Max Pacioretty always dreamed about playing at Madison Square Garden in a big playoff game for the Rangers.
On Thursday night, he accomplished one out of the two — playing at the Garden in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final, but against the Rangers, for the Canadiens.
“Obviously I dreamed about playing here when I was younger,’’ Pacioretty said before the game. “The regular season is one thing, and playing in the playoffs is another.’’
Pacioretty grew up in New Canaan, Conn., about a 45-minute drive north of the city. This is in his sixth season with the Canadiens. He entered Thursday night having scored one of Montreal’s three goals in the first two games of the series, and had four goals and four assists in 13 playoff games.
He’s one of the Canadiens’ most important players, but Pacioretty’s fondest memories as a kid were all about the Rangers.
Pacioretty said he doesn’t recall the first Rangers game he attended, but he’ll always vividly remember their 1994 Stanley Cup run — so much so, it became a life-altering moment for him.
“I remember watching the ’94 Stanley Cup from my home and that’s when it took off that I wanted to be a hockey player,’’ he said before Thursday’s game. “Right around the age when I started, that’s my biggest memory growing up.’’
His favorite Ranger? Pacioretty copped to being a bandwagon fan.
“It changed every year,’’ he said. “I liked [Mark] Messier obviously, but my favorite line was the [Theo] Fleury-[Eric] Lindros-[Mike] York line, the ‘FLY’ line. I wore No. 16 because of York. I wore No. 93 because of Petr Nedved. So it seems like it changed every year, whoever was having a good year.’’
Pacioretty said the Messier guarantee moved him.
“It was awesome,’’ he said. “I remember when it was said; everyone back home was talking about it. I remember my dad telling me about it. I was obviously nervous for him when it was said. A guy like him, they bring him in to win a Cup and that’s exactly what he did. I think that’s why he’s one of the first players I liked.’’
Pacioretty recalled his first NHL preseason game in 2008, calling his father in Connecticut to tell him about it when he knew he was going to play.
“I think it was more cool for my dad,” he said. “He couldn’t believe my first preseason game I was on a line with [Alexei] Kovalev. I found out right before the game and I called my dad and he drove up six hours as soon as he hung up the phone.’’
His father’s reaction: “I can’t believe this is happening.’’
Neither could Pacioretty.
“Looking back, it’s amazing the way life works,’’ Pacioretty said. “Growing up in Connecticut, it seems like the path is you go to college and you work in the city, so a lot of my buddies live down here, and I’m trying to keep in touch with as many as I can.’’
Pacioretty said he met up with some friends in the city Wednesday night after the team flew in from Montreal.
“They’re Rangers fans, but they obviously want me to have success,’’ he said.
Who are they rooting for in the series?
“I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it, especially in the playoffs,’’ he said. “But I don’t want to put them in an awkward position [by asking].’’