Philadelphia Flyers vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction, NHL Odds
The Philadelphia Flyers look to shake a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night as they land in Montreal for a contest versus the Canadiens.
Montreal is struggling at home this year and are looking for back-to-back wins on home ice for the first time since their season opening homestand. The Flyers and Habs are tied with 38 points, which makes these points extra valuable in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The NHL odds have the Canadiens as the -145 favourite to win on Tuesday night, with the total sitting at 5.5 goals. Puck Drop from the Bell Centre in downtown Montreal is set for 7 p.m. EST.
Flyers vs. Canadiens NHL Betting Odds
Philly took Game 1 of this three-game season series back on Nov. 4, beating the Habs 5-4 in a shootout. The Flyers were buzzing in the opening 20 minutes of that game, taking a 3-0 lead into the second period. Montreal stormed back with four goals in the middle frame, before Philadelphia tied the game again to send it to extra time. Flyers goalie Dan Vladar was perfect in the shootout, sealing the victory for his squad.
Four of the past five meetings between these teams have resulted in an OVER. Montreal won three of those matchups, out-scoring the Flyers 24-19.
The Flyers have made bettors a ton of cash so far this season, by covering the spread in 21 of their 31 matchups and seven of their past 10. Only a handful of teams have a more covers than them so far. Philadelphia has lost four of their past five, being held to just two goals in three of those games. Their offence was not something they have been relying on too much this season, ranking 25th in the league, but it has been a step slower lately.
Montreal’s offence seems to be clicking again like it did earlier this season, scoring four goals in each of their past three games. Their OVER/UNDER record of 21-8-3 has given them the fewest UNDERs in the entire league. That stat is a testament to their inconsistent goaltending and defence, which ranks 28th in the NHL. Early bettors are siding with the Canadiens on the moneyline, receiving 65 per cent of the money so far.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers opened a four-game road trip on Sunday in Carolina and took their third straight loss in extra time. They fell behind 2-0 in the first period, but a late goal from Jamie Drysdale (3rd) cut the lead in half headed to the second. The game stood at 2-1 Hurricanes until the final two minutes, when Trevor Zegras (13th) tied things to send it to overtime. The Canes scored the lone goal in the shootout to take a 3-2 win.
Zegras had a goal and assist in this one, extending his point streak to four games, with three goals and three assists. Zegras has really hit his stride in his first season with the Flyers leading the team in all offensive categories, posting 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in 31 games.
The other offseason addition who has been receiving praise is head coach Rick Tocchet. He has the team playing tight defensively, giving up just 2.77 goals per game, good for ninth best in the league. Our NHL futures board has him as the fifth-favourite (+2500) to win the Jack Adams trophy as the best coach in the league.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal got back in the win column on Sunday, holding the high scoring Edmonton Oilers to just a single goal in a 4-1 win. The game was scoreless after one, but an Ivan Demidov power play goal got the Habs in front early in the second. They jumped to a 3-0 lead in the third, before the Oilers got their first of the night. Alexandre Texier (2nd) put the final nail in the coffin, while goalie Jakub Dobes stopped 27 of 28 shots to shake his two-game losing streak.
The season has been up and down for the Canadiens, but this win put them back in third place in the Atlantic Division. They are just one point out of first and with five games before Christmas, they could be sitting atop the division before the break.
The Habs have been letting their goalies keep the net after a win lately, so expect to see Dobes between the pipes again on Tuesday. Samuel Montembeault has not started since Dec. 2, due to their current three goalie rotation. He could also get the nod on Tuesday.
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