The Eastern Conference final is about to make a hard turn.
If the New York Rangers win Game 4 at Madison Square Garden, they’ll seize a 3-1 stranglehold on the series and put the Montreal Canadiens in the unenviable (read: basically impossible) position of having to beat Henrik Lundqvist three straight times.
If the Habs win, they head back to Montreal feeling like world-beaters to begin a best-two-of-three set with home-ice advantage.
Oh yeah, and all that’s on the line is a berth in the Stanley Cup Final.
That’s the big picture, but here are five subplots to focus on Sunday night.
1. Book of Tokarski
Montreal coach Michel Therrien, apparently, knew all along what Dustin Tokarski was capable of. But we’re all learning now, including the Rangers shooters. Given they’ve had two cracks at Tokarski, will New York wise up to his tendencies and find a way to shoot holes in the kid’s game?
2. Enter the anger
This was a relatively peaceful series through two games, but things got nasty in Game 3 after Brandon Prust’s late hit on Derek Stepan temporarily knocked the Rangers centre out of the game. Stepan’s teammate, Derek Dorsett, challenged Prust—Stepan’s former teammate—to a fight shortly thereafter, and things were officially on. It’ll be interesting to see if two clubs that aren’t known for edgy play continue to get after each other in Game 4.
3. One-on-one fun
Speaking of anger, did you catch how unhappy scrappy Habs right winger Brendan Gallagher was with everything Blueshirts defenceman Ryan McDonagh did on Thursday night? Did Gallagher have some legit beef? Was he just flummoxed by McDonagh’s smothering play? Did his ire represent the frustration Canadiens fans must still have that McDonagh doesn’t play for Montreal? Whatever the case, don’t expect either combatant to back down as McDonagh and partner Dan Girardi continue to match up against the top line of Gallagher, David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty.
4. Broadway star needed
Overall, the Rangers have to feel great about how things have developed in the series. And given they scored 10 goals in the first two contests, there’s obviously not many guys in slumps. But New York is officially facing a hot goalie and needs one of its snipers to break through. Martin St. Louis had a pair of glorious chances against Tokarski in Game 3, while Rick Nash—who scored his first two goals of the playoffs in games 1 and 2—was held to two or fewer shots for the fifth straight game. Mats Zuccarello often looks like the most dangerous Ranger on the ice, so he’s as good a candidate as any to get things rolling.
5. Michel Therrien, mad scientist
The Canadiens coach has been quick to shuffle his lines all year, and that’s continued in the playoffs. Aside from the top unit centred by Desharnais, no other trio has found real chemistry. It would be a massive help to Montreal’s cause if another line got something going, and that may mean more experimenting. (Yes, units other than Desharnais’ produced in Game 3, but there were fortuitous bounces involved). Another scoring burst from Rene Bourque; youngster Alex Galchenyuk, who’s still getting in the groove after missing two rounds with a knee injury, using his overtime winner as a springboard to bigger things; something, anything, more from Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta: Any of the above would be a boost. The Canadiens won’t suddenly wake up and be the ’84 Oilers, but they have no hope of stuffing a sufficient amount of goals past Lundqvist with only one line cooking.