This NHL post season has been crazy so far. We have four of the eight series going to a seventh game. It's the most seven-game series in a first round since 1995.
The record is six, which was set in 1992.
Tonight we have two more do-or-die situations between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins in one game and the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning in the other.
When looking at Boston/Montreal, we see two Original Six teams that have played forever. In fact, these two teams have played the most Game 7s of all time — 7. Currently Montreal holds a 5-2 advantage in those deciding games and I think that will continue tonight. The Bruins aren't the best home team in the league and they have been absolutely atrocious on the power play this series. They're 0-for-19 in the six previous games with the man advantage. I can't see them winning without scoring a power play goal.
For those interested, the last team to win a series without scoring with the man advantage was the 2003 Anaheim Ducks — they swept Detroit in four games.
Even more so, Boston is just 7 of its last 83 power play chances, dating back through the last week in March. Yuck.
Montreal has the better goaltender in Carey Price and they have the better team. The Canadiens have won 6 of their last 7 elimination games dating back to last year's playoffs. Price can win in the clutch and tonight the Habs get it done.
In the Pittsburgh game, I still think Tampa Bay is in the right sitauation to pull off a win. The Penguins have not been very good in Game 7s at home, going just 2-5 in those games. Plus, Tampa Bay won two games in Pittsburgh during this series, putting the beat down on the Penguins. They won Game 2 and Game 5 by a combined 13-3 score. I thought home games were important?
Pittsburgh has had two straight games to put Tampa Bay out of the playoffs and hasn't been able to do so just yet. In talking about the power play like we did with Boston, we see that Pittsburgh is just 1 for 30 in this series.
Yes, 1 for 30.
That's not going to get it done. Tampa Bay is a team looking to avoid elimination for the third straight game and I think they get it done tonight. Dwayne Roloson has been a better goalie than Marc-Andre Fleury and Tampa Bay has better goal scorers.
Both teams have some playoff experience but I'll go with the team that seems to want it more — Tampa Bay.
Thoughts?