Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators Preview, Scores and Prediction

Are the Ottawa Senators the best underdog bet in the first round or will Price continue to carry the Montreal Canadiens on his back?

Montreal Canadiens:

The Montreal Canadiens piled up points all season long with Carey Price shouldering the load in goal. The problem is what Price accomplished in the regular season overshadows some glaring issues with the Habs. Montreal averaged just 28.5 shots per game and had trouble scoring all season. The Canadiens just aren’t that deep up front and now Max Pacioretty’s status is up in the air as he’s battling an upper-body injury. If he can’t lead the offensive charge, the Canadiens could be in big trouble.

Sports Interaction NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds

Ottawa Senators:

The Senators enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the league and have basically been playing postseason hockey for more than a month. Whether they’re able to maintain that intensity remains to be seen, but this team has all kinds of motivation to perform following the passing of assistant coach Mark Reeds, combined with GM Bryan Murray’s health concerns. On the ice, the Senators have responded to Dave Cameron’s new style and Andrew Hammond has shut the door in goal. Plus, when it comes to offence, the Sens had five different 20-goal scorers and four players with more than 50 points.

Prediction:

Carey Price is good enough to steal any series by himself, but the Canadiens have been playing with fire in front of him for too long. They’ll be pushed by the Senators’ depth and as long as Hammond holds up in Ottawa’s net, expect this to be a long series. Montreal opened as a -200 favorite in the series but has dropped to -180. Don’t be shocked if Ottawa steals this one.

Pick: Ottawa Senators in six games.