The Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens meet for the first time in playoff history.
Despite winning their final two matches this season, the Montreal Canadiens lost six of their last 10 and often looked disorganized; a far cry from their overall play this season. Carey Price delivered a solid season though his recent struggles inflated his stats a bit. He sports a 2.59 GAA and a pedestrian .905 save percentage with three shutouts overall. Defenseman P.K. Subban had a tremendous season with 38 points; he was the second leading scorer on the team and trailed leader Max Pacioretty by one point.
The Ottawa Senators' 4-2 win over the Boston Bruins saved them from a date with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team had a mediocre April that was marked by a five-game losing streak (the first game was in March) and an ensuing four-game win streak. The team wound up losing three of its final five matches. The return of Erik Karlsson has give then Senators new life; he had four points in his three games after returning from a major injury. Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner have proven a capable goaltending tandem moving forward.
Montreal Wins If... Carey Price plays to his potential. The team needs all of its pieces hitting on all cylinders if it hopes to make a deep run.
Ottawa Wins If... They play physically and pressure the fragile Canadiens. The team has proven to be strong in the face of adversity and should be the more confident squad when the puck drops.
Predictions: Ottawa Wins the series in seven games.
Full Schedule:
Thursday, May 2 7 p.m. Ottawa at Montreal CBC, RDS, CNBC
Friday, May 3 7 p.m. Ottawa at Montreal CBC, RDS, CNBC
Sunday, May 5 7 p.m. Montreal at Ottawa CBC, RDS, NBC Sports Network
Tuesday, May 7, 7 p.m. Montreal at Ottawa CBC, RDS, CNBC
*Thursday, May 9 7 p.m. Ottawa at Montreal CBC, RDS
*Saturday, May 11 TBD Montreal at Ottawa CBC, RDS
*Sunday, May 12 TBD Ottawa at Montreal CBC, RDS
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
