Journeyman Dominic Moore scored the game's only goal late in the second period as the New York Rangers eliminated the Montreal Canadiens with a 1-0 victory at Madison Square Gardens Thursday.
Henrik Lundqvist turned back 18 shots for the shutout while Habs' goaltender Dustin Tokarski was perfect on all but one of the Rangers' 32 shots.
The loss ends the Canadiens' deepest playoff run since they last won the Stanley Cup in 1993. Police were on hand in large numbers in downtown Montreal following the game which attracted over 20,000 fans watching on large screen TVs at the Bell Centre. There were no incidents reported.
The result gives the Rangers a 4-2 series victory. They will face either the Los Angeles Kings or Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Moore was left unattended in front of the Canadiens' net with under two minutes remaining in the second period and his resulting low blocker-side wrist shot past Dustin Tokarski gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead, which would stand up as the final score.
Moore notched his third of the playoffs on the pass from Brian Bolyle who was buzzing behind the Canadiens' net on an extended sequences of pressure against the Habs' fourth line, which had slowed down after an extended stay on the ice.
Both teams registered eight shots on net in the second frame but the Rangers had the benefit of some of the better chances thanks to a pair of power plays caused by penalties to P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov.
The Habs came close to scoring the game's first goal after Thomas Vanek's pass into the slot hit a stick and was batted out of the air by Henrik Lundqvist just before it spiraled over the line into the New York net.
The Rangers had the run of play in the first period as Tokarski turned back 11 shots and his Rangers' counterpart Lundqvist stopped five.
Both teams were served with one penalty in the first period, as Brian Gionta was called for interfering with the Rangers' netminder after losing balance after being hit in the face with a stick near the crease.
Lundqvist has a history of bouncing back from off nights. He was 5-2 with a .930 save percentage in games after a Rangers' loss this post-season.
Both teams had to adjust their lineups for Game 6.
The Rangers were without defenceman John Moore, starting a two-game suspension for a hit on Dale Weise. Ex-Hab Raphael Diaz started in his place in the third defensive pairing.
Brandon Prust returned from suspension for Montreal but Dale Weise and defenceman Alexei Emelin were both out. Coach Michel Therrien said Weise, flattened by Moore last time out, was not suffering from a head injury but declined to elaborate. Emelin sat out Game 5 with an unannounced injury.
The Rangers came out like men on a mission, outshooting the Habs 4-0 before Montreal captain Brian Gionta was called for goalie interference at 4:15. The Habs were incensed at the call, believing that Gionta was high-sticked on the play.
At one point early on, two Canadiens lost their sticks at the same time in their own zone. It took Montreal almost eight minutes to get its first shot on goal, a weak effort from Max Pacioretty.
While Lundqvist lazed, Tokarski was stopping one shot after another -- some that he knew very little about. His mask took the brunt of one shot.
The win was the 42nd of Lundqvist's playoff career, moving the 32-year-old past Mike Richter for the franchise lead. Richter backstopped the Blueshirts to the '94 Cup.
It was also his ninth playoff shutout, tying him with Richter for the team lead.
Defenceman Ryan McDonagh also drew an assist, his 10th of the playoffs.
New York really had a go at Montreal in the third, buzzing Tokarski's net. The Canadiens did not get a shot on net for the first nine minutes and were back on their heels the entire period.
Tokarski went to the bench with 1:53 remaining and Lundqvist made a big save with his torso.
-With a file from The Canadian Press
