As has been the case in every round of the playoffs so far, the Montreal Canadiens are largely overlooked in the eyes of analysts and hockey experts at the American network ESPN. If few experts gave the CH a chance against the Leafs, the latter confused the skeptics, then they taught a lesson in the second round with a four-game sweep against the Winnipeg Jets.
With less than 48 hours from the start of the series between the two clubs, journalists from the American network ESPN have not learned from their mistakes. Among the 15 experts asked to find out who will be the big winner of the series between Sainte-Flanelle and the Golden Knights of Las Vegas, only two of them chose the Habs.
86.7% of the journalists consulted preferred the odds of the Nevada formation. At the same time, several arguments can explain this choice. First, the Golden Knights finished second on the Bettman Tour with 82 points in the regular season. Then, the stands will be filled to capacity on the Las Vegas side, while the Bell Center should accommodate a maximum of 3,500 spectators if Geoff Molson's request is favorably received by François Legault and his team.
However, journalists have forgotten that the intangibles don't always hold the most important place when it comes to predicting which team will make it to the end. Marc-Andre Fleury hasn't had much success against the Canadiens in his career. His statistics demonstrate it perfectly, he who finds himself with an efficiency rate under 0.900 not to mention his average goals against per game which is above 3 goals per game. Add to this that Carey Price's outfit can be a game-changer. If his defense protects the enclave well and manages to keep the shots from outside the danger zone, the Montreal Canadiens keeper could hurt a lot.
It remains to be seen if the journalists of the American network ESPN will be wrong again, them who had been largely on the side of the Leafs before taking for the Jets. At the same time, Dominique Ducharme has always loved this neglected role in the series. The pressure is on the shoulders of the other team and that's not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself.
