Three Little Numbers

0.600

Montreal's record in Boston this season, with this team is 3-2-0. If you want look at Boston that have been 2-1-2 (I guess also 0.600 by total points from those available). They have only been the same as home ice then: 3-2-0 (also 0.600).  Throw in other recent years on both surfaces and it only shows that the ice surface these teams meet on, or the fans they play in front of matter little to both groups of players.

This doesn't reveal much. Except this: Montreal is perfectly capable of playing hockey in Boston and winning.


76

A player to watch tonight: PK Subban. This will be his 4th career Game #7 in 7 playoff series with the Habs. Each has been against a higher seed (so well earned). The team has done well, but so has Subban and grown in influence over those series. He was marginal against Washington in 2010 when Markov was healthy, but a couple of weeks later was basically the number one defender against Pittsburgh. Facing Boston in 2011, he was again without Markov, and scored that goal neither Tim Thomas nor any of us will forget. He has two domes in the three games. You can read the reports here: WAS 2010 Game 7; PIT 2010 Game 7; BOS 2011 Game 7.

This series so far has been another big step for Subban. Never mind the goals, he dealt with the sideshow of racism with quite some grace and has shown he is fully capable of pulling behind the team plan when the team needs him to.


0

The number of people who know who is going to win. I am sure there are two coaches who "expect" to win, whether they say so publicly or not. The reason games are any fun at all to watch is because no one can predict what will happen. I don't know anymore than Claude Julien, I'll leave it at that.


GHG