Two former Michigan Wolverines hockey players — Las Vegas Knights star forward Max Pacioretty and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jon Merrill — are still alive in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Pacioretty’s squad, which just beat the Colorado Avalanche in six games, is set to begin a best of seven semifinal series against Merrill’s Canadiens Monday night (9 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network), with a trip to the finals on the line. The Canadiens just completed a four-game sweep of the Winnipeg Jets.
Although Merrill, who is battling an undisclosed injury, hasn’t taken the ice since a first-round game against the Toronto Maple Leafs May 27, he is traveling with his team to Las Vegas and may be available for the series.
He notched five assists during the regular season and posted three shots on goal and a minus-one plus/minus rating in five playoff games.
Pacioretty, on the other hand, is showing out for the Golden Knights. During the regular season, he led the squad in goals (24), finished second in points (51) and concluded third in assists (27). Having played in 48 contests, he averaged over one point per game for the first time in his career.
Despite having missed the bulk of the month of May with an injury, Pacioretty picked up where he left off in the postseason, having notched four goals and four assists in just seven games — he missed the first six contests. His scoring streak is at seven games, and he’s coming off his first multi-point effort in a game-six triumph over the Avalanche.
“He’s our most dynamic forward,” fellow Golden Knights forward and linemate Mark Stone said of Pacioretty recently. “He can score from all over the ice. Just a name that the other team has to circle and key on that opens space for the rest of us. He’s been getting his chances, making those subtle little plays on the power play and, like I said, he’s just a huge get in our lineup for our depth.”
He looks back to full strength, too, head coach Peter DeBoer said recently, after he appeared to be running on adrenaline in his first few games back.
Las Vegas is favored to win the Stanley Cup (+115), according to the Barstool Sportsbook, while Montreal is a long shot at +900.
Another interesting storyline in this series is that both Merrill and Pacioretty are going up against their former teams.
Pacioretty, a 32-year-old veteran, played 10 seasons in Montreal (2008-18) and was a captain in each of his final three campaigns with the organization. He was traded to the Golden Knights ahead of the 2018 campaign.
Meanwhile, Merrill was a big part of Las Vegas’ early success as a brand new franchise, having played for the Golden Knights from 2017-20. He wasn’t resigned after the 2020 season, and was picked up by the Detroit Red Wings, before being traded to Montreal.
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