Round Three Primer: Golden Knights vs Canadiens

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…Conference… Final Matchup:

Captains: VGK: Captain: Mark Stone Assistant: Reilly Smith Assistant: Alex Pietrangelo

MTL: Captain: Shea Weber Assistant: Brendan Gallagher Assistant: Paul Byron

Round One: Vegas Golden Knights defeat Minnesota Wild (4-3) Montreal Canadiens defeat Toronto Maple Leafs (4-3)

Round Two: Vegas Golden Knights defeat Colorado Avalanche (4-2) Montreal Canadiens sweep Winnipeg Jets (4-0)

Playoff Performers:

Montreal: Tyler Toffoli (MTL): 11 GP, 4 goals, 6 assists, 10 points, even rating Nick Suzuki (MTL): 11 GP, 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points, even rating Eric Staal (MTL): 10 GP, 1 goal, 6 assists, 7 points, plus-2 rating Joel Armia (MTL): 11 GP, 4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points, plus-4 rating Corey Perry (MTL): 11 GP, 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points, even rating

Elite Goaltending Duel:

Price has been locked in for the Canadiens. Similarly to Fleury, Price has rejuvenated his career, but without the change of scenery. He has returned to an elite level, once again upping his play another notch in the playoffs. Despite multiple seasons of declining regular season stats, the wily veteran is turning in his third-straight .930% playoff save percentage.

When these guys are on, they’re extremely hard to beat. Quite simply, they’re game changers. Either one of these goalies can be the deciding factor in the series, taking the spotlight off of the 34 other players. If either runs into trouble, both Robin Lehner and Jake Allen are more than capable in relief.

The Trade:

Tatar has amassed 149 points in 198 regular season games and a plus-26 rating, since relocating to Montreal. He’s had his fair share of linemates, but has found sustained success. Much more than could be said about his time in Vegas under Gerard Gallant (20 GP: 6 points, minus-11, healthy scratches).

Max Pacioretty has always had the scoring touch. Toward the end of his tenure in Montreal, he reportedly fell out of favor around the city and the city also seemed to fall out of favor with their captain. A move had to be made. Good thing George McPhee was already trying to work a deal to get the Connecticut boy out of the snow and into the desert.

He is currently second on the Canadiens in playoff scoring with eight points. He’s playing a solid 200-foot game and has received rave reviews from teammates and the media alike.

#Habs Ben Chiarot on Nick Suzuki: "he's mature beyond his years; he's 21 but you'd never know being around him. Definitely one of the most mature young players I've seen & I think that's why he's considered one of the best young players in the League today"

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) June 13, 2021

At the time of the deal, Glass was the higher-profile prospect of the two. Clearly development has leaned the way of Suzuki and who knows if it would have been the same had he remained in Vegas. Point is, the trade will be a big part of this series with Pacioretty and Suzuki playing big roles in it.

Keys to the Series:

Ryan Reaves, William Carrier, and Keegan Kolesar never shy away from that aspect of the game. They’re always ready to bang bodies and get in on the forecheck. How each team responds to the physicality and how their skill players are able to navigate with minimal intrusion, will tell the story of this series.

Both clubs have high-end two-way players. Montreal deploys Suzuki, Phillip Danault, and the extremely experienced Eric Staal. They’re very responsible down the middle of their lineup and that is a clear strength of the club. They went out and got veteran savvy in Perry and Staal to blend with their promising youth.

The Golden Knights counter with William Karlsson and Chandler Stephenson, two very good two-way guys in their own right. Mix in the Selke finalist Mark Stone and the ever-athletic Alex Tuch and you have the makings of a good neutral zone battle throughout the series. It may not be pretty, but these games are bound to be interesting.

It will be tough for both teams to enter the offensive zone and scoring will be at a premium when they do. Their sweep of the Jets should serve as proof that the Canadiens are not a cupcake on the Golden Knights’ path to a second Stanley Cup Final in four seasons.

Will Max Pacioretty get to his first Stanley Cup Final or will the young, productive Suzuki come back to bite his former organization?

Game One puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 PDT in scorching Las Vegas, where only the 100+ degree weather can match the hot storylines of this series.

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