The losses continue to pile up for the Montreal Canadiens as they now sit three points back of the Coyotes for last place in the NHL following a 5-2 loss in Arizona on Monday.  The Habs will try to right the ship in Dallas against a Stars team coming off back-to-back road losses, including a 3-1 defeat in Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Dallas is a -300 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with a total of 5.5.

Canadiens vs. Stars NHL Betting Odds

These teams have equally split the last 10 meetings, with the Over/Under also splitting evenly in those games.  The Stars have taken three of the last four games, although the teams haven’t faced off since February 2020.

Montreal has been bad overall this year, but they’ve been even worse on the road.  The Canadiens have won just two of 21 road games this season and they’re riding a nine-game losing streak outside of Quebec.  They’re 14-23 against the spread for the season, including 8-13 ATS on the road.  The total has gone Under in five of the Canadiens’ last seven games against Western Conference teams.

Dallas may be riding a seven-game road losing streak, but they’ve been better at home, winning five consecutive games in Texas.  They’re 16-19 ATS this year, with covers in 11 of 18 home games.  The total has gone Under in four of the Stars’ last six home games against Montreal.

Montreal Canadiens

It was a battle of the two teams at the bottom of the NHL standings in Arizona on Monday and the Canadiens walked away a little closer to securing the best draft lottery odds this year.  Montreal (2.08 goals-for per game) and Arizona (2.22 goals-for) combined for seven goals despite being the two lowest scoring teams in the league.  Rem Pitlick and Ryan Poehling tallied goals for the Habs.  Poehling’s goal was just the second power-play marker for Montreal over the team’s last 35 chances.  Cayden Primeau was pulled after allowing four goals on 16 shots.  Sam Montembeault stopped all six shots faced in relief.

Montreal has been dealing with significant injury issues this season.  Brendan Gallagher (lower body) and Tyler Toffoli (hand) will both miss this game.  Jake Allen is also out with a lower body injury and Carey Price will reportedly need to restart rehab on his knee following off-season surgery.  Paul Byron (hip) and Joel Edmundson (lower body) have both failed to play a single game this season.

Montembeault is expected to start against Dallas.  He was great in relief Monday, but has struggled overall this season.  Montembeault has a 1-6-3 record with a 3.78 goals-against average and .897 save percentage.

Dallas Stars

Dallas’ two-game Florida road trip went as bad as it could.  They were blown out by the Panthers on Friday before falling to the Lightning Saturday.  Esa Lindell‘s second goal of the season was the only puck that found the back of the net for the Stars in Tampa.  Anton Khudobin stopped 26 of 28 shots faced.  Joe Pavelski assisted Lindell’s goal and has been one of the bright spots in Dallas this year.  The 37-year-old leads the team in points (36) and is tied with Roope Hintz for the team lead in goals (15).  Jason Robertson is second on the team with 32 points (13G, 19A), but he was a late scratch on Saturday and is listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury.  Hintz has 27 points this season, including nine over his last eight games.

The Stars have used an unusual three-goalie system this season and with Braden Holtby in COVID protocols and Khudobin playing Saturday, Jake Oettinger will likely get the start against Montreal.  Oettinger has posted a 9-3-0 record this year with a 2.47 GAA and .915 SV.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Canadiens vs. Stars?

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Canadiens Team Leaders

MON

Points	Nick Suzuki 61
+ / -	Jordan Harris 3
Shots	Cole Caufield 188
Penalty Mins	Michael Pezzetta 81
Wins	Jake Allen 9
GAA	Jake Allen 3.3

DAL

Points	Joe Pavelski 81
+ / -	Jason Robertson 16
Shots	Jason Robertson 220
Penalty Mins	Jamie Benn 88
Wins	Jake Oettinger 30
GAA	Jake Oettinger 2.53

MON

Points
+ / -
Shots	Did not qualify
Penalty Mins
Wins
GAA

DAL

Points	Joe Pavelski 6
+ / -	Jason Robertson 3
Shots	Miro Heiskanen 20
Penalty Mins	John Klingberg 26
Wins	Jake Oettinger 3
GAA	Jake Oettinger 1.81

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Stars Team Leaders

MON

Points	Nick Suzuki 61
+ / -	Jordan Harris 3
Shots	Cole Caufield 188
Penalty Mins	Michael Pezzetta 81
Wins	Jake Allen 9
GAA	Jake Allen 3.3

DAL

Points	Joe Pavelski 81
+ / -	Jason Robertson 16
Shots	Jason Robertson 220
Penalty Mins	Jamie Benn 88
Wins	Jake Oettinger 30
GAA	Jake Oettinger 2.53

MON

Points
+ / -
Shots	Did not qualify
Penalty Mins
Wins
GAA

DAL

Points	Joe Pavelski 6
+ / -	Jason Robertson 3
Shots	Miro Heiskanen 20
Penalty Mins	John Klingberg 26
Wins	Jake Oettinger 3
GAA	Jake Oettinger 1.81

Injuries

Montreal

Carey Price (G)

Prob Fri Knee - 25 / 04 / 22

Joel Armia (RW)

Out indefinitely Personal - 19 / 04 / 22

Paul Byron (LW)

Ques Fri Lower Body - 19 / 04 / 22

Jake Evans (C)

Prob Thurs Undisclosed - 19 / 04 / 22

Michael Pezzetta (LW)

Elig Sat Suspension - 17 / 04 / 22

Jake Allen (G)

out for season Groin - 09 / 04 / 22

Paul Byron (LW)

Prob Mon Undisclosed - 06 / 04 / 22

Justin Barron (D)

out for season Ankle - 06 / 04 / 22

Chris Wideman (D)

Ques Tues Undisclosed - 01 / 04 / 22

Jake Evans (C)

Prob Thurs Upper Body - 30 / 03 / 22

Dallas

Roope Hintz (LW)

day-to-day Upper Body - 15 / 05 / 22

Tyler Seguin (C)

Prob Sun Undisclosed - 15 / 05 / 22

Luke Glendening (C)

day-to-day Lower Body - 14 / 05 / 22

John Klingberg (D)

Prob Tues Lower Body - 29 / 04 / 22

Esa Lindell (D)

Prob Wed Illness - 19 / 04 / 22

Vladislav Namestnikov (C)

Early May Lower Body - 13 / 04 / 22

Joel Kiviranta (LW)

Ques Sat Illness - 12 / 04 / 22

Alexander Radulov (RW)

Prob Thurs Illness - 12 / 04 / 22

Denis Gurianov (RW)

Ques Sun Illness - 06 / 04 / 22

Jacob Peterson (C)

Ques Sat Lower Body - 06 / 04 / 22

Injuries

Montreal

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Carey Price (G)	Prob Fri	Knee - 25 / 04 / 22	1-1	2-0	+ -
Price missed the previous game as he was given a break from travel. It is intended that he will return to the crease Friday versus the Panthers.
Joel Armia (RW)	Out indefinitely	Personal - 19 / 04 / 22	1-5	5-1	+ -
Armia is out of the lineup due to a personal matter, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
Paul Byron (LW)	Ques Fri	Lower Body - 19 / 04 / 22	1-5	5-1	+ -
Byron has been absent from the last four games with a lower-body injury, and it has yet to be determined if he will take on the Panthers on Friday.
Jake Evans (C)	Prob Thurs	Undisclosed - 19 / 04 / 22	1-5	5-1	+ -
Evans sat out the last contest with an unspecified ailment, but it is projected that he will line up against the Flyers on Thursday.
Michael Pezzetta (LW)	Elig Sat	Suspension - 17 / 04 / 22	1-5	5-1	+ -
Pezzetta has been handed a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head, and he is eligible to return against the Senators on Saturday.
Jake Allen (G)	out for season	Groin - 09 / 04 / 22	3-8	6-5	+ -
Allen is idle with a groin injury, and he will miss the remainder of the season.
Paul Byron (LW)	Prob Mon	Undisclosed - 06 / 04 / 22	3-9	7-5	+ -
Byron has sat out the last two games due to an undefined injury, but it is projected that he will suit up Monday against the Jets.
Justin Barron (D)	out for season	Ankle - 06 / 04 / 22	3-9	7-5	+ -
Barron will sit out the rest of the 2021-22 season with an ankle injury.
Chris Wideman (D)	Ques Tues	Undisclosed - 01 / 04 / 22	4-10	8-6	+ -
Wideman sat out the last game with an unspecified ailment, and it has yet to be established if he will face the Senators on Tuesday.
Jake Evans (C)	Prob Thurs	Upper Body - 30 / 03 / 22	4-11	9-6	+ -
Evans departed the last game due to an upper-body injury, but it is projected that he will play Thursday versus the Hurricanes.

Dallas

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Roope Hintz (LW)	day-to-day	Upper Body - 15 / 05 / 22	1-0	1-0	+ -
Hintz is dealing with an upper-body issue, and it remains to be seen if he will dress for Game 1 of the Western Conference second round against the Oilers.
Tyler Seguin (C)	Prob Sun	Undisclosed - 15 / 05 / 22	1-0	1-0	+ -
Seguin is expected to face the Flames in Game 7 of the Western Conference first round despite an unspecified ailment.
Luke Glendening (C)	day-to-day	Lower Body - 14 / 05 / 22	1-1	1-1	+ -
Glendening is hindered by a lower-body injury, and it is unclear if he will be available for Game 1 of the Western Conference second round against the Oilers.
John Klingberg (D)	Prob Tues	Lower Body - 29 / 04 / 22	5-3	4-4	+ -
Klingberg is tending to a lower-body injury, but it is projected that he will be available for Game 1 of the Western Conference first round against the Flames.
Esa Lindell (D)	Prob Wed	Illness - 19 / 04 / 22	5-9	6-7-1	+ -
Lindell sat out the previous game due to an illness, but it is likely that he will face the Oilers on Wednesday.
Vladislav Namestnikov (C)	Early May	Lower Body - 13 / 04 / 22	8-9	7-9-1	+ -
Namestnikov is sidelined due to a lower-body injury, and it is anticipated that he will not return until the early part of May.
Joel Kiviranta (LW)	Ques Sat	Illness - 12 / 04 / 22	8-9	7-9-1	+ -
Kiviranta has missed the previous two contests due to a non-COVID illness, and it is up in the air if he will lace up against the Stars on Saturday.
Alexander Radulov (RW)	Prob Thurs	Illness - 12 / 04 / 22	8-9	7-9-1	+ -
Radulov sat out the last game with a non-COVID illness, but it is projected that he will dress for Thursday's showdown versus the Wild.
Denis Gurianov (RW)	Ques Sun	Illness - 06 / 04 / 22	9-12	8-12-1	+ -
Gurianov has sat out the last three contests due to a non-COVID-19 illness, and it is unclear if he will face the Blackhawks on Sunday.
Jacob Peterson (C)	Ques Sat	Lower Body - 06 / 04 / 22	9-12	8-12-1	+ -
Peterson has missed the last two games due to a lower-body injury, and it has yet to be decided if he will battle the Devils on Saturday.