The Montreal Canadiens host the New York Rangers in game one of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal, here is our prediction.
The Canadiens might be the most underrated team in the tournament, which says something considering the city they play in. Nobody is more rabid than Montreal patrons, and yet their team is going under the radar, having played in the woeful Atlantic Division.
Still, this is a dangerous group that earned the No. 2 seed in the East with 103 points. The main question with the Canadiens is whether or not they can beat Henrik Lundqvist in this series. Lundqvist, 35, remains one of the best goaltenders in the sport, and he’s still looking for his first Stanley Cup. If he gets one, he’s likely a Hall of Famer.
Montreal doesn’t have a ton of firepower. Max Pacioretty leads the team with 67 points and 35 goals, but only one other player, Paul Byron, has more than 20 markers. If New York can limit Pacioretty and stay away from the box, it should keep the score down.
The Rangers are used to playing in low-scoring affairs. They don’t have a single player with more than 30 goals, as Chris Kreider leads the unit with 28. New York is also without a single 60-point man, continuing the trend in this series of goaltending and defense.
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Each of these games are likely going to come down to Lundqvist and Montreal goaltender Carey Price, two of the best in the business. In addition, look for penalties and the costly turnover to do one of these teams in. With the styles each play, it will be tough to come from behind against the other.
Final Score: Montreal 3, New York 2