HABS FALL IN NEW YORK

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   M. Pacioretty (00:24 - 2nd) , A. Kostitsyn (PPG, 12:20 - 2nd) , B. Gionta (18:10 - 3rd)

NYR:   E. Christensen (PPG, 04:57 - 1st) , D. Girardi (10:28 - 1st) , M. Del Zotto (17:40 - 1st) , B. Richards (18:50 - 2nd) , R. Callahan (EN, 19:21 - 3rd)

GOALIES

MTL: C. Price (L)

 NYR: H. Lundqvist (W)

      
                  Earlier this evening, the Habs were looking to continue their winning streak by getting a win against New York. But it didn't go as planned.  Before this game, the Rangers announced that they had called up Sean Avery from the AHL and he would make his debut against Montreal. 5 minutes into the game, Blunden gave Dubinksy an open ice hit. That would draw a crowd against the boards. Blunden  Callahan drops the gloves with Blunden (the fight would end in a draw). Blunden would get a 2 minute interference penalty and the Habs would get a too many men on the ice penalty. So the Rangers had a 5 on 3 powerplay, Christensen would score at the side of the net to make it 1-0 New York. 5 minutes later, Girardi's shot beat Price glove side to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. Then late in the first, Del zotto got the puck in front of the net and he scored on his backhand to make it 3-0 New York after 1.

            23 seconds into the 2nd, Gionta's shot was stopped but Pacioretty would put home the rebound to cut the lead to 3-1. 6 minutes later, the Habs went on a 5 on 3 powerplay and Plekanec played the puck to Kostitsyn in front and he tipped the puck past Lundqvist to make the score 3-2.  Richards would add a late goal in the second to make it 4-2 Rangers after 2. Late in the third, Spacek's shot was tipped in by Gionta to cut the lead to 1. But Callahan would later get the puck in the Rangers zone and clear it down the ice and into the empty net to make it 5-3 Rangers and that would be the final. In the loss, Price made 24 saves. In the win, Lundqvist made 25 saves."This group has been taught that if you just take care of a couple of details at the right time - like a blocked shot or getting the puck out of the zone - you'll get through it," said Richards. "We've found ways to do that this year, and it's equaled wins."

         In this loss, the Habs hit 4 goal posts in what was just a case of bad luck for the Habs. The Canadiens played well in this game, but sometimes you just won't get the bounces going your way. The main reason why the Habs lost was because of their first period play. They gave up 3 goals in the first and were outshot 16-3."Getting up 3-0 is not as easy lead," said Tortorella, who took over for Tom Renney in February 2009, but has yet to guide the Rangers past the first round of the playoffs. "It was one of those games where you're scratching and clawing and trying to find a way to get it done. To come away up two going into the third period was important."Another key reason why the Habs lost is because they took 10 penalty's."It's hard to win a hockey game when you are in the penalty box," Martin said. "I thought we had a strong second period with a goal early in that gave us some momentum. That (Richards goal) was the probably the key."

The Habs next game will be Tuesday against the Oilers in Montreal.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo