Habs Weekly: A Split to Start
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The Habs opened up their first-round series against Toronto this past week and while the second game was far from pretty, they still managed to pick up an important split on the road.
The Habs opened up their first-round series against Toronto this past week and while the second game was far from pretty, they still managed to pick up an important split on the road.
The Habs looked to come out of Toronto with both games to start their playoff series. However, despite an early goal, they weren’t able to generate much after that, ultimately falling 5-1 on Saturday night.
With the playoffs now upon us, it’s time to reveal the final grouping of prospects for 2020-21. This grouping features a trio of players who have seen time with the Habs this season and are expected to be key cogs for them in the future.
Thursday’s series opener was a typical playoff game where both teams battled in the corners and the physicality was absolutely ramped up. While the Leafs had more scoring chances, they were faced with beating the Habs star in Carey Price who was on top of his game. The result was a defensive battle that saw the Habs come out ahead 2-1 to take the ultra-important 1-0 series lead.
If the Habs are going to beat Toronto in their upcoming series, they’ll need their top players to contribute plus have a couple of other players step up. Who could those players be? Our writers make their picks for Montreal’s X-Factors.
With Laval finishing their season up on Monday, the Habs were able to make their end-of-season recalls to establish their ‘Black Aces’ for the playoffs. They did just that on Tuesday, recalling nine players.
The final stretch of the season was a tough one for Laval. Despite outplaying the Marlies for significant stretches, it didn’t result in much success as they only managed to pick up three points in five games to end their season on a quiet note.
The playoffs are now well underway, with the weekend games starting off the 2021 postseason. The HabsWorld writers have now provided their thoughts and predictions on the next four series, including the all-Canadian matchups.
The Habs needed to pick up a point in their final two games against Edmonton in order to officially lock down a playoff spot. They couldn’t secure a win to give them a shot at catching Winnipeg for third but did enough to back into the final spot in the North.
Tonight, the first game of the Stanley Cup playoffs begins. Our HabsWorld writers provide their predictions on the series starting this weekend to see who will advance on to the next round.