New York Rangers: 3 Keys to Eliminate the Montreal Canadiens

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Apr 14, 2017; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New York Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello (36) reacts with teammates after scoring a goal against Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /

– Score on power play

This season, the Rangers were one of the better teams in the NHL on the power play. Overall, the Rangers ranked 10^th in the NHL in power play percentage for the season. However, they haven’t had that success in the playoffs so far.

In Game 1, the Rangers had four power play opportunities but were unable to convert on any of them. Even though the Rangers won that game 2-0, they could have given themselves some breathing room with a power-play goal, as the second goal of the game was an empty-netter by Michael Grabner.

Following the 0-for-4 in Game 1, the Rangers went 0-for-3 in Game 2. Luckily, the Rangers’ penalty kills played well, as they didn’t allow a power-play goal on four chances. Game 3 was when the Rangers really slipped up on special teams. They allowed two power-play goals and then didn’t convert on either of their chances. In a game that was decided by two goals, the Rangers don’t need to look much further than their special teams for the loss.

In the Game 4 win, the power play struggles continued. The Rangers went 0-for-2 once again, and they haven’t scored a power-play goal in 12 chances in the series. If the Rangers want to beat the Canadiens, scoring a power-play goal would help them achieve that.

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