Chicago Blackhawks vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction, NHL Odds
Bedard has delivered as promised in his NHL debut, cracking the scoresheet in each of his first two outings, including his first career goal in the Blackhawks’ 3-1 loss in Boston on Wednesday night. The Canadiens return home after pushing Toronto a shootout in Wednesday’s 6-5 loss to the Maple Leafs in their season-opener on Wednesday night, and have also fallen to defeat in four of their past six home openers.
The Canadiens return home perched as -145 favourites on the Saturday NHL odds. The Blackhawks sports short -190 puckline odds to cover to cover a +1.5-goal spread, while the total is listed at 6.5.
Blackhawks vs. Canadiens NHL Betting Odds
Saturday night’s matchup marks the first of two scheduled regular season meetings between these Original Six rivals. The Canadiens claimed victory in both dates with Chicago last season, capped by a 4-0 home victory on February 14, which ended a seven-game home losing streak against the Blackhawks, in which they scored just five total goals, and were shut out on three occasions. Overall, the UNDER has paid out in each of the past nine overall meetings between these clubs, and the total has topped 5.0 just four times in 21 head-to-head clashes since 2008.
Chicago Blackhawks
After shocking Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins with an impressive 4-2 comeback victory to open their schedule on Tuesday night, the Blackhawks struggled to maintain that momentum in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss in Boston. However, Blackhawks fans enter the weekend delighted at the performance of their prized rookie star, Connor Bedard in his big-league debut. The top pick in this year’s NHL Draft, Bedard has made his presence immediately felt this week, setting up the Blackhawks’ first goal, tallying five shots, and recording a team-high 5:13 on the power play in Tuesday’s victory. The 18-year-old followed up by scoring his first goal in Boston. However, that contest also demonstrated the challenge this club will face to keep pace over the long haul this season. Indeed, Bedard’s six shots represented almost a third of Chicago’s shots against the Bruins, who outshot the Blackhawks by a 33-21 margin on the night. In addition to the defeat, the Blackhawks also lost Taylor Hall to an upper body injury that will sideline him indefinitely. Signed as a UFA in the offseason, Hall was expected to give some offensive punch to a rebuilding Blackhawks squad that ranks dead last in goals scored last season.
Montreal Canadiens
As is tradition, the Canadiens were highly motivated in their season-opening date in Toronto on Wednesday night, and a combination of scrappy play and opportunism almost paid off. The Habs seized an early 2-0 lead, and after blowing that advantage, they rallied for three goals in the third period to reclaim a two-goal advantage. However, they had no answer for Auston Matthews, who singlehandedly forced OT with a pair of late goals. Despite allowing five goals, it was tough to fault Jake Allen, who faced 42 total shots on the night, and 32 over the final 45 minutes. However, Samuel Montembeault is expected to be in the crease on Saturday. Montembeault compiled a respectable 16-19-3 record in 39 starts for Montreal last season, and has allowed just five total goals in two previous appearances against the Blackhawks, capped by a 3-2 shootout win in Chicago last November. Acquired in the offseason deal that sent former fan favourite Jonathan Drouin to Colorado, Alex Newhook impressed in his Habs debut, scoring twice. Newhook has developed instant chemistry with Kirby Dach, who set up both his goals. Newhook enters Saturday’s contest sporting +290 odds on the NHL player props to score anytime, well back of Connor Bedard, who leads all skaters as a -105 bet.2