Game 5 Preview: Montreal Canadiens @ Pittsburgh Penguins

When you bet on sports you sometimes have to expect the unexpected. One of the important things to remember in NHL betting is a hot goalie can make all the difference in the world. In their game four Eastern Conference semifinal match-up, the Pittsburgh Penguins took an unexpected step backwards and found themselves pressing their luck against a very hot Montreal goaltender.

Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak has shown signs of brilliance in the 2010 playoffs. Halak was a primary reason why the Canadiens were able to upset the Capitals in the first round, and he turned back 33 of 35 shots in game four of this series to help even it up at two games a piece.

When the Canadiens poured on the pressure in the third period of game four, Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury could not withstand the barrage. In his defense, Fleury stopped 14 of 16 shots in the third period and made some spectacular saves. But his defense was out of sync, and they needed their goalie to steal a game for them. During the Penguins’ Stanley Cup run last season, Fleury would steal a game or two like that for the team. This year he has been unable to do so.

Game five shifts back to Pittsburgh and the Penguins have their home ice advantage back. The problem is that home ice has not meant anything to either one of these teams. Each team has won on the other team’s ice and, aside from the game one 6-3 blowout by the Penguins, all of these games have been very close.

The Stanley Cup odds have Montreal at a 25 to 1 long shot to win the Cup this year. The Habs could go a long way towards improving those odds with a win in game five. The x-factor throughout this entire series is Evgeni Malkin. In Canadiens Penguins betting, guys like Malkin and Sidney Crosby have not been a factor. In order for the Penguins to have a chance at defending their championship, their stars need to start to shine.

Sidney Crosby is a good leader, and he has earned the distinction of being one of the youngest team captains in NHL history. In this series he has yet to really step up and kick the Penguins towards the finish line. In game five the Canadiens can expect Crosby and Malkin to come knocking on Halak’s door, and they will be knocking frequently.

By now it has become apparent to the Penguins that Fleury is not the playing the same caliber of goal he played last year. The team needs to step up their play around Fleury and take away the mistakes that Fleury has been making all playoff long. They need to clear the front of the net from the rebounds Fleury is leaving, and they need to keep the Canadiens away from Fleury in the crease. Look for Pittsburgh defenders such as Jordan Leopold and Kris Letang to be more active in front of the Pittsburgh net. They will be clearing out the puck, and moving it to Crosby and Malkin on the offense.

Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2