Montreal Canadiens vs. Utah Hockey Club Prediction, NHL Odds

Payton Matthews | Updated Jan 13, 2025

The Montreal Canadiens play their first-ever game in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night as they visit the Utah Hockey Club.

Montreal
25-26-3-2
AT
January 14, 2025, 9:00 PM ET
Vivint Smart Home Arena
Utah
24-23-7-2
Puckline +1.5 -190
Moneyline +130
Over / Under o +6
Puckline -1.5 +155
Moneyline -155
Over / Under u +6

Utah opened as a -150 favourite on the NHL odds.

Canadiens vs. Utah NHL Betting Odds

Believe this is my first preview of a Utah Hockey Club game this season, so a reminder that this is the former Arizona Coyotes franchise – but none of those team records traveled with the club to Salt Lake City. Just the players and coaches, etc. Utah is nicknamed Hockey Club just for its inaugural season with many expecting the full-time nickname to be either Yeti or Blizzard. 

The fans in Utah have definitely taken to the team and already it is one of the better home-ice advantages in the NHL also at altitude. But this is still a below-average club overall that is likely to miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season. Third-year coach Andre Tourigny, a former Ottawa Senators assistant, may not make it to Year 4. 

This concludes the season series between the teams as on Nov. 26, the Hockey Club won 3-2 in overtime in Montreal. Both teams led by a goal once in regulation with Mikhail Sergachev winning it at 4:33 of OT, tipping in a pass from Nick Schmaltz. Karel Vejmelka made 11 only saves in the win for Utah, while Sam Montembeault stopped 26 shots in a losing effort.

The clubs have split the past 10 meetings overall and the over-under is 3-6-1 in those.

Montreal Canadiens

The Habs had a three-game winning streak end in a 2-1 home shootout loss to Dallas on Saturday – the fourth straight Montreal game to go to at least overtime. Jason Robertson scored the lone shootout goal. Patrik Laine, back after missing four games due to illness, gave the Canadiens the lead with a power-play goal at 15:14 of the second, but Dallas tied it barely two minutes later. All nine of Laine’s goals have come on the power play from the left circle, and he has joined Yvan Cournoyer as the only forwards in franchise history to score each of their first nine goals in a season on the power play. That was also Laine’s 79th career power-play goal, tying Saku Koivu for the sixth most by a Finnish NHL player. Blueliner David Savard returned from a three-game injury absence and blocked three shots. Sam Montembeault (15-15-3, 2.88 GAA, .901 SV) was the No. 1 star in the loss with 34 saves and is likely to start again Tuesday. The under is 4-2 in Montreal’s past six games. 

Utah Hockey Club

Utah has just two wins in its past 10 games following a 2-1 home loss to the Islanders on Saturday in the second of a back-to-back. Connor Ingram was the team’s No. 1 goaltender before going down injured. He missed nearly two months before returning with that tough-luck loss and probably is the No. 2 now behind Karel Vejmelka, who played quite well with Ingram out and likely to get the call here. The 28-year-old from Czechia is 10-11-3 with a 2.38 GAA and .916 SV. Those latter two numbers are very good, but Vejmelka is under .500 because the Hockey Club is near the bottom of the NHL in scoring at 2.79 goals per game. The team got some bad news last week as well with winger Dylan Guenther (16G, 18A) lost indefinitely to a lower-body injury. His 34 points are the third-most in the NHL for a player under the age of 21. Teammate Logan Cooley (11G, 25A) is second with 36. The under is 5-0 in Utah’s past five at home. 

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Canadiens vs. Utah?

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