#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #4 Montreal Canadiens

[Goffie]

The top seeded Penguins got by the #7 seeded Sabres in a 5 game series that saw the Pens win 4 straight after the Sabres won the opener. Both the Pens series have been very tightly contested game in and game out with the Pens finding ways to win close games. Meanwhile the #4 seed Habs have looked sharp in dispatching the Blue Jackets and Sens in 5 and 6 games respectively.


Both teams are 8-3 in the playoffs. Here is how the teams ranked during the regular season.


Scoring
Pittsburgh 10th 2.74
Montreal 17th 2.63

Goals Against
Pittsburgh 3rd 2.28
Montreal 4th 2.39

PP
Pittsburgh 11th 23.83%
Montreal 4th 26.34%


PK
Pittsburgh 5th 81.02%
Montreal 3rd 81.06%

Key Matchups :
Jon Quick (PIT) 64 39 16 8 0.936 2.01
Vs
Antti Niemi (TOT) 73 40 27 6 0.927 2.26
Quick was sharp all year for the Pens, but Niemi was the top reason the Habs were so successful. They rode his success from a bubble team to home ice in round 1 and 2 of the playoffs. This will be the key match- up in this series.
Kyle Okposo vs Patrick Kane
Okposo has flourished so far these playoffs while Kane has struggled mightily. The Pens will need to focus on shutting down the Habs top gun while working to get their star winger more engaged. The Habs hope that Okposo keeps on rolling and provides the scoring they need to win games.

Overview: The Penguins were the better regular season team, however the Habs surged in a huge way down the stretch and did so under the radar. The key for the Habs will be special teams and goaltending as they had the top special teams in the entire CPHL. The Pens will need to exploit Montreal’s lack of depth and use their balance throughout the lineup to wear out Niemi and the Habs.

[TurdFerguson]

Pens in 6. Should be an good one.

[Moshpit]

Excellent write up, Goffie. Pretty much spot on. However I will add, the Habs are known to play tough and teams tend to lose key players. The dirtbags (Cooke Ott & Dupuis) could be the wildcard in the series. A 3rd line playing 2nd line minutes, could spell hurt for the Kane and Co. Ask Lovejoy from round 1, or Zajac from round 2.

Who is it gonna be this time? Stamkos? Maybe Quick?

Everything aside, the Pens are an elite team. They have skill at every position and a deep roster- something the Habs lack. However, the Habs do have grizzled veterans with experience and a toughness second to none. Heart and desire beats skill and finesse. Habs in 6.