Last season, the Montreal Canadiens built a reputation around being the “Comeback Kids,” setting a franchise record with 25 comeback victories. However, none of those victories can compare to what the Canadiens achieved on February 19, 2008, against the New York Rangers. The greatest regular-season comeback in franchise history. Carey Price was pulled just 14 minutes into the game after allowing three goals on 11 shots, and by the five-minute mark in the second period, the Canadiens were down 5-0, and it looked like it was only going to get worse. Michael Ryder kicked off the comeback in the second period, and Alex Kovalev took over in the third, setting up one of the most iconic shootout-winning goals in Canadiens history.
Rangers had the Canadiens in the first half, not going to lie
The Canadiens and Rangers were two of the best teams in the NHL at the time, with Montreal ending the season with the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they did not come ready to play on February 19. The game was pretty even to start, until Ryder was stripped of the puck in the offensive zone, leading to a rush opportunity that Brandon Dubinsky started and ended, giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead. The Rangers would double their lead just 14 seconds later. Sean Avery picked up a loose rebound and fired it past a sprawling Price and into the back of the net. Just like that, the floodgates were open. The Rangers were not done yet in the first. They increased their lead to three when Brendan Shanahan fired home a one-timer on the power play, ending Price’s night. Cristobal Huet came in to relieve Price, but it would continue to get worse before the tide turned.
The Canadiens had a tough task ahead of them. Not only were they trying to claw their way back from a 3-0 deficit, but they had to do so against one of the best goalies in the NHL, Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers kept piling on the offence, and less than five minutes into the second period, Shanahan would bury his second of the game. Once again on the power play, Shanahan would deflect a point shot from Paul Mara, increasing the lead to four. 30 seconds later, the Rangers believed they had iced the game. New York was still on the power play thanks to a Chris Higgins double minor for high-sticking. Chris Drury received a pass from Scott Gomez at the top of the circle and fired it past Huet. The Canadiens were now down 5-0, and in the franchise’s history, they had never come back from that margin, but there is a first for everything.
Canadiens make history with 6-5 comeback win
When down by five goals, it is unrealistic to think a comeback is possible, but all you need is one to regain any source of life. The Canadiens got that one eight and a half minutes into the second, when Mark Streit found a streaking Ryder, who found the back of the net, finally putting Montreal on the board. After struggling all game, the Canadiens found life, and it would take just four minutes before they cut into the Rangers' lead again. Once again, Ryder would be the one to put the puck in the back of the net, this time off a pass from Ryan O'Byrne. A game that looked all but lost now had some life thanks to two quick goals by Ryder, but was still far from making the comeback a reality.
It would not take long for the Canadiens to make a comeback a real possibility in the third period. Andrei Markov picked up his own blocked shot and found a wide-open Kovalev, who fired home a one-timer that squeezed through Lundqvist’s legs. Nine seconds later, the Canadiens would cut the lead to one, thanks to Streit’s leg after the puck deflected off him from a Ryder shot. With 13 minutes remaining, the Canadiens were just one goal from tying it, after looking dead in the water. With the Canadiens on the power play, Andrei Kostitsyn found Kovalev in the middle of the circle, who fired a one-timer past Lundqvist. Kovalev’s shot left him on his backside, a scene that will always be remembered thanks to the iconic photo of captain Saku Koivu standing over him with his arms raised.
The game was tied, and after overtime solved nothing, they were off to a shootout, setting up one of the more iconic moments in recent Canadiens history. After Shanahan and Drury missed for the Rangers, Koivu had a chance to give the Canadiens the lead, doing so in signature fashion. Koivu skated in, faked the forehand, shifted to his backhand for another fake, moved the puck back to his forehand and slotted it past Lundqvist’s outstretched pad. Jaromir Jagr would miss the Rangers’ third and final shot, as the Canadiens completed the greatest comeback in the franchise's history. Midway through the second period, Montreal was heading for an embarrassing loss, but it will now be remembered as one of the greatest games in Canadiens history.
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