The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers meet up tonight in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the NHL Playoffs. The game is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on the NBC Sports Network. Currently the odds for the game have the Canadiens favored to win this contest.

New York can close out this series tonight after just five games. Montreal has been up and down this post season, but unless they win out in this series against the Rangers, they won't make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The NHL brass is probably looking forward to having the Rangers take on either the Los Angeles Kings or the Chicago Blackhawks, but Montreal will put up a pretty good fight tonight.

The Rangers have gotten great goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist all playoffs, winning 11 games to this point of the post season. He's sporting a 1.98 goals against average and saving better than 93 percent of the shots he has faced. In four games, Montreal has seven goals on 107 shots. He's had some help from the defensemen in front of him as well.

New York has baffled the Canadiens when Montreal has been on the power play, allowing just one goal to the Habs on 17 opportunities. In fact, the only power play goal for the Canadiens in this series game in a 3-2 loss in Game 4 Sunday night. Prior to that goal the Rangers had managed to kill off 27 straight penalties in this post season. 

If Montreal cannot score on the power play, they're not going to remain in this series. Canadien goalie Carey Price has been sidelined for the rest of this playoffs no matter how far the Canadiens go.

A New York victory will put them in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years, when the Rangers last won the championship. The Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in 13 of their 18 playoff games, including six of the past seven games and the Rangers are 12-1 when they lead a playoff series 3-1.

However, tonight we like Montreal to get a win at home. This probably will be the final time they play on home ice this season and we expect a solid effort from this group. Look for a well-played game on both sides of the ice.

Free Pick: Montreal 3, New York 2

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