The loss kept Rangers (6-10-3) from taking sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot from Detroit, which has an identical record with one game to play. In any scenario where the two teams end up tied in points, Detroit gets fourth place based on head-to-head play.
Montreal (15-4-0), which has clinched first place, had several little-used players in the lineup but Canadiens, who lead the league in goals scored, still had the firepower to score five times on Gump Worsley, albeit on just 25 shots on goal.
The teams exchanged power play goals in the first period. Doug Harvey scored for Montreal at 3:49 and Dean Prentice answered for Rangers at 7:48.
Dollard St. Laurent scored at 19:15, unassisted, to put Montreal, which never trailed, ahead 2-1.
After Camille Henry scored at 4:18 of the second period to tie the game, Claude Provost deflected Henri Richard's shot past Worsley at 8:35. Canadiens were shorthanded at the time.
Dickie Moore scored on a tip-in at 7:47 of the third period to give Canadiens a two-goal cushion, 4-2.
Rangers were trailing 4-3 with less than two minutes to play and were trying to pull Worsley for an extra attacker but couldn't clear their own zone. That Montreal pressure resulted in a goal by Bert Olmstead at 18:30.
1st Period
MON- Harvey (Beliveau, M. Richard) PPG 3:49
NY- Prentice (Creighton) PPG 7:48
MON- St. Laurent (unassisted) 19:15
2nd Period
NY- Henry (Fontinato, Hebenton) 4:18
MON- Provost (H. Richard) SHG 8:35
3rd Period
MON- Moore (Beliveau, Harvey) 7:47
NY- Cahan (Gadsby) 16:00
MON- Olmstead (Provost) 18:30
SOG
MON 8-8-9= 25
NY 7-6-8= 21
PP: MON 1-1; NY 1-3
Goalies
MON- Plante
NY- Worsley
Worsley surrendered five goals on just 25 shots in 5-3 loss to Canadiens
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