Last season, the stuttering Pittsburgh Penguins made a mid-season coaching change. Mike Sullivan’s system and personnel changes catalyzed the team to a Stanley Cup. The Canadiens are hoping to follow suit.
The Rangers had the tough draw of facing the red-hot Penguins in the first round and it did not end well. For the second year in a row, they will face a team that is peaking at the right time after an in-season coaching change.
A crossover to the Atlantic is certainly preferable to trying to fight their way through the brutal Metropolitan. But the Habs are a physical, defensive team that will cause problems for the speed and finesse of the Rangers.