Habs can now only face 4 teams in the first round

[68*]

Toronto. Need to revive this rivalry.

 

[capebretoncanadien]

Toronto by a mile!

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Why is the OP excluding NYR, PHI, CLB,and WASH?

Am I missing something in the new format????

 

[JayKing]

Pittsburgh.

 

[CH25]

Why is the OP excluding NYR, PHI, CLB,and WASH?

Am I missing something in the new format????

Because there is no possibility of being matched up against those teams.

 

[Maffew]

Was crunching some numbers earlier today, Rask does not enjoy his time against us in general, hence why I chose Boston. Seems like the only team with a goalie that doesn't play us well. If the Rangers were an option, I'd love for us to go up against Lundqvist too.

Rask is 3-10-2, 1 SO, .905 sv% lifetime against Montreal, and by looking at the scores in all those games, we're good at getting 3+ past him roughly 3 out of every 5 games.

Given what happened last spring, I'm all for picking a team with a goalie we can beat, no matter how good the offense and/or defense of that team is.

Also, and I've said this before, I never want to play Toronto in the playoffs. Not because I think we'll lose, but because it's a close match-up and it could go either way, and because I would never ever want to have to hear the gloating from their fans if they were to win. That would be no less than torture.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Anyone of them except maybe Tampa Bay.

Boston = we play them good
Pittsburgh = Fleury please
Toronto =

As long as Therrien doesn't muck it up.

 

[Kimota]

For whatever reasons, Tampa scares me a little.

 

[Saundies]

I voted Pitt.. and I'm surprised that it has such little support. Fleury is a sieve in the playoffs (and in the regular season, but I digress) and they have so many injuries to their defense. Yes, their firepower upfront is hard to ignore but much like the leafs I think they're defensive woes outweigh that.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Because there is no possibility of being matched up against those teams.

Why?

 

[TT1]

boston

 

[zx81]

Why?

We won't play any Metropolitan division team in the 1st round unless we finish 1st or among the wild card teams.

We can forget the first position so the only Metropolitan division team we can play in the 1st round is Pitt.

Detroit should have been added to the poll though because they're still very well in the race IMO.

 

[nodice]

Why?

Matchup breakdown:

1. The division leader in each conference with the most points plays the wild card team with the fewest points. 2. The division leader with the second highest amount of points plays the wild card team with the most points

3 & 4 – the second and third seeds in each division face one another in the first round.

OP is correct.

 

[General Fanager]

For whatever reasons, Tampa scares me a little.

This, except I know my reasons. Stamkos and Ben Bishop.


Bring on Boston or Toronto......

 

[zx81]

This, except I know the my reasons. Stamkos and Ben Bishop.

Yep.
Especially Bishop.

Toronto would be the best matchup for us.
And it's about time we meet them in the playoffs.
Last time was in '79.
This is crazy and unacceptable in a way.

 

[K2MyEverest]

I don't like to be able to choose which opponent I would like more since I think this is the best way to get burn lol but I would like Boston first round. Just to shut them up... or have a really long summer lol

 

[Habs Icing]

Why is the OP excluding NYR, PHI, CLB,and WASH?

Am I missing something in the new format????

Because there is no possibility of being matched up against those teams.

Can someone explain how the new playoff format works?

Never mind I just saw nodice's post.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Matchup breakdown:

1. The division leader in each conference with the most points plays the wild card team with the fewest points. 2. The division leader with the second highest amount of points plays the wild card team with the most points

3 & 4 – the second and third seeds in each division face one another in the first round.

OP is correct.

Yep, and the reason Detroit is unlikely is that they would have to pass both of Tampa Bay and Toronto in order to play Montreal in the first round. Otherwise, if Detroit is fourth in the division, they will play either Boston or Pittsburgh.

 

[Milhouse40]

Detroit is not highly unlikley to make it because they have 3 game at hand on the Leafs with only 5 points down.

I think the Habs will face Tampa though. Now I'm hoping they finish ahead of them so they can get that home ice advantage.

Detroit got a great chances to finish in hte Wild Cards but we won't face Wilds Cards since those teams face winner of both Division only.

It's possible but for that Detroit have to step over Tampa and Toronto
And Habs got stay 2 or 3rd in their division

Why is the OP excluding NYR, PHI, CLB,and WASH?

Am I missing something in the new format????

Impossible to face those teams unless we finished first ahead of Boston

[

We won't play any Metropolitan division team in the 1st round unless we finish 1st or among the wild card teams.

We can forget the first position so the only Metropolitan division team we can play in the 1st round is Pitt.

Detroit should have been added to the poll though because they're still very well in the race IMO.

Like i said....there's a slight chances for a Detroit-Montreal playoff....but it's for that they need to win they're games in hand...and beat Toronto and Tampa while the Habs stay there. Possible but highly doubtful since Tampa and Montreal are playing well right now.

 

[Picaroon]

Boston. If we can beat them then we can go far in the East. They are the biggest threat. We have had luck against them and it'd be great to get them out of the way first.

 

[ZARTONK]

Boston, because, well... You know...

 

[hockeyfan2k11]

Why are people picking the bruins? 7 game series with home ice advantage the bruins beat us pretty easily. I'll take Pittsburgh. They have the worst goaltending. Leafs 2nd but would rather not play them because a loss to them would have me in kill mode.

 

[General Fanager]

Why are people picking the bruins? 7 game series with home ice advantage the bruins beat us pretty easily. I'll take Pittsburgh. They have the worst goaltending. Leafs 2nd but would rather not play them because a loss to them would have me in kill mode.

1. The Habs play them pretty tight whether is here or in Boston. Rask has not played great against The Habs.
2. Ben Bishop scares the hell out of me.


For me its Toronto or Boston.

 

[FlyingKostitsyn]

Why are people picking the bruins? 7 game series with home ice advantage the bruins beat us pretty easily. I'll take Pittsburgh. They have the worst goaltending. Leafs 2nd but would rather not play them because a loss to them would have me in kill mode.

People pick the bruins because we usually beat them when we are the underdogs. Series vs them are also very intense and fun. We actually match well vs them (contrary to popular belief)

 

[Harpo]

According to sportsclubstats, the odds for our first round opponent:

Tampa Bay: 81,9%
Pittsburgh: 8,5%
Boston: 4,2%
Toronto: 2,0%
Detroit 0,9%

Would be a good idea to start watching TB games and Bishop in particular.