The question of whether the Rangers could flip the proverbial switch had been asked, rightly, of a team that had little to play for over the last six weeks of the regular season. It took about a period, but the Rangers did just that, playing a very solid road game and taking a 1-0 series lead over the favored Canadiens, winning game one by the final score of 2-0.

The winning goal came from an unlikely source: Tanner Glass.   Glass has been a lightning rod for debate among the Blueshirts faithful since his acquisition, but there was no questioning his impact on this game.

The rugged winger was not alone, as the Rangers were buoyed by fantastic goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, who preserved the razor-thin margin with a few fantastic saves. But perhaps the most encouraging sign was the team’s ability to control play for large portions of the game, even with a lead in the second and third periods. Rather than go into a defensive shell, the Rangers continued to generate shots and scoring chances while holding a one-goal lead, and ultimately saw the game out.

It wasn’t all good news, though. Nick Holden continued his shaky play and is a candidate to be benched for game two (that probably won’t happen, but still). The power play squandered a few opportunities to extend the lead, specifically a 5-on-3 chance in the second period.

The opening goal came off a seemingly innocuous play, as an offensive zone face-off between Oscar Lindberg and Tomas Plekanec turned into a stalemate. Glass was first to the loose puck and unleashed a strong backhander that surprised Carey Price, beating him over the catching glove for a 1-0 lead. Up to that point in the game, the Rangers had not been impressive, and that continued for the rest of the first period, as they were outshot 16-5 in the opening frame.

But the second period opened with 10 minutes of dominance by the Blueshirts, as they swarmed the Montreal net. In total, the Rangers amassed 17 of their 23 scoring chances in the second period (per hockeystats.ca) and were unlucky to not extend their lead. Price can do that to a team.

The third period was reminiscent of the last time these two teams met in the playoffs, with the Rangers controlling the tempo of the game and playing defensively responsible hockey.  After withstanding some Habs pressure, Michael Grabner scored an empty-net goal, assisted by Jesper Fast, to provide the final margin.

All in all, this was a surprisingly solid effort from the Rangers, who had not done much to inspire confidence with their play over the last six weeks. Still, this is the playoffs, and Montreal will come out with desperation to start Game 2. Needless to say, this series is far from over.

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