Frank LorenzoThe Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers will open an unexpected Eastern Conference final this Saturday at 1 PM ET, when they meet in game one of the series at the Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers will open an unexpected Eastern Conference final this Saturday at 1 PM ET, when they meet in game one of the series at the Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Montreal beat the Bruins at Boston in game seven; New York did the same against the Penguins in Pittsburgh.
“I know they went into the Boston series saying that they felt Boston didn’t respect them. We respect Montreal quite a bit,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said after practice Friday before traveling north. “They’re not only a very strong team, but they’re a team that has beaten the No. 1 team in the NHL right now, a team that went to the Stanley Cup finals last year, a team that beat the New York Rangers in five games last year. We know that we’ve got our hands full.
“They’re the favorites. Against Tampa Bay and against Boston, they were the underdogs, they didn’t have home ice. Now, they’re going into this series very likely expected to win. Pressure does funny things to different people. I’m anxious to see how we’re going to react. I’m sure they’re anxious to see how they’re going to act.”
The NHL money line for this game have the Canediens as favorites listed at -121 and the Rangers are +110. The game total is at five goals. Montreal has won six of the last seven games in the series, but that win by New York was in Canada.
