The Vegas Golden Knights will be looking to take the lead in their series with the Montréal Canadiens when they host Game 5 on Tuesday. Vegas even the series with a 2-1 victory in overtime on Sunday.
Here you can find the best picks, news, and stats for the NHL playoff semifinal battle at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas is the favorite at -250. This according to PointsBet Sportsbook, which puts Montréal at +210 as the underdog.
The Canadiens will be without Jonathan Drouin. Jake Evans and Tomas Tater are listed as questionable. Vegas will be without Peyton Krebs. Chandler Stephenson is listed as questionable for the Golden Knights.
Price Solid, But Offense Fizzles in Loss
Montréal took a 1-0 lead with a little over a minute left in the second period, but watched Vegas tie the score and win it 1:18 into overtime in a 2-1 loss that evened the series. Paul Byron had the lone goal for the Canadiens. Carey Price was solid, stopping 19 of 21 shots.
Montréal is averaging 2.40 goals per game and is connecting on 8.2% of their shots. The power-play has been solid at 18.4%. The Canadiens are led in scoring by Tyler Toffoli who has seven assists and 12 points. He is tied with Joel Armia for the team lead in goals with five.
The Canadians are allowing 2.27 goals per game and they have the best penalty-killing unit in the postseason at 92.9%. Price continues to be outstanding, going 10-5 with a 2.09 GAA and a .931 save percentage. After allowing four goals in the opening contest of this series, Price has allowed two in each of the last three games.
Roy OT Game-Winner Evens Series
Nicolas Roy scored 1:18 into overtime to give Vegas the victory, reviving the team’s chances of reaching the Stanley Cup finals. Brayden McNabb tied the score with his first goal of the playoffs, 10:37 into the third. Robin Lehner got the surprise start and was outstanding, stopping 27 of 28 shots.
Vegas is averaging 2.94 goals per game, fifth in the postseason, while connecting on 9.2% of their shots, fourth overall. The power-play is connecting on 10.3% of their opportunities. William Karlsson continues to lead the team with 10 assists and 14 points. He has three points in this series, all assists.
The Golden Knights are allowing 2.29 goals per game and the penalty killing has been mediocre at 73.5%. While Lehner looked great in Game 4, expect it to be Marc-Andre Fleury back between the pipes. Fleury is 9-6 with a 1.97 GAA and a .921 save percentage.
Trends:
Montréal:
- None
Vegas:
- 40-18 in their last 58 games.
- 38-13 in their last 51 games against teams with a losing record.
Montréal Canadiens vs. Vegas Golden Knights Pick
This is where Vegas is at its best. They responded with a huge victory in Game 4, and I would not be surprised to see them seal the deal over the next two contests. This is a very good Golden Knights team. No disrespect to Montréal, but this series may very well be over.
Picks: Take Vegas at -250.
Montréal Canadiens vs. Vegas Golden Knights Total:
I am a little surprised to see that oddsmakers think it is more likely that these teams go over 5.0 goals than go under. We have yet to see a game go over 5.0 as a total, as the first three contests ended at five total goals scored while three total goals were scored on Sunday. In fact, based upon how this series has gone, the push would seem to be the smarter pick. With Price only giving up two goals per game in each of the last three, you have to go with the under.
Pick: Go under 5.0 at +115
