch In First Round Matchup

New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadians: 5 Players To Watch
Mar 4, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Montreal Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty (67) and New York Rangers center Chris Kreider (21) battle for position during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Monteal won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /

The NHL Playoffs get underway tonight as 16 teams begin their quest for the Stanley Cup. One of the series that begin tonight is between the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens.

This will be the first time since the 2014 postseason that the Rangers and Canadiens face each other in the postseason. That year, the Rangers defeated the Canadiens in six games. Will the Rangers be able to do that again?

Judging from the regular season, it will be a tall task for the Rangers. The Canadiens swept the regular season series from New York, winning all three matchups. Two of the games were close, as the first matchup was decided by one goal and the second was won in a shootout. The final matchup the Canadiens won easily, defeating the Rangers 4-1.

This series will matchup one of the highest scoring offenses in the NHL in the Rangers against one of the stingiest defenses in the Canadiens. The Rangers averaged 3.1 goals per game, which was fourth in the NHL. The Canadiens surrendered only 2.4 goals per game, which was the fourth-best mark in the league.

Will the Rangers offense prevail, or will the Canadiens defense stifle them as they did in the regular season? There will be a number of players that play a big part in deciding this series. Check out our slideshow of the five players to watch in the first round series between the Rangers and Canadiens.

Home/New York Rangers