Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators Prediction, NHL Odds
It’s an all-Canadian matchup on Saturday night with the Montreal Canadiens in Ottawa to face the Senators. The Habs have been off since getting dumped 6-3 at home by the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. It’s a quick turnaround for the Sens following their 2-1 shootout win in Columbus on Friday. Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention for weeks.
Ottawa is a -155 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with a total of 6.0.
Canadiens vs. Senators NHL Betting Odds
With two wins in three games against the Senators this year, Montreal has a chance to win the season series on Saturday. It’s a fairly close split among Sports Interaction bettors, with about 57 per cent of the action taking the Canadiens. The total trend is more definitive as 83 per cent of bettors are taking the Over. One game went Over this season, one went Under and one finished as a push.
The Habs’ winless skid is up to seven games. They’re 36-42 against the spread overall, including 20-19 ATS on the road. The total has gone Under in five of Montreal’s last seven games.
Ottawa is embracing the role of spoiler, winning five of their last six divisional games. They’re 44-34 ATS this year, with covers in 21 of 38 home dates. The total has gone Over in four of the Senators’ last five home games.
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens haven’t done much to help Carey Price win after the veteran goaltender made his season debut on April 15. Price, who missed most of the season with a knee injury, is 0-3-0 since his return, but it’s tough to blame the 34-year-old as the Habs failed to score a goal in two of those three losses. He made 28 saves on Thursday and has posted a 3.36 goals-against average and .880 save percentage over his three starts this year. Price is expected to get the start again on Saturday.
Cole Caufiled, Mike Hoffman and Jake Evans had the Habs’ goals against Philadelphia. Montreal is averaging 2.53 goals per game this season, ranking 31st in the NHL. They’re dead last in goals against, giving up 3.86 per night. Nick Suzuki leads the team in both goals (20) and points (58). Caufield has looked much better since interim head coach Martin St. Louis took over following the firing Dominique Ducharme. The rookie is second on the Canadiens in goals (19) and points (39). That ranks Caufield eighth in rookie points in the NHL and fifth in rookie goals.
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season, although they are showing signs of improvement. Tim Stutzle scored the shootout winner in Columbus on Friday, while Brady Tkachuk scored in regulation. With the goal, Tkachuk has now recorded at least one point against all 31 NHL teams he has faced in his career. Filip Gustavsson stopped 33 of 34 shots through regulation and overtime then blanked all three shooters for his first career shootout win. Tkachuk leads the Sens with 61 points (29G, 32A). He also has a team-best 31 points in 40 road games. Stutzle is second on the team with 53 points (20G, 33A). Josh Norris is third with 52 points and has a team-high 33 goals.
This is the 16th back-to-back of the season for Ottawa. The Senators have a 6-8-2 record in the first game and a 6-8-1 record in the second. Anton Forsberg is expected to get the nod in net on Saturday. Forsberg has put together a 19-17-4 record this season, with a 2.79 GAA and .917 SV.
MON
OTT