The New York Rangers made their NHL debut in 1926, as part of a group of teams now referred to as the “Original Six”.  

The Canadiens faced off against the Rangers for the first time at the Montreal Forum on November 27, 1926, with the visitors coming away with a 2-0 win.  

Sharing Madison Square Garden with the New York Americans, the Rangers won the American Division title in their inaugural season.  The following year, the team also known as the “Blueshirts”, captured the franchise’s first of four Stanley Cups.  The boys from Broadway repeated the feat again four years later.  Despite the early success, New Yorkers would have to wait almost 50 years before they could celebrate the end of a season with Cup parade again.

The end of the 1950s marked an emotionally-charged period between the two rivals.  The Rangers were victims of the Canadiens dynasty of the era, losing twice in the semifinals to the Habs in both 1956 and 1957.

One of the pivotal match-ups between Montreal and New York occurred on November 1, 1959.  Playing at Madison Square Garden, goalie Jacques Plante took an Andy Bathgate shot to the face, returning to the game sporting a mask for the first time in history.  The events literally changed the face of goaltending forever.

The two teams have only met in the Stanley Cup Finals on one occasion, in 1979.  The Canadiens emerged triumphant, needing just five games to win the 22nd Stanley Cup in franchise history.  

A few years later, in 1986, the heavily-favored Rangers took on a young Patrick Roy in the conference finals.  In the third game of the series, Roy made 44 saves, leading the Canadiens to a 4-3 win in overtime.