Canadiens Odds to Win Series with Penguins Fall to +157 After Game 2 Loss

• The Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins best-of-five series is tied 1-1
• Carey Price will bring a .948 save percentage into Game 3 Wednesday night
• The Canadiens are an intriguing value bet as big underdogs for two key reasons

The Montreal Canadiens have regained their rightful position as underdogs against the Penguins after losing Game 2. Is it time to right them off completely or time to jump on board a great value pick?

Updated Penguins vs Canadiens Series Odds

Odds taken August 4th.

Ahead of Game 2, the Habs had become roughly -135 favorites to win the best-of-five series.

The Stanley Cup odds will paint the picture that Montreal isn’t truly a contender to win the championship but that’s okay. All you need is for them to win two of three against Pittsburgh and that is looking increasingly possible for two key reasons.

Carey Price Turns Back the Clock

Carey Price looks very similar to the goalie that won both the Vezina Trophy and MVP back in 2015. He has been incredible for the Canadiens through two games and is proving he could be the ultimate trump card in this short series. Price will enter Game 3 sporting a .948, yes .948, save percentage. That is incredible even before you consider the fact Pittsburgh has 18 more shots than Montreal through two games. Despite the high volume of rubber – after an incredibly long layoff – Price has been sensational.

"[Carey] is living up to his reputation right now.”
 
Postgame quotes » https://t.co/gh50YAMk1e#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/VEWd6WGBsv

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) August 4, 2020

What does this mean going forward? Montreal has the best player on the ice and that’s saying something considering Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin play for the opponent. Goalies can steal games and even steal series, especially short ones. With Price looking like the best goalie on the planet, this series is much closer to a coin flip than the odds suggest.

Will Canadiens Top Offensive Players Contribute?

While Price has exceeded all expectations, the same can’t be said for the other top players on the Canadiens. Tomas Tatar, Jonathan Drouin, Brendan Gallagher, and Max Domi are usually the top-four threats offensively for Montreal.

They have combined for exactly one assist to go along with a minus-4 rating through two games.

While Montreal may not be a high-flying offense, numbers that low won’t continue throughout the series. Look for the quartet to chip in at least a little bit, which may be all Price needs to steal two more victories from the Penguins.

Bet Montreal Prior to Game 3

Think of what we have seen through two games in this series. It’s been two tight affairs that either team could have won if only for a bounce or lucky break. Montreal won the opener in overtime and spent most of Game 2 only a goal away from tying things up.

With players slightly off on their timing thanks to the hiatus, having the more comfortable goalie in position to take advantage could make all the difference.

Wowee Carey.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/q5gJKyHyrM

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) August 4, 2020

I see no evidence to suggest why betting the Penguins at -195 would make any sense. Trust the best goalie in the game, at least right now, to win two more games and make you a big winner thanks to the long odds.

PICK: Montreal Canadiens (+157)