Rangers win 4-1, inch closer to home-ice advantage

Rangers win 4-1, inch closer to home-ice advantage

Frank Franklin II/AP

Rangers' Marian Gaborik (10) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the first period.

NY RANGERS 4, MONTREAL CANADIENS 1

Ryan Callahan made home-ice advantage the Rangers' goal in the preseason.

But they might do one better.

The Blueshirts took another step closer to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and home-ice advantage through the Eastern Finals with a 4-1 whitewashing of the Canadiens Friday night at the Garden, scoring two power play goals for the second straight game for the first time all season.

In Henrik Lundqvist's eighth straight start, the Rangers picked up their sixth victory in the past seven games and now have generated the sort of momentum they have not been able to muster since early February.

New York got multiple-point games from Michael Del Zotto (two goals, one assist), Brad Richards (one goal, one assist), Marian Gaborik (one goal, one assist) and Derek Stepan (two assists), and the Canadiens were only able to break the shutout on Rene Bourque's goal in front with 2:29 remaining.

The Blueshirts (50-21-7, 105 points), who on March 18 had seen their 10-point lead over the Penguins in the Atlantic Division shrink to one, maintained a five-point advantage over Pittsburgh, which defeated the Sabres in Buffalo, 5-3.

The Rangers' magic number of points to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is now three, with four games remaining.

Beginning on Sunday, New York plays every other day vs. the Bruins, at the Flyers, at the Penguins and vs. the Capitals.

Pittsburgh will host the Flyers twice straddling a visit to Boston and Thursday's head-to-head matchup with the Rangers.

The Rangers have not had home-ice advantage since the 1996 playoffs.

Gaborik scored his 39th goal of the season in the first period, banging in a bouncing puck past Carey Price. Then at the beginning of the first period Richards rip ped one through a Callahan screen on the power play, off assists from Derek Stepan - who again steadied the power play from the point - and Del Zotto.

Del Zotto then scored once on the power play, and once on even strength late, pushing the Rangers ahead of the Canadiens, a team in disarray after the firing of their general manager Pierre Gauthier on Thursday.