Pacioretty vs Suzuki, Fleury vs Price Among Storylines to Follow as Canadiens Take On Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights are set to host the Montréal Canadiens on Monday in the first game of their Stanley Cup semifinal matchup. In a typical season it would be impossible for these two teams to meet in the playoffs unless it was for the Stanley Cup itself, but thanks to the pandemic formatting of this year's playoffs, they are meeting in a semifinal matchup with a ticket to the big dance at stake.

Early readings on the matchup indicate that it would be a huge upset if the Canadiens are able to defeat the Golden Knights, although any speculation as to how the teams will match up is just that... speculation. The last time these two clubs met was January, 2020, and a lot has changed since then for both teams. Beyond just that, the strictly divisional play this season means they haven't even met similar opponents since before the NHL shut down for the pandemic. We truly have no idea how the teams will matchup, which makes the semifinal series unpredictable and intriguing. Here are some storylines to follow within it.

Pacioretty and Suzuki

On Monday, September 10, 2018, the Vegas Golden Knights traded Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki, and a second-round pick to the Montréal Canadiens in exchange for their captain, Max Pacioretty. Almost three years later, the two teams find themselves in an unconventional semifinal matchup.

The fact that both teams have made it the third round of the playoffs suggests that the trade has worked out for both sides, however the pressure is higher for a Vegas team that is built to win right now. They indicated as much when they traded a great young asset in Suzuki and more to the Canadiens for Pacioretty, who is 32 years old and in the back half of his prime. The Habs come in as underdogs and are playing with house money at this point because no one expected them to be in this spot even two weeks ago.

Since the trade, Pacioretty has registered 78 goals and 78 assists in 185 regular season games, as well as 14 goals and 13 assists in 30 playoff games. He has been about a point-per-game player and a solid first line winger for Vegas since the acquisition. In these playoffs, he has 4 goals and 4 assists in 7 games played after returning from an injury that kept him out until game seven with the Minnesota Wild. This series should be personal for Pacioretty, who needs to prove that this was a good trade for Vegas. Despite the fact that this series should not be the ultimate deciding factor on whether their three-year-old trade was worth it, it will be viewed as such, at least in the short term. Vegas, although just four years old as a franchise, is paying big money to an aging roster and facing likely their best chance to win the cup. If they lose, Pacioretty and the rest of the team will take a lot of heat. If they win, that is what was supposed to happen.

Nick Suzuki, on the other hand, is just 21 years old and headlining an impressive cast of young characters who have stepped up on the Habs' run thus far. He has just 127 regular season games under his belt, in which he has registered 28 goals and 54 assists. More impressive than that is how he seems to ramp up his game in big moments. Suzuki has 8 goals and 15 points in just 21 career postseason contests, including the 4 goals and 4 assists he has in 11 playoff games this year. Like the rest of his team, Suzuki has already outperformed expectations. If he loses, that is what was supposed to happen, he has his whole career ahead of him. If he wins, however, he and Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin will be celebrated as heroes.

For the reasons touched on above, Pacioretty should be feeling more pressure than Suzuki in this series given where he is in his career and where Vegas is in their championship window, although I am sure both guys feel they have something to prove against the clubs that traded them away. Keep a close eye on these two throughout the series, as I expect their performances will have a lot to do with the series outcome.

The Flower and Carey Price

Another great storyline to follow in the series is the goaltender matchup between two of the best in the business, and the two best Canadian products to grace the crease for the last decade plus. Marc-Andre Fleury has three Stanley Cup rings to his name, although he was only the primary man in one of those wins with Pittsburgh, watching the other two from the bench. The French-Canadian is also playing some of the best hockey of his career at age 36, getting nominated for the Vezina Trophy this year as the league's best goalie. Meanwhile, Carey Price was just voted as the playoffs MVP thus far by writers at NHL.com.

Both Price and Fleury have been the best players on their teams to this point, out-battling the opposing netminder and forwards. The 33-year-old Price, while celebrated as the goalie of this generation, has never won a Stanley Cup and has never made it to the final at any point in his career. He is a huge reason why his team has not trailed in any of the games during their seven game winning streak. Vegas has the home-ice advantage for this series, but Price has proven again and again that he is not fazed by the big stage, always seeming to up his game with the pressure on.

Just like Suzuki and Pacioretty, these two will not be able to avoid the comparisons and will have the spotlight for much of the series. I think Price will have to outplay Fleury if the Habs have any chance of winning, something that I am confident he can do. Regardless of the series outcome, though, both guys will put on a great show.

History (and lack thereof)

Lastly, a fun story to take note of heading into game one on Monday is the polar-opposite backgrounds that the two franchises have. On one hand you have the Montréal Canadiens, the most storied franchise in hockey. They were founded in 1909 and have won the Stanley Cup 24 times, more than any other team. Then you have the favorites, the Vegas Golden Knights, who are a four year old club playing in the desert of Nevada with no history and no championships to their name. This contrast is yet another wrinkle in the matchup that helps make this matchup so refreshing and fun.

Follow Peter on Twitter @MuffinHockey and check out his articles at the Stanford Daily Newspaper and The Hockey Writers.