Alain Vigneault wants to avoid another 'schooling' by Montreal and friend Michel Therrien

Certain things resonate in the NHL, and for the Rangers, it may be this: The harshest assessment in what has been a remarkable 16-3-2 start to the season.

"We got schooled tonight," coach Alain Vigneault said after the Canadiens beat the Rangers, 3-0, in Montreal, a familiar haunt, on Oct. 15, in the fifth game of the year. "Our only moment came on a five-on-three. They outplayed us in every aspect of the game. If it wasn't for our goalie, it would have been much worse."

Unprompted, Vigneault repeated the "schooled" remark a week later. It was clearly a sore spot, a reminder of how irritating it was to be lashed by a team coached by longtime chum Michel Therrien.

Wednesday, Therrien's Canadiens, tied with the Rangers at an Eastern Conference-best 34 points, arrive at Madison Square Garden, where the Blueshirts have won nine straight games, and Henrik Lundqvist is playing close to the Vezina Trophy and MVP level that Habs goalie Carey Price reached last season. He leads the NHL in goals-against average (1.74) and save percentage (.946).

Price, a nemesis who has won his last three starts against the Rangers, allowing just one goal, returned Friday after missing three weeks with a lower-body injury to backstop Montreal to a home-and-home sweep of the Islanders.

The goaltending matchup is just one story line generated since the captivating Eastern Conference finals between these teams in May 2014, a tumultuous series that the Rangers captured in six games to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years. The way things are going, with the Blueshirts and Canadiens just needing to play somewhere north of .500 for the rest of the way to make the postseason, a rematch deep in the playoffs cannot be discounted.

Therrien and Vigneault go way back, to coaching in juniors. When Vigneault was named bench boss of the Canadiens in 1997, he recommended that Therrien coach the Canadiens' minor-league affiliate, and Therrien succeeded Vigneault when he was fired early in the 2000-01 season.

"He's a guy that pushed for me to get into pro hockey," Therrien said before the series. "We've got to put our friendship aside for two weeks."

They did.

In Game 1, Chris Kreider collided with Price, injuring his knee and knocking him out of the series. Therrien said Kreider could have avoided the contact, implying that the hit was intentional. In Game 3, former Ranger Brandon Prust broke Derek Stepan's jaw with a high hit. Dan Carcillo retaliated and was suspended. Therrien also ordered Rangers assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson and video coordinator Jerry Dineen out of the stands at a Habs practice, a move that Vigneault said was "uncalled for" and was happy that the incident "did not escalate."

After the series, Vigneault and Therrien broke bread and shared some beverages. "Sometimes friends push limits," Vigneault said. "Sometimes they do things that you're not crazy about. But they're your friends. Relationships are about giving and taking."

It's not the playoffs on Wednesday, but understand this: Vigneault doesn't want another schooling, another lesson.