This series features the two hottest goaltenders still alive in the playoffs.
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Here are five things you should know about Game 1 of the Canadiens-Golden Knights NHL semifinal playoff series Monday (9 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).
How they got there: The Canadiens rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the first round and went on to upset the North Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games. The Canadiens, who were the last team to qualify for the playoffs, carried the momentum into the division final and swept the Winnipeg Jets in four games. The Canadiens had the second-best defensive record in the playoffs, allowing only 2.18 goals a game. The Golden Knights had a rally of their own as they defeated Colorado in the six-game West final after the Avalanche won the first two games. Vegas beat Minnesota in seven games in the first round.
History, past and present: The Canadiens hold the record for the most Stanley Cup wins with 24, but the last time Montreal enjoyed a championship was in 1993. The Canadiens are making their first third-round appearance since 2014 when their hopes were dashed as the Rangers’ Chris Kreider crashed into Carey Price and knocked him out of the playoffs. The Golden Knights don’t have a cup, but Vegas went to the final in its inaugural season in 2018 and is playing in the semifinals for the third time in its four-year history.
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Price or Fleury? This series features the two hottest goaltenders still alive in the playoffs. Fleury has the better goals-against average at 1.91, but Price is right behind him at 1.97 and he has a playoff-best .935 save percentage. Price has been on fire in the Canadiens’ seven-game win streak, stopping 200 of 212 shots for a .943 save percentage. Fleury collected three Stanley Cup rings with the Penguins, who must be kicking themselves for letting him go. Pittsburgh has won only one playoff series over past four seasons while the Golden Knights have won seven with Fleury.
Quick starts becoming a habit: The Canadiens’ success through the first two rounds of the playoffs has been built on taking an early lead and holding on to it. Montreal has won seven games in a row and in each of those games they scored the first goal. They haven’t trailed since Game 4 of the Leafs’ series, a run that has reached 437 minutes and 53 seconds. That’s the second-longest streak in NHL playoff history behind the 488-minute run for the 1960 Canadiens. Back in those days, the playoffs were only two rounds and the Canadiens never trailed as they swept the Chicago Black Hawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Canadiens at Golden Knights: Five things you should know - Montreal Gazette
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