Canadiens vs. Rangers: Game 5 prediction
Who will win the pivotal Game 5 between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers.
So far, the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs has seen a lot of close series. Perhaps no series has been more back and forth than the series between the Atlantic Division champion Montreal Canadiens and seventh seed New York Rangers. After the latter’s 2-1 Game 4 win over the former, the two teams have each won two games in the best of seven series. Thursday’s Game 5 should prove to be very pivotal.
Montreal has the upper hand because they have home ice advantage. In order to advance, the Rangers must beat the Canadiens at least once at Bell Centre. During the regular season, Montreal lost only 12 games in regulation at home. However, the Rangers won the most road games of any NHL team, losing just 12 times in regulation on the road. Carey Price has been fantastic this series, but their offense must be more consistent. In their two losses, Montreal has just one combined goal.
On the other side of the ice, the Rangers are no strangers to success on the road. It’s not a stretch to say home ice advantage might benefit the visiting team. Henrik Lundqvist has been magnificent in their two wins. However, he’s also allowed crucial goals in their two losses. Looking at the two wins, the Rangers favor lower scoring affairs, with just two total goals in their Game 1 win and three in Tuesday’s win.
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Prediction
New York will benefit from playing on the road. They’re not afraid to march into opposing arenas and play their fast style of hockey. The Rangers are playing with house money at this point, which makes them even more dangerous. They have very little to lose while all the pressure is on Montreal.
Rangers win 3-2.