On the strength of a first period Tanner Glass goal, Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers take Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens.

  • New York Rangers 2 (1-0)
  • Montreal Canadiens 0 (0-1)
  • Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 1
  • Game 1, Final, Box Score
  • Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
On a night names like Carey Price and Chris Kreider received all the attention, it was another guy who stole the show.

It was none other than Henrik Lundqvist, the future hall of fame goaltender who, this season, snuck into the top 10 of all-time in the category of wins. In stopping all 31 shots, Hank picked up his 10th career playoff shutout in the New York Rangers 2-0 Game 1 victory.

There were good chunks of the game that saw the Montreal Canadiens showcase the clear edge in play. Early in the first period, this was the case as the Habs came out with an aggressive and physical mindset in looking to capitalize against the perceived “soft” Blueshirts.

With Lundqvist as the backbone, though, the road team weathered the storm and struck first. Guess who struck first, on a scorer’s goal, no less? That’s right, it was Tanner Glass.

Off the face-off, teaming up with linemates Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast, Glass backhanded one No. 99 would be proud of:

The second period belonged to New York. Up and down, left and right, Alain Vigneault‘s squad completely dominated play. Still, though, they were stymied by the other goaltender in the game, Carey Price. 

Price, while he didn’t star like Lundqvist, was great in his own right. He stopped 29 of the 30 Rangers shots he was tasked with.

What was amazing from the Rangers point of view was the idea that the defensive structure held firm. Granted, Montreal isn’t blessed with the most skilled players, but from Brendan Smith to Brady Skjei to Marc Staal, the Rangers were terrific on the defensive end of the ice. The captain, Ryan McDonagh, also deserves a serious mention.

Michael Grabner added an empty-netter with 1:10 remaining in regulation, one that sent the home crowd packing.

New York takes a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 is set for Friday night in Montreal with the puck slated to be dropped at 7 p.m. ET.

 NEXT: Chris Kreider is the Not-So-Secret Weapon 

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Robby Sabo
https://jetsxfactor.com
Robby Sabo is a co-founder, CEO and credentialed New York Jets content creator for Jets X-Factor - Jet X, which includes Sabo's Sessions (in-depth film breakdowns) and Sabo with the Jets. Host: Underdog Jets Podcast with Wayne Chrebet and Sabo Radio. Member: Pro Football Writers of America. Coach: Port Jervis (NY) High School. Washed up strong safety and 400M runner. SEO: XL Media. Founder: Elite Sports NY - ESNY (Sold in 2020). SEO: XL Media. Email: robby.sabo[at]jetsxfactor.com

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