Schedule and 2013-14 Results
Regular Season Records: Montreal 46-28-8=100pts, New York Rangers 45-31-6=96pts
Game 1 on Saturday, 17 May: New York Rangers win at Montreal, 7-goals-2
Game 2 on Monday, 19 May: New York Rangers win at Montreal, 3-goals-1
Game 3 on Thursday, 22 May: Montreal wins at New York Rangers, 3-goals-2 (OT)
Game 4 on Sunday, 25 May: Montreal loses at New York Rangers, 3-goals-2 (OT)
Game 5 on Tuesday, 27 May: New York Rangers lose at Montreal, 7-goals-4
Game 6 on Thursday, 29 May: Montreal loses at New York Rangers, 1-goal-nil

SERIE S NOTES:

After Game 6: The New York Rangers hosted and shut out the Montreal Canadiens 1-goal-nil to complete a 4-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1233 victory. With the series 1233 win, the New York Rangers improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 30-37 overall and 6-15 in the Semifinals round. With the series 1233 loss, the Montreal Canadiens see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 76-39 overall and 27-13 in the Semifinals round. The win order for the victorious New York Rangers in series 1233 was WWLWLW: Series 1233 thus becomes the fifth NHL Semifinals-round series, the 18th NHL series (all rounds), and the 41st MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. In the aftermath of series 1233, here are the MLB/NBA/NHL teams with the most total best-of-7 playoff game losses: Boston Bruins (NHL), 262; Detroit Red Wings (NHL), 259; Montreal Canadiens (NHL), 257. Among best-of-7 NHL playoff games, series 1233 Game 6 bears the strongest similarity to series 859 Game 7 (San Jose Sharks at Colorado Avalanche in the 2002 NHL Quarterfinals): In series 1233 Game 6, the only goal in this series-ending game was by the home Rangers 18:07 into the second period; in series 859 Game 7, the only goal in this series-ending game was by the home Avalanche 17:50 into the second period.

After Game 5: The Montreal Canadiens hosted and defeated the New York Rangers 7-goals-4 to reduce the New York Rangers best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1233 lead to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the New York Rangers have a series record of 14-2 and a Game 6 record of 10-6 (with an active three-Game 6 losing streak). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 8-20 and a Game 6 record of 14-14 (with an active four-Game 6 winning streak). Series 1233 Game 5 is the third best-of-7 NHL playoff game in which the goal order through the first eight goals was HVHHHVVV; in the previous two, the ninth game goal proved to be the game winner (in series 296 Game 2, the Philadelphia Flyers hosted and defeated the New York Islanders with the ninth game goal at 2:56 into overtime in their 1975 NHL Semifinals series; in series 631 Game 5, the Toronto Maple Leafs visited and defeated the Detroit Red Wings with the ninth game goal at 2:05 into overtime in their 1993 NHL Preliminary round series).

After Game 4: The New York Rangers hosted and defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-goals-2 with a goal 6:02 into overtime to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1233 lead of 3-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the New York Rangers have a series record of 12-1 (with the sole loss occurring in the last such series - series 1057, to the Washington Capitals in the 2009 NHL Preliminary round) and a Game 5 record of 8-5. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 2-15 and a Game 5 record of 7-10. The goal order in series 1233 Game 4 was HVHVH with the winning goal occurring 6:02 into overtime; series 1233 Game 4 thus bears a striking similarity to series 84 Game 1 (with the Toronto Maple Leafs also hosting the Montreal Canadiens in the 1951 NHL Finals), in which the goal order was also HVHVH and in which the host Leafs won the game eleven seconds earlier (at 5:51 into overtime).

After Game 3: The Montreal Canadiens visited and bested the New York Rangers 3-goals-2 in overtime to drop the New York Rangers best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1233 lead to 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the New York Rangers have a series record of 16-6 and a Game 4 record of 11-11 (with an active four-Game 4 losing streak). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 7-18 and a Game 4 record of 13-12. Series 1233 becomes the first NHL Semifinals series in which the road team won the first three games since series 919, in the 2004 NHL Semifinals between the Calgary Flames and the San Jose Sharks.

After Game 2: The New York Rangers visited and defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-goals-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1233 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the New York Rangers have a series record of 10-2 and a Game 3 record of 5-7. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 5-16 and a Game 3 record of 11-10. With the series 1233 Game 2 win, the New York Rangers break their eight-Game 2 losing streak in best-of-7 play. In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, teams which begin with two road wins (such as the Rangers) have an active 15-series winning streak; the last team to win Games 1-2 on the road but lose the series was the Montreal Canadiens - in series 1124, to the Boston Bruins in the 2011 NHL Preliminary round. So it is that the 2011 Boston Bruins set a favorable precedent for the current Montreal Canadiens, by having defeated the 2011 edition of same. With the series 1233 Game 2 road win by the Rangers, an NHL Semifinals series begins with a win/site order of WW @ VV for the third year in a row (an NHL first, within the context of the best-of-7 format).

After Game 1: The New York Rangers visited and defeated the Montreal Canadiens 7-goals-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1233 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the New York Rangers have a series record of 20-11 and a Game 2 record of 12-19 (with an active five-Game 2 losing streak when up 1-game-nil and an active eight-Game 2 losing streak overall). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 16-27 and a Game 2 record of 22-21. The five-goal margin of victory by the visiting New York Rangers ties that by the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Red Wings in Detroit (series 77, in 1950 NHL Semifinals Game 1) for largest best-of-7 format NHL Semifinals Game 1 victory margin by a road team. In series 1233 Game 1, the Rangers scored the first goal of the game 4:35 into the first period: Once before in a best-of-7 NHL playoff game did the Rangers on the road score the first goal of the game 4:35 into the first period – in series 659 Game 3, in Washington against the Capitals in the 1994 NHL Quarterfinals (the last season in which the Rangers won the NHL championship, twenty years ago).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2013-14 NHL regular season, the Montreal Canadiens finished four points ahead of the New York Rangers. From 1939 through the 2014 NHL Quarterfinals round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by four regular-season points, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 10-12 (.455) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1233 is the 115th best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the Montreal Canadiens, and the 67th for the New York Rangers. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Montreal Canadiens have an all-rounds series record of 76-38, a Semifinals-round series record of 27-12, and a Game 1 record of 71-43, while the New York Rangers have an all-rounds series record of 29-37, a Semifinals-round series record of 5-15, and a Game 1 record of 31-35. Series 1233 is the 11th best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers. Montreal has a 6-4 record in the first ten best-of-7 meetings between the two teams, which last met in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series in series 700 (in the 1996 Preliminary round, won by the New York Rangers).