Canadiens at Rangers
The Montreal Canadiens posted one of their biggest wins of the season in their last visit to Madison Square Garden, knocking off the red-hot New York Rangers in a shootout on Feb. 21. Montreal is on a roll entering Saturday's rematch against the host Rangers, having ripped off four consecutive victories to solidify its hold atop the Atlantic Division.
The Canadiens had dropped three in a row and six of seven prior to their last trip to the Big Apple, but Paul Byron provided the game-winner in the shootout to halt the slide. Byron kept the current win streak intact, delivering the decisive tally with nine seconds left in regulation in Thursday's 2-1 home win over Nashville. New York, which had won seven of eight before its last meeting with the Canadiens, bounced back from a pair of three-goal losses with a 2-1 win at Boston on Thursday. Following Saturday's contest, the Rangers play their next four games on the road, where they are a league-best 22-8-0 compared to 19-13-2 at MSG.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, CBC, TVAS (Montreal), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (36-21-8): Byron not only ended a 13-game goalless drought against Nashville, but his winning tally marked his first point during that span. "I've been doing some really good things lately, and sometimes the puck just doesn't bounce your way," Byron said. "And you have to try not to stay frustrated and deviate from your game." Also ending a lengthy dry spell was forward Lars Eller, who registered his first point in 11 games with his seventh goal.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (41-21-2): Rookie forward Pavel Buchnevich's spotty first season took an upturn when he capitalized on an emergency recall from the minors to score against the Bruins -- his first goal since Jan. 19. Buchnevich's status is unclear with Michael Grabner set to return from a hip injury, but he helped Henrik Lundqvist celebrate his 35th birthday with a milestone victory. Lundqvist posted his 403rd win, tying Grant Fuhr for 10th on the all-time list.
OVERTIME
1. The Rangers are in a 1-for-33 rut on the power play, failing on their last 19 chances.
2. Canadiens G Carey Price is 14-5-1 with seven shutouts in 21 starts against the Rangers.
3. New York has scored 16 goals in its last eight games while Montreal has 13 in the same span.