Post-game Extra: Rangers break curse of Bell Centre, 1-0
Banish those superstitions.
It's now okay to watch the Rangers at Bell Centre, which had been a house of horrors for four years.
Coach Alain Vigneault was six years old when Ed Giacomin last tossed a shutout against the Habs here, 46 years ago, and he seemed awfully proud of his troops last night after they played a superb road game, allowing just 22 shots and making a power-play goal stand up.
Full marks to Cam Talbot, who continues to impress with his calm demeanor and ability to see and stop the first shot. Talbot is the first Rangers rookie to post a win in four straight appearances since Henrik Lundqvist, who starts Sunday at MSG against L.A., won four straight games from Feb. 1, 2006 vs. Pittsburgh to Feb. 10 vs. Toronto. He has recorded a 1.46 goals against average, .951 save percentage, and one shutout. Talbot has yet to allow more than two goals against in each of his five appearances. And he wore the Broadway Hat again. During a Canadien TV interview, Ryan Callahan, who scored the winner, reached up and pushed it down on Talbot's head.
Some other notes and notable dates:
With the win, their first in Canada since the 2011-12 season, the Rangers are on an 8-3 run...The last time the Blueshirts defeated the Canadiens 1-0 in Montreal was Jan. 18, 1940 (with G Dave Kerr)....Eighty-seven years ago, the Rangers played their first game ever, and beat the Montreal Maroons, 1-0, in New York.
Chris Kreider, who I wrote about in my Sunday Insider for Newsday, led all skaters with six hits and registered three shots in 17:38 and hit the post in the first period.
And let's not knock Carey Price here. The Rangers could've had a couple more. He robbed Derek Stepan, who assisted on Callahan's goal, at least once, and Carl Hagelin (four shots)...Marc Staal was the only Ranger who did not have one of the 34 shots....Thought J.T. Miller had a strong twe-way game on the fourth line with Dom Moore and Benoit Pouliot, a trio that kept the puck out of the Rangers zone on almost every shift, and vigneault rewarded them with ice time in the third period...