Rangers @ Habs Game 1 Prediction – New York Rangers 2-0 Final
Game 1 Preview: These teams met once during each of the first three months of the New Year and, as mentioned, the Habs dominated the Rangers. Both teams enter this series near 100% healthy which is a story itself when one considers the 82-game schedule they just played. We fully expect that this will be a long fight and so do the SIA bookmakers as a 4-3 Canadiens series win is the top chalk (+415) on this matchup which is a generous price.
Game 1 Prediction: Montreal 160 Units (-160) Money Line at Sports Interaction: We have looked at this from every angle and we keep coming to Carey Price giving the Habs an advantage in goal. King Henry hasn’t looked right all season for the Rangers and defense wins championships. In addition to backing a Montreal Game 1 win, we are taking Les Habitant to win this series 4-2 (+418) and 4-3 (+415) with a 100 unit ($100) wager on both futures prices that are currently posted on the SportsInteraction NHL futures board.
Rangers @ Habs Game 2 Prediction - Montreal Canadiens 4-3 (OT) Final
Game 1 Recap and Game 2 Preview: Our main Game 1 concern came to pass as New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 31 shots he faced and the Rangers scored an empty net goal to win 2-0. Montreal is now in a “must win” situation as they’ve lost home ice advantage and would be in a world of hurt if they head to the Big Apple down 2-0 in this series. Carey Price was strong in Game 1 and will need a repeat performance in Game 2.
Game 2 Prediction: Montreal 150 Units (-150) ML at Sports Interaction: Montreal's Game 1 loss certainly adds some pressure to the playoff cooker in Quebec. The Habs lost back-to-back games just twice over their final 23 regular season matches while the Rangers won two in row just once during their final 21 contests. Not seeing any of these games being a blowout, we like Montreal to make this a “best of five" playoff series with a victory here. Cruise with the Canadiens (-150) money line price at the SportsInteraction sportsbook.
Habs @ Rangers Game 3 Prediction - Montreal Canadiens 3-1 Final
Game 2 Recap and Game 3 Preview: Montreal did what they had to do in Game 2 as they salvaged a home split with New York thanks to a 4-3 (OT) win. The Canadiens scored with 18 seconds left in the game and then again with 1:26 left in the first overtime. These teams had a combined 96 shots on goal in this contest. With the scene shifting to Madison Square Garden in the Big Apple - the Rangers take over as slim chalk at the Bodog sportsbook.
Game 3 Prediction: Montreal 100 Units (EVEN) Money Line at Bodog: With the way Henrik Lundqvist is playing, he stopped 85 shots during the first two games, there is not a lot separating these squads. The Rangers are back at MSG where they went 21-16-4 during the regular season while the Habs bring a 23-14-4 road record into New York. As forecast prior to Game 1 – this series may need seven games to decide a winner. Feeling Montreal gets at least one win in New York, we are backing the Habs with the EVEN price at Bodog.
Habs @ Rangers Game 4 Prediction - New York Rangers 2-1 Final
Game 3 Recap and Game 4 Preview: In a situation Montreal was in four days ago, New York faces a near must-win match after the Canadiens ripped the Rangers 3-1 during Game 3. Montreal went up 3-0 before New York scored late to thwart Carey Price's shutout bid. Home ice hasn't been kind to the Blueshirts as they have lost six straight NHL playoff games in the Big Apple. William Hill bookmakers have posted Montreal as slim road chalk tonight.
Game 4 Prediction: New York 105 Units (-105) Money Line at William Hill: New York managed just six shots during each of the first two periods and ended up with just 21 total attempts during Game 3. Simply stated - that is not enough against a world-class goaltender like Carey Price. Having piled a ton of research into this contest – we are puzzled by which Rangers team shows up at MSG tonight. Despite the Habs dominating win two nights ago - we still don’t see a lot of separation between these teams. We are backing the Blueshirts to snap their home losing skid with a wager on the William Hill (-105) money line price.
Rangers @ Habs Game 5 Prediction - New York Rangers 3-2 OT Final
Game 4 Recap and Game 5 Preview: New York answered the bell at MSG during Game 4 as the Rangers posted a slim 2-1 victory to make this a “best of three” battle. Still not where it needs to be, New York cranked up their offense some as they fired 32 shots at G Carey Price during Game 4. The scene now shifts back to the Bell Centre and puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM ET in Quebec. It hasn’t been easy but we are on a three-win roll in this series.
Game 5 Prediction: Montreal 150 Units (-150) Money Line at Bet365. We expected this would be long series and our pre-series futures bets are in pretty good shape now. As long as Montreal advances – we will cash one of our two tickets. A Canadiens Game 5 victory would be huge as it would set up a guaranteed Game 6 win. Bet365 bookmakers have posted Montreal as moderate chalk for this contest and a repeat of their Game 2 overtime victory would not be a surprise. The Habs have lost two in a row just twice during their last 27 games. We are backing a Canadiens win with the (-150) money line price at Bet365.
Habs @ Rangers Game 6 Prediction - New York Rangers 3-1 Final
Game 5 Recap and Game 6 Preview: Teams letting leads slip away has become a regular occurrence for us during the 2017 Stanley Cup chase. Montreal was up 1-0 and 2-1 before losing 3-2 in OT versus New York in Game 5. The Canadiens had an opportunity to blow this contest open as they were up 2-1 and went on two straight power plays early in the second period. Nothing materialized and the Blueshirts took it to the Habs the rest of the way.
Game 6 Prediction: Montreal 110 Units (-110) Money Line at William Hill. Montreal now faces elimination as this series shifts back to the Big Apple for an 8:00 PM ET puck drop tonight. In good shape prior to Game 5, our Eastern Conference quarterfinal futures wagers are now in a bit of trouble since we have Habs winning this series in six or seven games. William Hill bookmakers have Game 6 as a dead heat as both teams are posted with a (-110) money line. Our bankroll on this series is down slightly (10 units) and we have 200 units in futures investments at risk. Undeterred, we feel Carey Price will steal this game and send the series back to Montreal for an epic Game 7 clash that the whole world will watch.
