By the time a bizarre second period was finally over — after three goals and 11 penalties worth 30 minutes — the Rangers weren’t all that worse for wear.
They had cut a two-goal deficit to one and, with an assist from with their physical play, had injected some life back into the Garden.
But the Rangers saved their best for the final minutes of the third.
After Pavel Buchnevich tied it midway through the final period, Neal Pionk won it on a slick move and Mika Zibanejad hammered home an insurance goal to lift the Rangers to their fourth straight win, 5-3, over the Canadiens on Tuesday night.