Today at 1:00 p.m. ET, the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens faceoff in the opening game of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals series as part of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The game can be live streamed for free here. New York fans can hear all of the action on 98.7 WEPN while Montreal fans can do the same on TSN 690.
These teams meet in the playoffs for the first time in 18 years and this will be the 15th meeting in the postseason for these two Original Six franchises. Each team has won seven series over the other, with the Rangers beating the Canadiens in the last meeting in 1996.
New York survived two Game 7s to get here, beating the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 1 and then coming back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 2. Montreal made it easy for itself in Round 1, knocking off the Tampa Bay Lightning in four games, but in Round 2 it took a two-game winning streak and a Game 7 road win to knock off the Presidents' Trophy-winning Boston Bruins.
New York makes it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in three years while Montreal enters it for the first time since 2010. The Canadiens took the season series two games to one.
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was the hero in Game 7 against the Penguins for the Rangers, but his struggles in Montreal are well documented. Still, the ever cool netminder is excited for Game 1 in the Bell Centre, a place that has been his house of horrors.
"I look forward to going there," Lundqvist said Friday when asked about playing at Bell Centre, according to NHL.com. "It's a conference final in Montreal. That's special. I'm excited about that. When it comes to my game, I just try to go out and play the same way. Don't overthink it. Just go out and enjoy it."
Lundqvist is 8-6 this postseason and ranks tied for first in save percentage (.931) and second in goals-against average (1.99). He'll be countered by Carey Price, who is 8-3 and ranks fourth in the playoffs in save percentage (.926) and fifth in GAA (2.15).
The Canadiens may be considered favorites due to their home ice advantage and the Rangers struggles in the Bell Centre, but the team is impressed with the way the Blueshirts have played, especially ex-Ranger Dale Weise.
"What do I like about the Rangers? Well, what's there not to like about them?" Weise told NHL.com. "They've got an elite goaltender. I saw it with my own eyes. Henrik Lundqvist is outstanding. They have solid D. They have good speed and they're strong up front. Their smaller players are feisty and they battle for the puck. It will be a good matchup."
P.K. Subban has paced Montreal this postseason with 12 points off of four goals and eight assists whle Lars Eller and Brandon Gallager each have four goals and five assists apiece for nine points.
Brad Richards has paced New York with nine points off of four goals and five assists while Mats Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot have each found the twine three times and added five helpers for eight points.
The Eastern Conference Finals kickoff when the Rangers and Canadiens hit the ice for Game 1at the Bell Centre in Montreal as part of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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