Alright, let's dive in folks. Wait, I can't say "folks", somebody in the higher ups said it's too pedestrian. Anyway, let's slice this hockey pie anyway. We've got the Los Angeles Kings visiting the Montréal Canadiens. Quite the matchup, you'll agree.
On the Kings side, we're looking at Darcy Kuemper in the goal, man's been clocking an 88.9 save percentage this season, steady as a surgeon's hand. Talk about artists on the ice, we've got Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, both carrying plus-minus scores of 3 in the last month. More from the Kings’ kingdom, Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere, even Stevens on 2 goals and 1 assist.
Pack your snow gear because we're going north. Between the posts for Montréal, we've got Sam Montembeault, who’s been phenomenal with a 94.1 save percentage. Otherwise, it's Cayden Primeau who impressed last season with a 91% save percent. Talent sure likes company in Montréal. Cole Caufield, leading goal scorer from last month with four clangers. Kaiden Guhle, Juraj Slafkovsky, three assists in the pocket, they're all here.
In terms of historical, Kings have left their mark on Canadiens. Last three matchups, it's all Kings, including a 4-0 shutout last December. But I never truly cared for history, unless they've started giving out Stanley Cups for remembering dates.
Considering this season, Montréal Canadiens have a slightly better record with 2 wins against Los Angeles’s lonely one. As for recent form, Kings have been a bit wishy-washy lately, but then again Canadiens too have tasted defeat more often than not.
Drumrolls please, it's prediction time. With all the factors considered, I'd expect the Kings to come out on top, but it's not going to be a walk in the park. I predict a close game, with just a single goal deciding the winner.
Albert's Prediction: Los Angeles Kings by 1