After the Islanders and Lightning began their semifinal series on Sunday, the Canadiens and Golden Knights will hit the ice for the first game of their series on Monday. It will be the first time either of these teams has played a team from outside their division all season and the first time these teams have played each other since January 18th, 2020.
Here is a look at how each team got to this point, some players to watch, a key stat, and a free pick. Currently, Vegas is a big favorite at home, sitting at -280 while Montreal is at +230.
How They Got Here
Beginning with the visitors, the Canadiens’ road to the final four is by far and away the most surprising compared to the rest of the field. With just a 24-21-11 record, Montreal finished fourth in the North Division, getting matched up with the first place Maple Leafs.
It looked as if Montreal’s stay in the playoffs would be a short one, as the Leafs went up three games to one in the opening series. However, the Habs won three games in a row, two of which came on the road, to shock the hockey world and advance past their hated rivals from Ontario in seven games.
After pulling off the upset in round one, Montreal carried the momentum and dominated in round two. Facing off against the Jets, who just swept the Oilers, the Canadiens rolled through with a sweep of their own. In the four games, Montreal outscored Winnipeg by a combined count of 14-6, advancing to the final group of four teams for the first time since 2014.
While the Golden Knights’ road to this point isn’t as surprising as Montreal’s, they still had a tough road through the playoffs. Despite a 40-14-2 record, Vegas lost the tiebreaker to win the West Division and therefore had to face the Wild in round one.
The opening series was an eventful one, as Vegas lost 1-0 in OT to start but then rattled off three straight wins. However, Minnesota didn’t go away and was actually able to force a Game 7. But ultimately, the Knights survived and advanced with a convincing Game 7 win and a series date with the President’s Cup-winning Avalanche.
Colorado, who finished tied at 82 points with the Knights, won the first two games of the series, continuing their undefeated stretch of postseason play. However, Vegas flipped a switch and dominated the rest of the way, tying the series at home, taking the lead on the road, and then lastly winning the series at home in Game 6 to advance to the semifinals for the third time in their four years of existence.
Key Players
A former Stanley Cup champion with the Kings, right-wing Tyler Toffoli has emerged as the leading point producer for Montreal this postseason. Toffoli is tied with three other players with four goals and one other for six assists, giving him a team-high 10 points in 11 games of action.
Other players for the Habs to watch include center Nick Suzuki and center Eric Staal. This series is a little personal for Suzuki and a Golden Knights draft pick who was sent to Montreal in the Max Pacioretty deal, as the young center is second on the team with eight points. Meanwhile, the veteran Staal has seven total points, six of which have come via assist.
Of course, Montreal’s hopes of winning fall on the shoulders of Carey Price. The former Vezina winner has dominated the postseason with a 1.97 GAA and a .935 save percentage. Price has also allowed just 12 goals during the Habs’ seven-game win streak.
Just like a few years ago, when Vegas made their miracle trip to the Stanley Cup, center William Karlsson has been the center of attention. The young Swede has four goals but seven assists to go along, giving him a team-high 11 points as well as a team-best +7 plus-minus.
Pacioretty, the former Canadiens captain, was a late addition to the postseason but already has eight points in seven games. He is tied with three others; defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, right-wing and captain Mark Stone, and Karlsson’s linemate Jonathan Marchessault. Among them, Marchessault has the most goals with six, while Pietrangelo has seven assists, just like Karlsson.
In net, Marc-Andre Fleury has started all but one game for the Knights this postseason. The Quebec-native has a 1.91 GAA and .923 save percentage in 12 starts while allowing no more than three goals in any one postseason game this year.
Key Stat
Although hockey is a 60-minute sport, the first goal of the game could go a long way in deciding how things will turn out. Montreal, in particular, has benefitted from scoring first and having Price hold the lead, going 7-1 when netting the opening goal. Meanwhile, Vegas has allowed the first goal in nine of their 13 postseason games, going 5-4 in those contests.
Betting Pick
Whether you want to look at this matchup as the league’s oldest franchise versus the newest, or the league’s only 40-win team up against the playoff team with the worst record, there is no shortage of intrigue over the next few games.
Montreal has continued to prove doubters wrong, and they will no doubt be heavy underdogs throughout the series. However, Price can only do so much to keep them in close games against a Vegas team that is better in nearly every way.
It should be interesting to also see how crossing the U.S.-Canada border for the first time since before the pandemic will affect the Habs, as well as playing a team that’s genuinely better than anyone else they’ve played all year. I expect Game 1 to be a transition game for the Canadiens and an easy win for the Golden Knights.
Pick: Golden Knights -1.5 (+112)
