Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction, NHL Odds
The Canadiens just snapped a four-game losing streak Thursday night and will face their most difficult opponent to date, taking on the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins. Boston has won five of their past six games and have just one regulation loss so far.
Puck drop from the Bell Centre is set for 7 p.m. EST. Boston is a -210 favourite to win on the NHL odds.
Bruins vs. Canadiens NHL Betting Odds
The Canadiens and Bruins faced off in a very entertaining three-game set last season, in which Boston ended up sweeping with a pair of 4-2 wins and a 5-4 game in the final. The B’s covered the spread in two of three while playing the OVER only once in the series. Saturday night will be the first time these original six squads will meet this season and they will meet again next Saturday, as a part of this season’s four-game series.
With the NHL’s best goalie tandem and coach Jim Montgomery’s defensive game plan, the Bruins are the NHL’s best defensive club allowing just 1.92 goals per game over their first 13 contests. They are 4-9 on the OVER/UNDER, hitting the OVER twice in the past three games. They failed to cover in three straight before doing it in their past two games.
Despite just a single win in their past five games, Montreal has managed to go 3-2 against the spread, boosting their record to 7-6 ATS for the season. They have not scored more than three goals in any of the past five games and have slipped down to 22nd in scoring with just 2.92 goals per game. They are 7-6 to the OVER on the total and have played the OVER in their last four games at home.
Boston Bruins
In his 13th NHL season, veteran Charlie Coyle scored his third of the night into the empty net to record his first career hat trick in the Bruins’ 5-2 over the New York Islanders on Thursday. Trent Frederic (3) got Boston on the board late in the first period and David Pastrnak notched one on the power play to complete the 5-2 victory, pushing Boston to an 11-1-1 record.
Hockey fans are well aware of Pastrnak’s dominance last season and he’s keeping it up this campaign with 20 points (10G 10A), ranking sixth in league scoring. The B’s best offseason acquisition has been winger James van Riemsdyk. The 34-year-old has 10 points (4G 6A) in 13 games and has picked up a point in three straight.
Boston has been consistent with their two-goalie rotation so expect Jeremy Swayman in goal Saturday. He has a ridiculous stat line this season, going 6-0-0 with a 1.49 goals against average and a .952 save percentage.
Montreal Canadiens
After back-to-back brutal losses, Montreal bounced back Thursday night with a solid performance on the road, picking up a 3-2 win in Detroit. Cole Caufield did what he does best; scoring in big moments and sniping his third overtime winner of the season to get the Habs back in the win column. Nick Suzuki had a power play goal and an assist and defenceman Mike Matheson had three points (1G, 2A), while goaltender Cayden Primeau got his second start of the season and stopped 27 shots for his first NHL win since 2021.
Jake Allen will be in net on Saturday. He has been Montreal’s most consistent goalie so far this season and could be a valuable trade chip considering their current three-goalie rotation.
The Canadiens have been the second-most penalized team this season, sitting in the box for 14.5 minutes per game on average. Considering the long history between these squads and the amount of pests in the Bruins lineup, the home fans should expect some rough stuff tonight in Montreal.
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