Round 2 has begun and the stakes have been raised. When the Boston Bruins play the Montreal Canadiens, there is no fooling around. It is a fierce rivalry that always tends to live up to the hype.
People knew this was going to be a charged series from the beginning. Game 1 started out at a pretty good pace but did not really amp up until Boston scored their first goal. From there, it was a wild ride into the second overtime when P.K. Subban ended the game. Let’s get down to business fantasy hockey fans with the three stars.
Fantasy Hockey Three Stars
Third Star — Brad Marchand — Boston Bruins
These are never easy choices but Brad Marchand was a major pest against Montreal all night. He had two assists, was a +2, and just seemed to be everywhere from the second half of regulation on. Granted it was in a losing effort but Marchand also had a few prime scoring chances. Sometimes it just isn’t your night no matter how close those scoring chances are. All the possession numbers in the world do not help and usually the Boston forward is very high when it comes to CF% or FF%. It was just that kind of night.
Second Star — P.K. Subban — Montreal Canadiens
Normally the player that scores a game winning goal gets a little more reverence but P.K. Subban had a pretty good night overall. Montreal’s special teams were dangerous most of the night and much better than what they were at even strength. Subban’s 5-on-5 numbers were not particularly good but when you then score in the second overtime on the power play again, you are going to get the accolades. The defenseman is very intelligent with his shot selection. That first goal is going to be remembered for a long while as much as the second. Why? Simply you do not have to always wind up huge for a shot. The second goal obviously was different but the power play and some goalie is why Montreal is up early in this series.
First Star — Carey Price — Montreal Canadiens
He may have given up three goals but Carey Price was the reason Montreal was even in a position to win in the first place. Price made a huge number of saves and his .941 save percentage on the night is going to have to be that high throughout the series if Montreal expects to win. This will not be easy like Tampa Bay was. The Montreal goalie faced 51 shots and stopped 48. Between the first period and the first overtime, Price gave his team a chance to win and then P.K. Subban did win it in overtime number two. The way Montreal plays simply means Carey Price is going to have to be the last line of defense too many times. Can he steal three more games? That is an excellent question fantasy hockey fans.
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This is just night one of Round 2. Two more series start Friday night and here at XNSports, we have you covered. It should be a fun ride and thanks for reading.
