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NHL analyst makes bold prediction for tonight's Penguins-Canadiens showdown
Photo credit: Edit from Habs Eyes on the Prize
NHL analyst Jake Tye believes that Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler will keep this game low scoring, and with the Penguins offensive struggles, it could go to overtime.
The Montreal Canadiens announced that their best prospect, Jacob Fowler, would make his official debut in their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins have gained points in ten of their last thirteen games, but only managed five wins, with most of those going into overtime. They look to continue this form when they host Montreal on Thursday.
Montreal has been rocky, five wins in their last nine, and now comes in on a two-game losing streak. Goaltending has been a concern, with starting goalie Sam Montembeault sporting a 5-6-1 record, a 3.65 GAA, and an .857 save percentage.
Backup goalie Jakub Dobes has fared a bit better, with a 10-5-2 record, but also is surrendering a lot of goals with a 3.15 GAA.
What Jacob Fowler brings to the ice
Fowler brings with him a winning pedigree from all levels of his career. At Boston College, he had a 57-13-3 record, including a 12-6-0 record in the AHL with a 2.13 goals-against average and a save percentage of .918.
Fowler joins a Montreal Canadiens team that has seen increasing scoring in their games, as in 15 of their last 20 outings, they've been involved in contests with seven or more goals.
Analyst Jake Tye thinks that Fowler would help mitigate this. The Penguins have scored a total of just 34 goals in their last 13 games, and the Canadiens, in their last six, have scored 11. Tye made a bold prediction involving overtime.
"Fowler should step in to help keep this game low-scoring, with the possibility of overtime."
- Jake Tye
- Jake Tye
Why Montreal may have a hard time winning tonight
Both teams are on a two-game losing streak, and Pittsburgh has home ice advantage; in addition to this, Montreal has not won in Pittsburgh since March 2023.
Pittsburgh's strategy will test Fowler. They maintain an average of 28 shots per game, which ranks 16th in the league. Now, in their previous seven outings with Montreal, their average shot rate has been 31.4 shots.
This foretells that Fowler has a tough outing ahead of him, where a low-scoring match can be expected.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 11 | 128 ANSWERS NHL analyst makes bold prediction for tonight's Penguins-Canadiens showdown Will this game be low scoring? | ||
| Yes | 55 | 43 % |
| No | 73 | 57 % |
| List of polls | ||