New York Rangers Game Thread: Rangers vs. Canadiens, Game 2
Wow... here we go.
Carey Price is out for the rest of the series. Chris Kreider is a marked man. The Habs are coming into Game 2 with wounded pride and revenge on their minds. I have seen enough hockey to know that Game 2 is going to be a war. Let's just hope that we don't see any more injuries in this series than we already have seen. The final score of this game isn't going to be 7-2. The Rangers will almost certainly never get the bounces and chances that they got in Game 1 again and the Habs will adapt to the Rangers cycling the puck and finding open men around the net. I expect we'll see a scoreline that looks more like the scorelines we saw when these two teams played during the regular season.
Expect tonight's game to be an intense one. I didn't consider this much of a rivalry (in the modern game) just a few days ago. Right now I feel like this is a very real rivalry that has the potential to turn very, very nasty. Here's hoping it doesn't. I'd like to watch playoff hockey... Anyone else nervous as all hell?
Mike's Player to Watch: Chris Kreider (and Batman).
Chris Kreider has a target on his head tonight and he knows it and he knows there are players on the Habs that are more than capable of giving him a lot more than just some bumps in bruises. He would have had a target on his head even if Carey Price was in net for the way his speed and power took over Game 1 but the fact that his collision with Price has knocked the Habs elite goaltender out of the series likely means that the Canadiens will be looking for some retribution.
If things start to get pear-shaped one can only hope that Batman pulls up in the Batmobile and just starts applying flying-knees to the chins and throats of people until everyone settles down and listens to his batjustice.
Let's go Rangers. Let's go hockey.