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Mike Cammalleri: “The pressure is on them.”

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The Montreal Canadiens have been here before. Just two weeks ago, they went on the road for a Game 7 against what many consider a much more talented team, overcoming all odds to take out the top-seeded NHL team after being down 3-1 in the series.

Now the Habs will have to do it again, and while their confidence in this series is soaring most don’t believe they’ll be able to do it once more.

Mike Cammalleri, the playoffs goals-leader and the emotional catalyst for the Habs, says his team is embracing the underdog role. From Herb Zurkowsky:

“Do we think we’re going to win? Yeah,” he continued. “That’s still our attitude, but they’re still the favourites. They have the big rings on their fingers. We’re just a bunch of blue-collar guys. The pressure’s on them. The city [of Pittsburgh] and the experts expect them to win.”

Talking with a couple of fellow hockey bloggers, it seems that the prevailing thought is that the Penguins will dominate this game and walk away with the series win. There’s just no way Halak and the Habs can continue this run and do what they did against the Caps for the second series in a row.

I don’t necessarily think that will be the case this time around, as this series hasn’t exactly mirrored the one against the Capitals as it would first seem. For one, Halak has had to be good but has yet to be required to be miraculous. Sure, the Habs are still allowing an incredible amount of shots but they are from from the endless amount of chances the Capitals had in Game 6 and 7.

This has been a series built on the success of the team, and if the Habs pull off the win tonight it will be because of another overall team effort. Hal Gill and Andrei Markov are going to try and skate tonight, although it’s likely that only Gill plays and the Habs roll with seven defensemen.