Montreal Cannot Keep Up This Pace
It has been a story of contrasts in the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. In one conference the favorites win, and in the other, it is the underdogs who prevail. And after losing Game 1, it looks like Montreal’s time will be up before long.
Can they continue to defy the odds and come back to win the series?
Nissa Khan of The Hockey Writers has this to say:
In the Western Conference, first round upsets abounded with only the Anaheim Ducks emerging among the favourites. In the East, every top seed came out victorious; a triumphant fact for those who believe the West is superior.
Although the Ottawa Senators were a bottom-ranked wild card team, they weren’t considered underdogs going into their series against the Canadiens. They dominated the league in the last quarter, overcoming a record 14 point deficit, to ensure their place in the 2015 playoffs. Many pegged them as favourites to beat the Habs.
Defeating the SenatorsHabs fans were petrified of facing their foes in the first round; haunted by flashbacks of a 1-3 regular season defeat and a messy 2013 5 game playoff loss. No matter that the Habs dominated the regular season standings with 110 points, second only to the New York Rangers.
Goaltender Carey Price led the team to the top and now reality was about to set in, because the Habs, statistically, are a beatable team, especially by one that dictated the season series.
But the Habs, forever undervalued, continue to prove they are up to any challenge; that they are among the league’s best teams. They found ways to exploit the Sens’ playoff inexperience and exhausted lineup, and managed an early 3-0 series lead without relying on Price.
What’s most striking about the Habs first round victory over the Sens is not that they won, but the doubt that infused Habsland when they couldn’t close out the series in 4 games.
Though everyone knew the Sens were a very good team who matched up well against the Canadiens, and despite that many picked the Sens to win the series overall, panic set in after disappointing efforts in Games 4 and 5.
Naturally, there were and are concerns about the Habs game. But the truth is, statistically, it would have been harder for the Habs to lose that series than win it, and yet many felt the doom of a series loss anyway.
Why? Because the Habs simply aren’t the analytics darlings everyone wishes them to be.
Click here to read the rest of Nissa’s story.
Photo credits to Shawn Carpenter.
