NHL playoffs betting preview: Can Price frustrate the Pens?
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In what could prove to be the most lopsided series of the play-in round, the Montreal Canadiens will lean heavily into the hope that all-world goaltender Carey Price rediscovers his once dominant form against a Pittsburgh Penguins team with eyes on making another run at the Stanley Cup.
Can the Habs catch lightning in a bottle, or will the Pens take the first step in their bid to hoist another championship?
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Penguins | -220 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +180 |
The case for Pittsburgh
For all the uncertainty surrounding the return to play, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin feel like a safe bet. The pair have 326 games of playoff experience between them, and there isn't a situation that will have them fazed.
Their running mates aren't bad, either. The team traded for Jason Zucker when Jake Guentzel was presumably lost for the season, but Guentzel is back, and now this forward group is among the best and deepest heading into the playoffs. Bryan Rust was enjoying a breakout campaign, Conor Sheary has been reunited with Crosby, and Patric Hornqvist and Patrick Marleau provide invaluable veteran savvy.
Adding insult to injury for opposing teams, the Pens also boast two legitimate options in goal. Tristan Jarry was nothing short of spectacular during the regular season, and while Matt Murray endured somewhat of a down campaign, he's proved capable of elevating his play in the postseason. There are few holes in this team, which makes this series feel like little more than an appetizer ahead of the main course.
The case for Montreal
Just think of the chaos. The Canadiens were 10 points out of a playoff spot with 11 games remaining and already booking April tee times at Club Saint-Raphael when the season was suspended. They're playing with house money, and Price with a freeroll is a dangerous proposition.
Price's body of work this season wasn't quite up to the standards we've come to expect, but spells of dominance - including a .950 SV% and 1.6 GAA during a 10-game run from Jan. 11 to Feb. 8 - suggest there's still plenty of reason to fear the former Vezina winner. It wouldn't be the first time a Habs goalie got hot and bounced the Pens from the playoffs.
If there's any team that will face the Penguins head-on, it's the Canadiens. They're an excellent puck-possession squad that can skate circles around opponents, and with all those young legs, Montreal won't be lacking in energy when the series gets going. Jonathan Drouin and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are healthy and have plenty to prove, while the likes of Nick Suzuki and Max Domi will be champing at the bit for their first taste of postseason hockey. Speaking of Domi, his decision to rejoin the team has morale sky-high at Habs camp. The Canadiens are a young, hungry team with nothing to lose and will expect to make life difficult for their illustrious opponents.
The pick
Montreal Canadiens (+180)
The Penguins definitely should win this series, but following such a long layoff and with so much uncertainty heading into these unprecedented play-ins, I simply can't justify backing any team with a -220 price tag, regardless of the talent gap. At +180 I'm willing to find out just how wacky these playoffs are going to get.
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.