I’ve said it pretty much every year, but the NHL Playoffs are awesome. I don’t really follow hockey all that much during the regular season. I follow it enough to sporadically bet on it, but of the big four, it is the one that I am the least confident in. I’ve been surprisingly successful some years, but this hasn’t been the best one for me. So, I guess my advice here is to tread with caution as I share my bet with you on the Canadiens vs. Sabres game.
The Montreal Canadiens took out one of the biggest favorites in the sport in the first round. They were able to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. This was an interesting series as the two teams alternated wins. None of the games were decided by more than one goal, either. Four of the seven games also went to overtime. To say this was a battle for Montreal would be an understatement. Kudos to their team for persevering through it and coming out to live for a second round of the playoffs.
For the season, the team scored 3.40 goals per game and allowed 3.06 goals per game. I always find it interesting, but they allowed more shots than they’ve taken on average. They went 24-9-8 on the road this season, one of the better marks in the league, and they won three games on the road in the first round. I expect them to put Jakub Dobes in the net once again after he started all seven games against Tampa Bay. He was 29-10-4 with a 2.78 goals allowed on average per game. He had a strong .901 save percentage in the regular season. In the postseason, he upped that to .923 and allowed no more than three goals in any game.
The Buffalo Sabres went 50-23-9 for the season, looking like one of the best teams in the league. They were solid at home, going 26-10-5 in their home arena. In the opening round, the team took down the Boston Bruins in six games. They had a significantly easier time than the Canadiens. In three of their wins, they took them down by at least two goals. Even in the two losses, they were rather competitive. They lost Game 2 by a score of 4-2, and Game five 2-1. Both of their losses at home are a bit concerning.
Still, this is a team that has a lot going for it. Scoring 20 goals in six games means that this offense is firing on all cylinders. They made a major adjustment for the team by taking starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen out of the net after the first two games. They turned to Alex Lyon in Game 3, and he rewarded them with a total of five goals allowed in five games. He didn’t allow a goal on seven attempts when he came in for Luukkonen in Game 2.
The playoffs are not a time for teams to worry about feelings. Pulling their starting goalie, who had done so much for them, needed to happen if Buffalo wanted to win the series. Lyon delivered and will be in the net until he cools off. The Sabres are playing with a ton of confidence at the moment, but they’ve looked a bit rough at home.
The Canadiens have to be rather exhausted after winning that first-round series. That was a grueling battle, and every game was tight. I don’t think that’s the type of game they want to play in this one. They were lucky to get a bit of extra rest. I expect the Sabres to win this game. They are the looser team, their goalie looks great, and the offense has been rolling. Give me Buffalo to win the opener as the Canadiens try to take a breath after getting out of the first round.
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