The most likely lines they’d stack up against would be:

Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Drouin - Suzuki - Armia
Byron - Domi - Weal
Lehkonen - Evans - Weise
Chiarot - Weber
Kulak - Petry
Mete - Fleury
Price
Primeau

(If Kotkaniemi is still injured)

Yeah, the Pens should have no problem with this.

I sure hope so, but the Habs always worry me. They did trade off a lot of that depth at the deadline. You never know, but I think the Pens winning would be best for both organizations!

i am a pens fan i hope the lowest seed possible wins the cup this playoff idea proposed by nhl if just awful

@Marcsnack
- to my knowledge Zucker hasn't played the right side.
-I don't see Sheary having much of an impact unless he's with Sid. I would have started Simon over Sheary at #1RW, but shoulder injuries...
-Even though Marleau has experience, he hasn't ever won anything, so I would probably sit him for
game 1 and see how it goes.

I'd go with(assuming everyone minus Simon is healthy):
Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary
Zucker-Malkin-Rust
McCann-Bjugstad-Hornqvist
ZAR-Bleuger-Tanev

JJ and Murray have short leashes bc we have more than capable backups...

That is most definately the playoff lines.

And MTL does not belong in the hunt.
24 teams is too many.

That goalie at the back thou if it came down to a short series could be a huge difference maker...Price that is.

Definitely. The last thing I want is for the habs to beat Pittsburgh and end up with the 16th pick instead of the 8th pick.

As for Montreal, I can’t see them beating the Penguins. The defense is fine, and Price could pick up his game, but that won’t be enough to beat the Pens. I’d say the only way the habs have a chance is if Drouin returns to pre-injury form and replace Kovalchuk AND the Pens start struggling with offense.

I think that the habs might have been able to upset other teams like the Leafs or the Islanders, but I think that the Pens are just too strong.

While I don’t want at all to get a pick lower than 8, I would be fine if this happened instead.

You could flip Zucker and Guentzel, but I am also okay with Sheary at Sid's RW, one of Zucker/Guentzel with Sid and the other with Geno. I still think Marleau should be in there over Bjugstad, because he fits the speed of our team more. If JJ/Murray underperform, there are players who can come in for them for sure.

It’s funny how for both organizations, it would be better if pens won! If pens lost the series, at least they would keep their first round pick this year. That’s the only silver lining. Still, id much prefer another cup run than a first round pick

Would they keep their first? The trade states that if the Penguins miss the playoffs. They technically are in the playoffs, but they are also calling it a play-in so maybe it isnt considered playoffs, unless you win first round?

I think if pens lose to habs they MISS playoffs so they retain the first