Opinion
3 min read

Will the Montreal Canadiens Glide Past the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden?

As the Montreal Canadiens prepare to face off against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, fans are eager to see if their team can rebound from a recent shutout loss. The Canadiens' performance on March 30th against the Carolina Hurricanes was less than stellar, as they failed to score a single goal while allowing three past their netminder. Despite making 27 saves and boasting a save percentage of 100 percent, it wasn't enough to secure a win.


Feb 15, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller (79) grabs Montreal Canadiens left wing Juraj Slafkovsky (20) during a scuffle in the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Habs have shown resilience in past games, however. On March 28th against the Philadelphia Flyers, they managed an impressive victory with four goals scored on just 17 shots – an astonishing shooting percentage of 24 percent – and two of those goals were scored into an empty net. Their powerplay clicked that night with one goal from two opportunities and their goaltending was solid with another save percentage of 100 percent.


In contrast, when visiting Colorado Avalanche on March 27th, MTL demonstrated their ability to perform under pressure away from home by securing a win with two goals scored on 27 shots. Their faceoff game was strong that night as well; winning over half of their draws.


Feb 15, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Will Cuylle (50) celebrates after scoring a goal in the second period against the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The upcoming game presents both challenges and opportunities for MTL. The Rangers will be looking to capitalize on home ice advantage but will need more than just crowd support to overcome Montreal's potential for high shooting efficiency and solid goaltending.


One area where MTL might focus is improving their powerplay performance; converting more chances could be key in swinging tight games in their favor. Additionally, tightening up defensively could help reduce giveaways which have been notably higher in losses compared to wins.


Feb 15, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Will Cuylle (50) celebrates after scoring a goal in the second period against the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Looking ahead at this matchup, it's clear that if Montreal can replicate the sharpshooting and stalwart goaltending displayed against Philadelphia while tightening up defensively and capitalizing on powerplays as they did in Colorado, they stand a good chance of skating away with a victory over NYR.


Fans won't want to miss this exciting matchup scheduled for April 7th at Madison Square Garden starting at 7:00 PM ET. The game will be broadcasted live on ESPN+ online platform and MSG2 television network for those who want to catch every moment of what promises to be an enthralling encounter between these storied franchises.

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