Playoff Preview: Canadiens vs Rangers (Round 3, Game 5)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens are home to host the Rangers Tuesday night at the Bell Centre in a critical Game 5 with the Habs trailing 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Martin St. Louis pushed the Habs to the brink of elimination with his overtime winner a little over 6 minutes into the extra frame. The Rangers also got goals from Carl Hagelin and Derrick Brassard, who missed the previous two games, in the 3-2 win. Montreal went 1-for-8 on the power play and gave up a short handed goal.

The game starts at 8:00 and airs on CBC and RDS.

What to Watch:

The Canadiens haven't got much scoring in this series from their big threats up front. The team has only 5 goals in 4 games from their forwards and none have scored more than once. Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta have no goals on a combined 18 shots, Thomas Vanek has 4 shots and 1 assist in the series.

Carl Hagelin opened the scoring Sunday night with his sixth goal of the playoffs. St. Louis' game winner also gave him 6 goals, tops among the Rangers in the playoffs. New York's success however continues to hinge on the stellar play of Henrik Lundqvist, the playoff leader in GAA (1.98), Save Percentage (.931) and wins (11, tied with Jonathan Quick).

What's at Stake:

The Canadiens are once again in must-win territory after surviving two elimination games against the Bruins last series. The Rangers know what the Habs are going through, they came back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Penguins in the second round, which could make things even harder for Montreal.

Who's Out:

Carey Price (knee) is still out of action for Montreal, although he did find himself back on the ice in practice on Monday, albeit without his goalie equipment. Brandon Prust will serve the second game of his two-game suspension for his late hit to Derek Stepan.

Stepan (jaw) joined the Rangers in Montreal and could be ready to play on Tuesday. Daniel Carcillo remains out with a suspension.

What Else:

The Canadiens power play finally managed to solve the Rangers penalty kill on Sunday, but only once and on 8 chances. The good news for the Habs is that after a disastrous Game 1, they've only allowed 1 goal on 8 power play attempts to the Rangers in the next 3 games.

The Question Mark:

Tell us what you think, what's been the biggest positive for the Habs in these playoffs, where do they need the most improvement?

Let us know by sending us your answers on Twitter using the #MTLHockey hashtag, or leave a comment below.

The Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show starts an hour before puck drop, join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter. And don’t miss the Post Game Show starting 5 minutes after the final siren.

Posted in: brian gionta,carl hagelin,henrik lundqvist,Martin St-Louis,montreal canadiens,New York Rangers,thomas vanek,Tomas Plekanec