An Honest Look at the Montreal Canadiens' Upcoming Series with the Boston Bruins

Markov was tied for the team scoring lead with 64 points before  he was injured; he still finished second-best among NHL defense-men in scoring. Schneider was acquired Feb. 16 and has effectively played with courage and intelligence. 

With the loss of Markov in the first round The Habs will be looking for players like Roman Hamerlik and Mike Komisarek to take on more responsibility. Hamrlik already plays almost 22 minutes a game, and Komisarek checks in with more than 21 minutes.

Josh Gorges (plus-12) and Hamrlik (plus-4) are the only plus players on Montreal's blue line.

Goaltenders:

Tim Thomas led NHL goalies with a 2.10 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage while going 36-11-7 in 52 games. He had five shutouts. Thomas is very mobile and acrobatic for a big man and his feisty personality is a big part of the Bruins' identity.

The goaltending statistics, which are influenced by overall team play, are not very good for The Habs. Carey Price finished 23-16-10, ranked No. 31 in the League with a 2.83 goals-against average and No. 31 with a .905 save percentage.

Price has struggled down the stretch and finished the season with just five wins in his final 18 starts (5-8-5), allowing three or more goals in 14 of those games.

Jaroslav Halak, meanwhile, is 18-14-1 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.86 GAA. He should get some playing time if Price struggles.

Special teams:

Boston's power play ranked second at home and No. 13 on the road, finishing fourth overall with a 23.6 percent success rate. Teams have played them cautiously. The Bruins ranked No. 26 in power-play opportunities, earning just 313.

Boston was fourth-best at killing penalties on the road but only 19th at home, finishing No. 12 overall at 82.4 percent. The Bruins had eight shorthanded goals, tied for 12th.

Montreal led the NHL in power-play efficiency in each of the past two seasons, but slipped to No. 13 in 2008-09, clicking at just 19.2 percent of its chances. The Habs are No. 16 at home at 18.2 percent, and No. 9 on the road at 20.4 percent.

The Canadiens are also in the middle of the pack on the penalty kill, registering an 82.4 percent kill rate, good for No. 11 in the League. There is little deviation from their home performance to their road showing.

Overview:

So what does all this mean as far as how this series will go...The Habs are a fragile team right now,  but maybe the fact that the playoffs have arrived will improve their confidence. The Habs Would rather meet a team they know very well in the first round then play a hot Caps club or the unpredictable Devils.

The Boston Bruins are licking their chops to get back at The Habs for last season, and alot of other stuff.  The Bruins believe they can win the cup this season, they are confident and solid through out all their lines...

Series Prediction:

Boston has to much for The Habs this season, but Montreal will make it interesting. I predict they will split the first two games and then Boston will win the next two and Montreal will win a close one in Boston and then the Bruins close out Montreal in Canada. Winning four games to two.

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