9:10 pm
June 16

Canadiens @ Golden Knights

Who will WIN this matchup?

Montreal Canadiens (24-21-11)

@ Vegas Golden Knights (40-14-2)

 

Starting Goalies:

Carey Price (MON): Unconfirmed

Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK): Unconfirmed

 

Current odds:

Montreal Canadiens: (-220)

Vegas Golden Knights: (-260)

 

As disappointing as the 4-1 loss in Game 1 was for the Canadiens, they can look at how well they played through most of the opening period before a trio of consecutive penalties killed all of their rhythm. “They got momentum rolling and felt good after they got their game going,” Montreal defenseman Ben Chiarot said. “I don’t know if it was a combination of us getting off our game and them getting onto theirs but it’s something we’ll make adjustments for and be ready for.”

Montreal may receive a much-needed roster boost. Defensemen Jeff Petry and Jon Merrill and forward Jake Evans practiced on Tuesday without non-contact jerseys and may be ready to return from injury. “It’s too early right now to talk about (Wednesday’s) lineup,” coach Dominique Ducharme said. “We’ll evaluate everyone and see where they’re at and see if we can make changes.”

Pulling even in the series won’t be an easy task for the Canadiens, though. The Golden Knights, making their third semifinal appearance in their fourth season of existence, boast great forward depth, a strong defensive corps and top-notch goaltending from veteran Marc-Andre Fleury, who was a factor in the first period. That recipe has them riding a five-game winning streak of their own, but they know full well Monday’s victory wasn’t an example of their best.

The other elements to the Vegas victory were no surprise. One was scoring first, which snapped Montreal’s seven-game streak of opening the scoring. The other was receiving contributions from their depth, especially with three defensemen scoring in the game. The Golden Knights lead the NHL with nine postseason goals from their blueliners. As much as the Golden Knights know they can be better, the series favorites are well aware the Canadiens have another gear.

6/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Vegas Golden Knights