(SportsNetwork. Jonathan Lucroy Authentic Jersey .com) - The New York Rangers will try to win consecutive games for the first time this season when they finally play their home opener in Mondays clash with Montreal Canadiens at a newly-renovated Madison Square Garden. Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch Montreal travel to New York City to face the Rangers at 7:30pm et/8:30pm at. The game can also be heard live on TSN Radio 690. The Rangers opened 2013-14 on a nine-game road trip while the $1 billion renovation project was being completed at MSG. New York went 3-6-0 during the season-opening trip and capped the swing with a 3-2 overtime win Saturday in Detroit. Derick Brassard scored on a breakaway with 12.9 seconds in overtime to lift the Rangers to a come-from-behind victory over the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. The victory ended a two-game slide which saw the Rangers score just one goal over consecutive losses to New Jersey and Philadelphia. Benoit Pouliot assisted on Brassards game-winner on Saturday and added a power-play goal earlier on to help the Rangers end their epic trek on a positive note. Mats Zuccarello also tallied for New York, while rookie goaltender Cameron Talbot notched his first career NHL win with a strong showing between the pipes. Starting for a second straight outing with Henrik Lundqvist sidelined with an undisclosed injury, Talbot stopped 32-of-34 shots. Lundqvist is expected to start on Monday after going through his first full practice in a week on Saturday. Although Lundqvist is set to return, the Rangers will not have captain Ryan Callahan or fellow forwards Carl Hagelin and Rick Nash on Monday, as all three players are on injured reserve. New York was 16-6-2 at MSG during the lockout-shortened season of 2013. The club will be back on the road for Tuesdays game against the New York Islanders before playing four straight on home ice. The Canadiens enter Monday having lost three of their last four games and they were dealt a 2-0 loss Saturday by the visiting San Jose Sharks, Logan Couture scored both goals and Antti Niemi turned away all 22 shots sent his way by the Habs. Carey Price made 33 saves for the Canadiens, who had won four in a row before going 1-3-0 in their last four contests. "They are a fast team. They played really well and managed the puck well. They dont give you a lot and play well defensively, but we were right there. We had our chances in the second. Their goalie made some good saves at the right times," said Montreal coach Michel Therrien. Montreal hopes to get back on track on the road, where the club is 3-1-0 this season. The Habs are set to play three of their next four games as the guest. Like the Rangers, Montreal is playing with a ton of injuries, and key offensive players Danny Briere and Max Pacioretty are among the hobbled Canadiens. The Canadiens won all three encounters against the Rangers last season and have taken five of six and 10 of the past 13 meetings in this Original Six rivalry. The clubs have split the last six contests at MSG. Matt Garza Brewers Jersey . The Michigan lineman faces three assault charges stemming from an incident in December, according to a report from ESPN. The report states Lewan is scheduled to be arraigned in April on one count of aggravated assault and two counts of assault or assault and battery. Rickie Weeks Brewers Jersey . The Lakers will also visit Cleveland and Philadelphia, have lost four in a row on the road and are 8-18 as the guest this season. They are 3-12 on the road against Western Conference opponents.Toronto FC started the season with back-to-back wins for the first time in franchise history with a 1-0 victory over DC United in front of a sellout crowd at BMO Field. Jermain Defoe put forth another Man of the Match performance scoring the match winner in the 60th minute. Defoe jumped on a poor defensive clearance after a Gilberto shot on the break and slotted into a wide open net for his third goal in two matches. It was a feel good day for the long-suffering Toronto FC supporters. The poor weather held off, and the sun even came out shortly before Defoes goal. The noise, the atmosphere, the smiles were back at BMO Field and theres good reason to believe more good times are on the horizon on the lakefront in downtown Toronto. Off-season hype has turned into regular season production. The match lacked the speed and tempo of the opening game win in Seattle but had similar combative elements and superior team shape, boding well for further progression as this group of new players continue to gel. Here are five thoughts on Toronto FCs home opening victory. Determined Defending – The group was simply dominant, worthy of the clean sheet. Proven MLS goal scorers Eddie Johnson and Fabian Espindola were forced to fall deep to get involved in the play. Pushing attacking players far away from Julio Cesars goal has been trademark through two matches. Absolutely no space was given. The partnership of Steven Caldwell and Doneil Henry has provided stability the team has lacked in recent seasons. They have proven an ideal duo to lead from the back – experience paired with sheer athleticism. Theres a lot to like. The off-season addition of Justin Morrow flew under the radar, yet the left-back has been among the teams best, a rock down the wing. And Mark Bloom has maintained positional integrity, solid on the night. Although DC United held 63 per cent of possession, TFC limited their opposition to only one legit goal scoring opportunity and two shots on goal. Last week in Seattle, the Sounders only had two truly good scoring opportunities. Keeping the possession to the outside is critical, with Caldwell and Henry being monsters in the air in defending crosses. It must be said goalkeeper Cesar hasnt been caught out of position, creating calmness at the back. Overall, the early season returns as a team defensively have been superior to expectations. Imperfect Pitch – The long and brutal Toronto winter made for soft, muddy and bumpy conditions, making it difficult to play the ball on the deck. Toronto FC took very few chances in their defensive end, choosing to clear more often than maintaining possession. This will have to change as the season goes on. Possession is critical to dictating the tempo and flow, while bringing Torontos skill players into the game. There was little flow Saturday. Im not sure if TFC will ever be a dominant possession team. Good news however, they are always dangerous on the counter. They have pace down the wings and creative movement up front through pacey strikers. No matter the conditions, this team will create chances. Give kudos to the team for adapting from one extreme on turf a week ago to succeeding on a soft, slow, chopppy surface in Toronto. Paul Molitor Brewers Jersey. Defoe/Gilberto Potential – The duo is a work in progress but there is much to get excited about. Defoes resume and early production speaks for itself. Head Coach Ryan Nelsen commented post-match, "If I was Roy Hodgson, Id pick him in a heartbeat" when asked about his potential World Cup inclusion. If he continues on this kind of form, Hodgson will have a tough time keeping him out of his England side in a tournament all about timely goal scoring. Gilberto was always the mystery heading into the season. The 24-year-old designated player is a relative unknown commodity, but did score 14 goals in Brazil last season. His pre-season prediction of scoring 25 goals may be too ambitious, but he showed boatloads of promise in his Toronto FC debut. His movement off the ball is intelligent. And although 510, the striker plays much bigger, regularly getting his body in between the ball and his defender. His set up on Defoes chance off the post in the 42 minute was a well-timed run finished with proper service low to the front post. Gilberto doesnt speak English: another hurdle to developing chemistry with Defoe but both players have natural instincts. This relationship will be fun to watch as it develops. Referee Inconsistency – The replacement officials a week earlier did a better job than Silviu Petrescu and his crew Saturday. Regular MLS officials went back to work this week with the same inconsistencies in their play call that has frustrated MLS onlookers for years. Petrescu was a step slow throughout the match (literally when bowled over by Michael Bradley), but its a lack of consistency that will drive players crazy. In the second half, Alvaro Rey was taken down after beating two defenders down the left wing – no card was shown, yet moments later down the right hand side, Davy Arnaud was cautioned for taking down Jonathan Osorio on a similar play. Players, coaches and fans alike need to be clear on how a match is going to be called. The overall performance Saturday was subpar. Bravo, Bradley – Toronto FCs number four covers an incredible amount of ground. The pressure he puts on the ball sets the tone, giving little time or space for his centre-midfield opponents. There wasnt much room in the centre of the field Saturday, but Bradley expertly used what little he had, creating both short and long using his wingers to near perfection. Its the edge, blue-collar mentality that will easily win over supporters. The clash of heads with Arnaud that sent the DC United midfielder out of the game was a late challenge. Bradley was lucky not to be cautioned. But it was a challenge hed never back out of. Its not in his DNA to back out of 50-50 balls. The commitment is true leadership by example. With a gash split open on the back of the head, Bradley received some quick treatment, had a bandage cover the wound, and was back on the field, bossing the play and being combative as ever. The American international will continue to be the straw that stirs the drink. Its hard to imagine Toronto FC now without his presence. Lets wait until June to deal with that problem. gareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca@WheelerTSN ' ' '
