Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago Blackhawks Prediction, NHL Odds
Another Original Six matchup goes down in Chicago Saturday night, as the winless Blackhawks host the Montreal Canadiens.
The Hawks will look to get things going in their home opener versus a Canadiens team they beat in both meetings last season. This will be the third straight game Montreal has witnessed its opponents’ ceremonies before returning home on Tuesday.
The NHL odds have the Canadiens as -150 favourites in this one, with the total set at 6.0 goals. Puck drop from the United Center in Chicago is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
Canadiens vs. Blackhawks NHL Betting Odds
In last year’s season series, the Hawks swept 2-0 as the underdog in both matchups, getting revenge on the Canadiens, who swept the series in back-to-back seasons. Chicago pulled off a comeback win in their last meeting, the second-last game of the season. The Habs were up 2-0 over halfway through the first period before the Blackhawks took over, eventually winning 4-3 in a shootout. Historically, this matchup is low-scoring, going 2-7-1 on the OVER/UNDER in the past five seasons.
Montreal has scored seven goals so far this season, helping them to a 1-0-1 record on the OVER/UNDER. After a loss in their opener, they pounded the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 on Thursday, putting them at 1-1 against the spread. Habs rookie Ivan Demidov is the favourite to win the Calder Trophy this season at +170 on the NHL futures board. He put up two points in his debut versus Chicago last season, and with his first point of the season out of the way, expect the young Russian to find his swagger from here on out.
The Hawks have gotten off to a decent start this year, losing by just a single goal in both of their games. Their efforts have not shown up in the win column, but they are 2-0 against the spread to this point. In the midst of a rebuild, Chicago is one of the youngest teams in the league, but defenceman Sam Rinzel stands out as their candidate for the Calder. The six-foot-five 21-year-old is ninth on our futures board at +2500. Chicago is projected to finish at the bottom of the standings this year, with oddsmakers setting their season points OVER/UNDER at 67.5 and they are +1600 to make the postseason.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens felt good about their efforts in their season opener on Wednesday despite the 5-2 loss to their rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. They had no time to sulk, hitting the ice again Thursday night in Detroit. The Wings scored early in the first to go up 1-0, but the Habs answered back with three goals to close out the first. They added two more in the second, taking a commanding 5-1 lead, before turning to goalie Jakub Dobes in the third to finish off the win.
Newcomers Zack Bolduc and Oliver Kapanen each scored their second goals of the season, while defenceman Noah Dobson notched his first point as a Hab.
Dobes had a great first game of the season, stopping 30 of 31 shots and going perfect 20-for-20 in the final two periods.
Some key players to watch on Saturday include Kirby Dach, who faces his former squad after a slow first two games, and Ivan Demidov, who has proven he can score against the Hawks. Expect a confidence boost out of the rookie.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks are looking for their first win of the season, and their home opener on Saturday could be their best shot yet. Despite being heavily outshot in both of their games to open the season, their goalies have been making key saves to keep them competitive.
They kicked off the NHL schedule on Tuesday versus the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champs in Florida, narrowly losing 3-2. On Thursday, they pushed Boston to overtime but lost 4-3. They managed 43 shots on goal in those matchups, while their opponents combined for 70.
Entering his third season, Connor Bedard is expected to have a breakout year after what many fans felt was a lacklustre sophomore campaign, notching 23 goals and 67 points. After no points in Game 1, he had a great night in Boston on Thursday, tying the game in the first period and helping the Hawks take the lead in the second, assisting on a goal from Louis Crevier.
Offseason add Andre Burakovsky scored his first as a Blackhawk and added an assist on Bedard’s opener. Chicago picked up the veteran forward to play alongside Bedard as management is trying to give the youngster a chance to set a new career high.
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