A tight Stanley Cup playoffs semifinals between the Montreal Canadiens and the Vegas Golden Knights heads to Game 6 on Thursday with Montreal having a chance to close out the series on home ice.
The Knights have struggled for goals, but they really need to find some offense here to have a shot at survival. Bookmaker Bovada has the odds at -135 for Vegas to score over 2.5 goals while the odds are at +115 for Montreal to notch at least three goals.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: June 23rd, 9:00 A.M. (EST)
Vegas was the third-best scoring team during the regular season with a 3.39 goals-for average, but Peter DeBoer’s men have managed only a total of 11 goals during the semifinals series. The team’s power play has been completely dead with the team going 0-for-15 with the man advantage against Montreal.
Team captain Mark Stone had a very prolific regular season, but he’s so far pointless in the series adding to the Golden Knights’ woes in Game 5, which Montreal easily won 4-1.
Stone’s line with Max Pacioretty and Chandler Stephenson will be under the microscope during Game 6 and the Knights badly need them to deliver the goods.
Vegas’ incompetence has allowed the Canadiens to set a new Stanley Cup playoffs record with a run of 12 consecutive games without giving up a power-play goal.
Young talents like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have really stepped up and veterans Corey Perry and Eric Staal have proved that experience is a major factor during the postseason. Having an in-form goalie gives you a great chance to win as well.
Carey Price was in inconsistent form throughout the regular season and battled some health issues, but the former league MVP has proved his worth again when it matters the most. The 33-year-old boasts an 11-5-0 record for the playoffs with a 2.02 goals-against average, a .933 save percentage and one shutout.
With Price in red-hot form, the Canadiens should feel very confident about their chances of reaching the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 1993.
The atmosphere at the Bell Centre will no doubt be electric and it should help Montreal to get through any rough patches that might occur during the game. However, the Golden Knights have enjoyed their road outings throughout the postseason and they certainly won’t go down easily.
