by Corey Desormeaux , Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
OTTAWA, ON. — Strange things happen in the playoffs. Emotions run high and certain players are capable of turning things up a notch and contributing in unexpected ways. I thought it would be fun to come up with five bold and biased predictions for the Montreal Canadiens’ first round series against the Ottawa Senators. Let us know which prediction you think is the most likely to occur.
1. Alex Galchenyuk will lead the series in points
There is no denying Alex Galchenyuk’s offensive creativity and the Habs will need a lot of it to beat the NHL’s hottest goaltender and the Ottawa Senators. He is a streaky scorer who has been all around the net for the past few weeks with minimal results. I’m thinking he starts cashing in on some of those opportunities and what better time to start?
With seven goals for the season and no NHL playoff experience, it seems unlikely that Jeff Petry will lead all defencemen in goals this series. I am well aware that two of the most offensively gifted defencemen in the NHL, PK Subban and Erik Karlsson will be relied upon much more heavily to produce goals for their team but let me remind you that I said these would be bold.
3. The Habs will score 3 short-handed goals in the series
The Canadiens are aggressive on the penalty kill, managing to bury seven shorthanded goals this year. They aren’t afraid to push the pace and put pressure on the opposing team. With talent like Pacioretty, Plekanec, Eller, and Subban as regulars on the penalty kill units; they have the speed and poise to make teams pay for their mistakes while on the power play.
4. Devante Smith-Pelly will average 3 hits a game and average a point per game
Smith-Pelly leads all Canadiens forwards in hits this season and averaged 2.77 hits a game. With the emotions of the playoffs being a factor, I don’t think it’s a stretch for Smith-Pelly to average three hits a game. Devante had a great post-season for the Anahiem Ducks last year as he not only contributed with his physical game but with point production as well. Here’s hoping he can do that for the Canadiens.
5. P-A Parenteau scores a hat-trick
Since coming back from injury, Parenteau has had the opportunity to play as a top-six forward. This should be of no surprise to anyone as this is exactly what he was acquired for. With Max Pacioretty questionable for the start of the series, Parenteau will have to find the scoring touch we know he has but hasn’t seem to find this year with only eight goals in 56 games. The trio of Parenteau, Desharnais, and Smith-Pelly has looked dangerous at times over the last few games of the season and features a good mix of strength and finesse.
So which do you think is the most likely Bold, Biased prediction to occur? Do you have your own bold prediction? Add it in the comments section below.
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