This is a 1* FREE PLAY on the OVER Pens/Habs in Game 3.

Montreal grinded out a 3-2 OT win in Game 1 and the total stayed "under" the number. Pittsburgh then held on for a 3-1 victory in Game 2, the total in that contest also falling below the posted number.

This is now the best of three.

Montreal has so far gotten fantastic play from star goaltender Carey Price, but as the series wares on, I think the veteran will start to wear down.

After controlling the pace for much of the first game, the Habs were outshot 14-7 in the first period in Game 2 and it wasn't until 2:09 left in that contest that Montreal ended Pens' netminder Matt Murray's shutout bid.

So far it's been Price and Murray who have "stolen the show" in this series, but I think both the Penguins and Canadiens are poised to "break out" of their offensive funks in Game 3.

Note that Pittsburgh is a disproportionately poor 1 for 12 on the power play so far in this series (including 0 for 5 in Game 2), while Montreal went 0 for 3 with the man advantage in Game 2. The Pens are too talented on the offensive side for this trend of futility to continue.

This has been the strangest playoff and overall circumstances that any of these players have had to endure, but I still believe that it's significant to note that the Canadiens have seen the total fly over the number in eight of their last 11 games after going 0-fer on the power-play in their previous outing and scoring one or less goals in the process.

Yes, these teams have a recent history of playing to several lower-scoring affairs, with their last "over" coming all the way back on October 13th of 2018, when the Habs won 4-3 at home.

But I look for Sidney Crosby and company to push the pace in Game 3 so as to try and get Montreal out of its comfort zone and while the first two games of this series have gone "under" the number, all signs point to Game 3 flying "over" in my opinion.

Good luck, NP