The NHL’s Conference Finals get underway today when the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens meet today at the Bell Centre. The Kings and Blackhawks will begin their series tomorrow afternoon in Chicago. This is the first time since 1979 that three original six clubs are among the four playoff survivors.
New York and Montreal have met fourteen times in the playoffs, with each team winning seven times. The last time they clashed in the postseason was 1996. The Rangers won that opening-round matchup four games to two. This season, the clubs squared off three times during the regular season. Montreal won the first game 2-0 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers posted a shutout of their own, 1-0, the next time out in Montreal. The Habs took the deciding game at home, 1-0 in overtime, in the season-finale for both teams. If the regular season results are any indication, these teams are very evenly matched and we should be in for a hell of a series.
New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens 1 p.m. NBC
Who will win the Eastern Conference Final?
| New York Rangers | 12 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 2 |