MONTREAL — Nearly half the game had gone by before the Rangers could connect within their own game Saturday night.
Once they did, however, it was impossible for the Canadiens to suppress as the Blueshirts clawed back from a three-goal deficit to force overtime and collect one point before Habs forward Cole Caufield scored in the shootout to secure a 4-3 win for the home team.
Having to settle for a single point, the Rangers missed out on an opportunity to take sole possession of first place in the NHL. Instead, they moved into a three-way tie for the No. 1 spot.
“There was plenty of up and down inside of [the game],” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “I thought we had a ton of looks, ton of chances. They in turn also had some chances and [Jonathan Quick] made some saves. … It was an entertaining game, but definitely some things we could’ve cleaned up.”
The Rangers took hit after hit after hit on the scoreboard through the first 25 minutes or so, falling into a 3-0 hole by the 2:39 mark of the second period.
Jonathan Quick give up a goal to Brendan Gallagher (not pictured) during the first period of the Rangers’ shootout loss. APMontreal unloaded a one-two punch 90 seconds apart with goals from Sean Monahan and Joel Armia in the middle frame.
It had the Bell Centre crowd confidently singing, “Olay, Olay, Olay.”
Once the Rangers got their blood pumping from killing off Chris Kreider’s hooking penalty, the visitors quickly quieted the Canadiens fans.
Vincent Trocheck deflected an Erik Gustafsson shot to get the Rangers on the board. The tide had officially turned, and the Rangers rode it right back into the game.
Artemi Panarin (left) celebrates with Vincent Trocheck after his second-period goal in the Rangers’ shootout loss. Trocheck had scored a few minutes earlier. APWinning the faceoff draw less than five minutes later, Trocheck pushed the puck forward and dished to Artemi Panarin without hesitation. Panarin had also skated right toward the net, which gave the star Russian wing a clear shot for his 25th goal of the season and the 3-2 score.
Trocheck noted that it was a set play he and Panarin had agreed on beforehand.
The equalizer came from Adam Fox, who snapped a 19-game goal drought with a snap shot from the top of the zone at the 9:30 mark of the third period.
At that point, the fans clad in blue sprinkled around the arena broke out in their own song, a “Let’s go Rangers” chant.
Cole Caufield scores the game-winning goal on Jonathan Quick in the Rangers’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Canadiens. APA goalie battle ensued in overtime, with Canadiens netminder Sam Montembeault continuing to frustrate the Rangers.
Posting 17 saves in the middle frame along the way to 45 on the night, Montembeault was spectacular as he denied Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere in the shootout.
Zibanejad attempted “The Forsberg” and it was almost perfectly executed. Montembeault managed to extend his stick out to stop the puck as the rest of his body was faked out of the net.
Will Cuylle (right) celebrates after Adam Fox (not pictured) scores a goal on Sam Montembeault during the third period for the Rangers’ shootout loss. AP“He was big all the way through,” Laviolette said of Montembeault, who withstood 48 shots from the Rangers.
Quick helped stabilize the Rangers after Montreal had seemingly blown the game open. And in overtime, the 37-year-old was locked in to keep his team alive.
With six saves in the extra period and 27 in total in the loss, Quick fell to 9-2-2.
“I think we deserved to win,” Quick said. “Their guy made probably a few saves that he shouldn’t have. There’s probably one or two I wish I got a piece of. I think that kind of sums up the game there.”
