WE’RE OFF THE NEXT ROUND!! I am not going to lie, I did not think Montreal would be able to pull it off against the more experienced Pittsburgh Penguins, but they did. Very much deserved with the way they played, with speed, grit, and most of all, goaltending. Without those 3 qualities, we would not be facing Philadelphia.
Speaking of Philadelphia, this will be the first time that the Habs and Flyers will meet in the playoffs since the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals, with Montreal losing to Philly in 5 games. Both teams look very different since then, and I’m gonna dive in to see what makes Montreal and Philadelphia a very enticing and exciting matchup this time around.
1. GOALTENDING:
This is probably the most important factor of the series for both teams. Carey Price and Carter Hart have been locked in since the beginning of the Play-In. Hart helped Philly clinch 1st in the round robin play, while Price stood on his head against the Penguins. Things will definitely be different for the two netminders, as Price will face a more balanced and heavier team, while on the other end, Hart will be learning as he goes along as a young 21 year old keeper. Who will give the edge to their team? It’s tough to say, but based on experience and track record, I’d give it to Price. However, these playoffs have shown that anything can happen.
2. SPEED AND SKILL:
It’s no secret that both teams like to use their speed, similar to Pittsburgh in the last series, but Philadelphia uses it to get the puck in deep and use the boards to establish their dominance physically. While Montreal has speed, but are not big and heavy, they use their speed to create scoring chances off the rush, which is what makes them a great 5v5 team. Looking at players from both teams, on Philadelphia, you have Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, Kevin Hayes, Travis Konecny, Ivan Provorov, and so on. One thing all of these players have in common: Size, and that’s one advantage that Philadelphia has over Montreal, so it will be difficult for Montreal to get the puck off their big guys, but they have the tenacity to keep up with Philadelphia, so it will be interesting to see.
3. CENTRE DEPTH:
Philip Danault, Nick Suzuki, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Max Domi for Montreal. Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes, Derek Grant and Nate Thompson for Philadelphia. This I saved, because there is much to debate here. Montreal is lacking experience in this position, while Philly has 2 players who have already been to the Stanley Cup Final in Kevin Hayes and Claude Giroux(Giroux is playing left wing now, but at the time, he was the #1 centre). With Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi both blossoming right now, it gives them a chance to go up against some good centres, and learn as they go along. Danault is the most experienced of them, so he’ll occupy the responsibility of keeping Sean Couturier off the scoreboard, while Suzuki will take on Kevin Hayes, and Kotakniemi with Derek Grant. Max Domi and Nate Thompson will go at it, which will be fun to see, with Nate Thompson being a former player who was traded at the deadline in February. Where are all these players will excel is whether their wingers can finish off what they’re centremen are dishing out. That will be another factor in who will win the series.
4. DEFENCE:
I think Philly has the better defence, with Ivan Provorov, Shayne Gostisbehere, Travis Sanheim, Matt Niskanen, Phillipe Myers and Justin Braun. That’s a solid top 6 defence, but experience will come into play per usual, with Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun having more playoff games than the rest combined. They skate well, move the puck well, and can chip in offensively. Montreal, on the other hand, don’t have the same calibre of defence, with Shea Weber, Ben Chiariot, Jeff Petry, Brett Kulak, Victor Mete and Xavier Ouellet. On paper, it’s not even close, but when you have Carey Price behind you, it takes the pressure off a bit, but it won’t stop them from doing their part and helping Price disrupt Philly’s physical style of offense. Montreal’s defence need a repeat performance of the series against Pittsburgh, but will need to be more aggressive this time around.
PREDICTION: MONTREAL IN 7
A big leap, I know. However, this series will be about the goalies, and if Carey Price can steal a game or two like he did against Pittsburgh, this is Montreal’s series to lose. Carter Hart is still young, and his time will come soon, because right now, nothing is distracting Price, and when he’s on his game, he’s the best goalie on the planet. Furthermore, it adds confidence to the players in front of him, and all they have to do is put their foot on the tiger’s neck and Carter Hart will succumb to the pressure of Montreal’s tenacity. This is going to be one heck of a series, and it all starts tonight. Hope Montreal can pull off another upset, and of course, they are the underdog in this series, so it’s nothing new to them. “PLAY YOUR GAME”!
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