The Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins are set to clash in Game 1 of their conference quarter-final series tonight, Thursday April 14th, and kick off their 33rd all-time meeting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Canadiens lead the Bruins 7-3 SU through their last ten meetings. NHL oddsmakers have the Bruins as -180 moneyline favourites over the Canadiens (+160) with the over/under set at 5 goals. Be sure to check the Canadiens vs Bruins NHL Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
Montreal enters the playoffs winning five of their last ten games and winning only two of their last five on the road. Montreal holds a 24-8 all-time post-season edge, but Boston has claimed five of the last eight series and swept the Habs in four games when the clubs last met in the 2009 Eastern Conference quarters. Goalie Carey Price posted a 38-28-6 record this season while playing in 72 games. Price tied Vancouver's Roberto Luongo for the league lead in wins, while also setting personal bests in GAA (2.35), save percentage (.923) and shutouts (8). However, Price still has to prove he can get it done in the postseason. In 19 career playoff games, he has a 5-11 record to go with a 3.17 GAA and .894 save percentage. injuries on defense are once again a concern for the Habs. Once considered Montreal's best all-around defenseman, Andrei Markov has barely been able to stay on the ice over the last year, and suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee in November. Fellow blueliner Josh Gorges was possibly Montreal's best shutdown defenseman, but he will also miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury sustained in December. Yet, offense is the real problem spot for Montreal, as the club finished 24th in the league with 216 goals. The Canadiens had just one player over 50 points this season, as Tomas Plekanec led the club with 57 points on 22 goals and 35 assists. Captain Brian Gionta led the club with 29 goals and had 46 total points while playing in all 82 games.
Boston starts the Cup campaign winning six of their last ten games and winning four of their last five at home. Although Boston won the Northeast Division by seven points over Montreal, the sixth-seeded Canadiens did claim this year's season series with four wins in the six encounters. The biggest difference between the 2010-11 Bruins and last year's club is that goaltender Tim Thomas in once again healthy and back to his Vezina Trophy- winning form. Thomas was 35-11-7 with nine shutouts and a sparkling 2.00 goals-against average. The 38-year-old also set an NHL record with a .938 save percentage, beating former Buffalo netminder Dominik Hasek's mark of .937 from the 1998-99 campaign. Of course, Thomas has one of the league's most feared defenseman playing in front of him in Zdeno Chara, the 6-foot-9 Slovakian with the hardest slap shot in the world. Chara won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman in 2009 and he could be a finalist for the award this year after posting 14 goals, 44 points and a plus-33 rating this season. Boston had four players with 20 or more goals this season and seven of the club's forwards had 40 or more points. Milan Lucic led the team with a career- high 30 goals and he was tied for the club lead in points with David Krejci, who paced the club with 49 assists. Patrice Bergeron was third on the team with 57 points and he also could be a finalist for the Selke Trophy as one of the league's top defensive forwards.
Recent Trends to Consider:
Over is 3-0-2 in the last 5 meetings.
Home team is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.
Favorite is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Canadiens are 9-3 in the last 12 meetings.
Over is 5-2-2 in the last 9 meetings in Boston.
Bruins are 10-1 in their last 11 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
Bruins are 9-1 in their last 10 games as a favorite of -151 to -200.
Canadiens vs Bruins
When: Thursday, April 14, 7:00 PM ET
Pick: Bruins -180
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The Bottom Line: The Bruins are going to play hard tough hockey and they’ll get the win. Be sure to check Canadiens vs Bruins Hockey Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
