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Playoffs Round 1 Montreal vs Tampa Bay


johnnyhasbeen

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Unless I am mistaken the only thing that has to be settled is home ice?

2nd and 3rd in each division meet in round one. Or so I believe.

Mathematically Detroit could change that but I think it is a safe call.

Opinions on this matchup?

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Interesting match-up.

I think 2 keys stats, Habs 8th in Goals against, Tampa 8th in Goal for.

But, if DD line is still hot in 2 1/2 weeks, got to give Habs the edge.

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Great thread idea.

TBL

PP-13th

PK-22nd

Shots for per game-19th

Shots against per game-13th

Pretty ordinary team stats. Outside of Stamkos they don't have any stars. Ben Bishop stood on his head early in the year and still holds a slight edge on goal tending stats versus Price.

Their leading scorer post St Louis is Valterri Filpulla. Their number one defenseman is Victor Hedman, he's having a nice year with thirty-five points.

TBL will rely on a number of promising youngsters like Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, and Radko Gudas who have no playoff experience, as does their coach John Cooper. Ben Bishop also has zero playoff experience, and has cooled of late.

MTL look to exercise some playoff demons and will need Carey Price at his best to win the series. David Desharnais will need to keep up his play, MTL will rely on his line for primary scoring. Big performances will be needed out of Subban, Gallagher, Briere and Markov to chip in secondary scoring. Gionta and Plekanec will be busy shutting down the Stamkos line, and MT will be wise to keep the Pac line away from them.

Position by Position:

Goaltending-Edge Montreal.

Defense-Edge Montreal

Offense-Edge Tampa Bay

Coaching-Edge Montreal

Series Prediction:

A Conn Smythe caliber performance will be needed of Ben Bishop to make this a competitive series. Tampa Bay relies too much on rookies without any playoff experience, and lack game changers on defense.

Montreal in five.

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Goaltending-Edge Montreal.

I disagree, Ben Bishop is ahead of Price in all major categories for Goalies (Wins, GAA, save%, SO etc...). For the habs to win this series our boys will have to figure out how to beat Bishop. They'll also have to keep an eye out for Stamkos. If they can limit him to 2-3 goals for the entire series and can figure out how to beat Bishop, I like our chances.

Habs in 6

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I disagree, Ben Bishop is ahead of Price in all major categories for Goalies (Wins, GAA, save%, SO etc...). For the habs to win this series our boys will have to figure out how to beat Bishop. They'll also have to keep an eye out for Stamkos. If they can limit him to 2-3 goals for the entire series and can figure out how to beat Bishop, I like our chances.

Habs in 6

He's really cooled off. If you look at their schedule, he stood on his head the first two and a half months and then came back to Earth.

His stats and Price's stats are too close to make a difference.

His stats up until January were 1.85/.935

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/lightning/goalie-ben-bishop-left-off-us-olympic-team/2159250

By comparison, the stats of Anderson last year were 1.69/.941.

Carey last year put up 2.59/.905. This year he's 2.36/.925. The Senators, especially with their physical style were primed for an upset. Most pundits picked Ottawa.

The guy I watch out for is Ryan Callahan. He has 9 points in twelve games with TBL.

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Bishop is very good against us. Have to beat him. It's up to Therrien to prove a goalie doesn't beat him two years in a row.

I'm worried about the matchup behind the bench. Last year Therrien was badly outcoached, I hope he's learned from those mistake.

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Without having watched many Tampa games this year, it is hard to understand how they have been so successful. Yes they have a top 3 player in the world but other than that, not a whole lot else for skaters to be worried about on paper. To me they have overachieved all season. Bishop was an excellent pickup and he worries me more than Stamkos does in this playoff matchup. We seem to have a problem running into hot goal tending in the playoffs and I hope this isn't the case this series. That being said, this current Habs lineup is very balanced and deep. Playoff series more than not come down to depth and goaltending, and we have the edge there. We have a cast full of characters that can and will step up to score big goals. This is when the Brieres, Gionta's, and gulp...Bourque's come out and prove their worth. Habs in 5

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I say Montreal in 7. I simply do not trust our defence and Tampa will pin guys deep in Habs end running this series to its limit.

If Canadiens get no secondary scoring then Tampa in 7.

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Bishop was an excellent pickup and he worries me more than Stamkos does in this playoff matchup. We seem to have a problem running into hot goal tending in the playoffs and I hope this isn't the case this series.

Agreed. Bishop worries me more than Stamkos as well!

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I think MTL wil have to successfully win the battle of match ups against TBL. I would think that Pleky will get the Stamkos assignment.

This is a gimme. If we manage to shut him down, I can't see why/how we would lose.

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I'm worried about the matchup behind the bench. Last year Therrien was badly outcoached, I hope he's learned from those mistake.

Me too. Games vs Tampa that I watched this year, they dominated possession, and it's plain to see they were well coached, better than we were in those games. They are in every game, but so are the Habs, so this may be quite close. All 3 games between them so far were 2-1, losing 2 one in shootout, and one in overtime, while winning one in a shootout. Going to be a tough series for us, but I am confident in Price being more stable in nets than Bishop, and this year Price is clearly the best goalie in the league, I don't care what stat numbers say, the Habs would not even be in a playoff position without him. Our depth on defense and in the bottom six of the lineup, plus our new top line, Subban and Price will all be difference makers, Habs will take this series in 6 or less ....

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Was just looking at some stats and realized Pacioretty leads the league in game winning goals. Perry steen and ovechkin trail him by 1. That's some pretty good company. If he can keep that up in te playoffs he'll be a nightmare for TB. He's really established himself as a pure goal scorer this season IMO.

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I look forward to watching Malone go completely bonkers at some point in every game. By bonkers, I mean looney.

I think the Habs can take the series. Montreal could realistically roll 5 lines, a big if, if Moen, Prust, Weise all return. That's one big difference between this season and last. Montreal lost Gionta and Eller (when Eller was playing like a stud), no Emelin, We've upgraded over the likes of Halpern, Dumont, Armstrong, and Bourque (from being a top 6). Replaced Diaz with a more serviceable defenseman in Weaver, added a meaner D in Murray. Briere back at C (finally!) should help for scoring depth as well.

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I'm worried about the matchup behind the bench. Last year Therrien was badly outcoached, I hope he's learned from those mistake.

oh come on now that can't be, he is a genius, just look at how he has single handedly turned this team around. :rolleyes:

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oh come on now that can't be, he is a genius, just look at how he has single handedly turned this team around. :rolleyes:

Hey hey hey! Now you are getting with the program! :clap:

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Hey hey hey! Now you are getting with the program! :clap:

Thanks Don I am a new man. :nuts: Hey can someone explain to me how 3 of the top headlines on the Toronto Sports Network are stories about the forking laffs, ok forget it I just answered my own question. Get this season over so I don't have to hear about those jackasses in trawna. Sorry Torontohab don't mean to diss your city just that fricking pos team.

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Looking forward to see Briere in the playoffs, in a Habs uniform. Should be a very entertaining playoffs. We are on a hot streak, have almost every key player healthy, good depth. Let's forget next season and where Vanek will play, he is with the Habs now and should play a key part in the Habs success.

A player on the Bolts side not to ignore is Ryan Callahan. He'll shake things up and score big goals. We should not take them lightly. They find a way to win.

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In regards to Price vs Bishop, I think that besides the stats, the confidence Price gained at the Olympics should not be underated. He just seems so calm since his return.

Also seems to me that Emelin is playing better since the Olympic break.

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Guest Stogey24

In regards to Price vs Bishop, I think that besides the stats, the confidence Price gained at the Olympics should not be underated. He just seems so calm since his return.

Also seems to me that Emelin is playing better since the Olympic break.

Price still has a tendency to drop early on shots. Majority of the goals are scored up high glove side. I'm not knocking Price though; he's been excellent and I'm hoping he keeps it up for the playoffs
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Price still has a tendency to drop early on shots. Majority of the goals are scored up high glove side. I'm not knocking Price though; he's been excellent and I'm hoping he keeps it up for the playoffs

That reminds me 100% of the other goalies in hockey.

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