The Rangers were just another fluky bounce or deflection away from taking complete control of the Eastern Conference finals.
Instead, the Canadiens made the series interesting, and even Alex Galchenyuk, who scored the game-winner in Montreal’s 3-2 overtime win in Thursday’s Game 3, couldn’t explain it.
“To be honest, I have no idea what happened,” the 20-year-old Galchenyuk said of the decisive play 1:12 into overtime. “It bounced off my stick or hit me and it went in.”
The Canadiens, their backs against the wall after dropping the first two games of the series at home, weren’t complaining — especially after the Rangers tied the game with just 28.1 seconds remaining in the third period.
“Yeah, we might have gotten a lucky bounce there at the end, but I felt like we got some unlucky bounces, too,” P.K. Subban said, pointing to the goal Chris Kreider deflected off Alexei Emelin’s skate and into the net. “It seemed like it evened out.”
And it gave the Canadiens new life.
“We want to win every game and this was no different,” Subban said. “But we knew what was at stake.”
Subban, who made headlines after Game 2 by saying Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist had benefited from “luck,” believes the tenor of the series changed after their victory.
“We wanted to get this first one and maybe put some of the pressure back on them,” Subban said. “But we’re still not done with what we want to do with this road trip.”
Instead of being down three games, the Habs can even the series Sunday night at The Garden.
“Maybe the guys will loosen up because I think the first two games were a little rough for us,” Subban said. “Today shows that we can stick with the plan and battle through adversity. This is a huge confidence builder for us.”
It culminated in Galchenyuk’s tally after the Rangers tied the game late in the third period, sending MSG into a frenzy.
“We had to refocus,” Montreal head coach Michel Therrien said. “We did a good job of that.”