The Montreal Canadiens finish a five-game road trip as they face the Columbus Blue Jackets. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Canadiens-Blue Jackets prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Canadiens come into the game 9-10-2 on the year. Last time out, they continued their road trip in Los Angeles. Montreal struggled in the game though. The Kings got up 1-0 in the first period and were down 2-0 going into the third. They struggled to get shots on goal in the game, ending the game with just 18 shots. They had just one shot on goal in the first period, then it was ten in the second, but down 2-0, they managed just seven shots in the third, giving up 13 and two goals. Pheonix Copley saved all 18 shots he faced and the Kings won 4-0.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets come into the game 7-12-4 on the year. It has been a frustrating season for a lot of players on the team, but the Blue Jackets have won three of four after losing nine straight. Last time out, they played the Boston Bruins. The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead on a Dmitri Voronkov goal to give them the lead. The Blue Jackets scored two more in the second period to go into the third up 3-0. In the third, Kirill Marchnko scored on the power play to go up 4-0, and they would finish the game winning 5-2.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Canadiens-Blue Jackets Odds
Montreal Canadiens: +114
Columbus Blue Jackets: -137
Over: 6.5 (-110)
Under: 6.5 (-110)
How to Watch Canadiens vs. Blue Jackets
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: NHLPP/ESPN+
Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Canadiens Will Win
The Canadiens this year are led by Nick Suzuki. He enters the game with six goals and 11 assists to give him 17 points on the year. All three marks are tied for the lead on the team. He has also been solid on the power play this year, with six goals and 11 assists when up a man this season. Meanwhile, Cole Caufield is also tied for the for team lead in goals, assists, and points this year. Like Suzuki, he comes into the game with six goals and 11 assists for his 17 points. Further, he also has eight power-play points, with two goals and six assists on the power play. Further, two other guys are tied for the team lead in goals this year.
That starts with Sean Monahan, who comes into the game with six goals and seven assists on the year. He is also tied for the team lead in power-play goals with three of them, while also having three assists and two goals while shorthanded this year. Alex Newhook also has six goals this year, with six assists as well. He has not scored on the power play this year but does have three assists. Scoring on the power play is something Mike Matheson has been doing. He is a defender for the Canadians and comes in with five total goals and ten assists. Three of his goals and six of his assists have come on the power play this year.
The Canadiens are not scoring well in general this year, sitting 27th in the NHL in goals per game at 2.71 goals per game this year. The power play is 22nd in the NHL at a 17.9 percent conversion rate and just 14 power-play goals. Meanwhile, the penalty kill is 29th in the league at 73.5 percent. Montreal is also 25th in the NHL in goals allowed per game at 3.48.
It will be Sam Montembeault in the goal for the Canadiens in this one. He comes into the game with a 4-3-1 record and a 2.81 goals-against average. He also has a .908 save percentage, both marks placing him right inside the top 25. Last time out, he saved 30 of 33 shots, giving him a .909 save percentage and the win.
Why The Blue Jackets Will Win
The Blue Jackets sit 20th in the NHL this year in goals per game with 2.91 goals per game. The top goal scorer this year is Bonne Jenner. He comes into the game with 11 goals and five assists to lead the team in goals and points on the season. He has not done much on the power play though, with just two goals and an assist on the power play this year. Meanwhile, the next two highest point covers both come from the blue line. Zach Werenski comes in with a goal and 14 assists, giving him the most assists on the team and second in points with 15. Ivan Provorov comes in with two goals and 12 assists. He leads the team in power play points with five, all assists.
Outside of the top three, Kirill Marchenko is having a solid year. Marchenko is second on the team in goals this year, coming in with seven of them. He also has six assists on the year, giving him 13 points. He is tied for the team lead in power-play goals as well with two of them. Further, Johnny Gaudreau has three goals this year. Combined with his eight assists, he sits with 11 points this year.
The Blue Jackets have struggled on the power play this year. They sit 28th in the NHL this year on the power play with an 11.1 percent conversion percentage and just eight goals. Still, the Blue Jackets have been great when man down this year. They are second in the NHL this year when man-down, killing 89.2 percent of chances this year.
Elvis Merzlikins will be in goal for this game. He comes into the game with a 5-7-3 record on the year and. a 3.11 goals-against average. He also has a .907 save percentage on the year. Last time out, he was solid, saving 40 of 43 shots on goal in the game, but took the loss as the Blue Jackets scored just twice. In six of his last seven games, he has been above .900 in save percentage, while being above .925 three times.
Final Canadiens-Blue Jackets Prediction & Pick
The Canadiens are not a great scoring team, but they do create some solid chances. When they get enough shots on goal, they can put up some good numbers. The issue is getting shots on goal. The Blue Jacket offense averages under three goals per game, so goals may be hard to come by in this one. The Canadiens do have the better defense and goaltending in this game. Expect them to win, but their best play is the under.
Final Canadiens-Blue Jackets Prediction & Pick: Canadiens ML (+114) and Under 6.5 (-110)
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