It was only three seasons ago when the Bell Centre in Montreal was still the House of Horrors for the Rangers. But after they beat the Canadiens in the 2014 Eastern Conference final, that little bit of bad feeling was extinguished.
At least that is what the Rangers hope as they head north to start the first round of the playoffs against the Habs on Wednesday night. Both teams have gone through big transitions since that series, so here is a primer on who the Rangers will be facing:
Coach: Claude Julien. In a move that only happens in the NHL, the Bruins fired Claude Julien on Feb. 7, and on Feb. 14, the Canadiens fired their coach, Michel Therien, and immediately named Julien his replacement. Believe it or not, it was the second time this exact thing happened with both men in the Montreal organization, the first time coming in the middle of the 2002-03 season.
Since Julien took over (again), he righted a ship that had gone astray. The Habs had started 13-1-1, but by the time he took over, they were 31-19-8. Julien got them to play more sound defensively, and the Canadiens finished the season on a 16-7-1 run, winning the Atlantic Division with 103 points.
Who to watch… up front: Max Pacioretty. The Connecticut kid and Canadiens captain had another terrific regular season, leading the team with 35 goals, 32 assists and 67 points. He is a big-bodied center who has a knack for the front of the net and the skill to play away from it.
Who to watch… back end: Shea Weber. Part of the league’s blockbuster offseason trade, Weber came to the Habs from Nashville in exchange for the bombastic P.K. Subban. Nicknamed “Man Mountain,” Weber is 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, and the righty has the hardest shot in the league. Rumor has it he lost a puck battle sometime in juniors, but no one can be sure.
Who to watch… in nets: Carey Price. One of the best players in the world, Price is a likely finalist for the Vezina Trophy again. He was infamously run over by Chris Kreider in Game 1 of the 2014 matchup, and missed the rest of the series won by the Rangers in six games. But Price has been healthy for most of this season, putting up a 2.23 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage, and is fully able to steal games all on his own.
X-factor: Physicality. General manager Marc Bergevin has been under siege for some time, and after pulling off the Weber-Subban deal last summer, revamped his lineup again at the deadline by adding some grit. Bergevin obtained forwards Dwight King and Steve Ott, along with defenseman Jordie Been, adding a snarl to their previously finesse style of play.
Health concern: Defenseman Alexei Emelin missed the final two games of the regular season and was set to be re-evaluated before Game 1. If he’s out, the Habs’ blueline depth with be tested.