Vancouver Canucks vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction, NHL Odds
Vancouver could use this back-to-back to gain some ground on the Canadiens for the final playoff spot in the North.
Canucks vs. Canadiens 3/19/21 Betting Analysis
The Canadiens have looked anything but comfortable on home ice this year, holding a 5-5-1 record. The Bell Centre has not been kind to Vancouver either, as they look for their first win of the year in the building. The season series sits 5-2 in favour of Montreal, the Canucks have only taken two shootout wins from the Canadiens. 59 percent are taking the favoured Canadiens.
In seven matchups this year they have played the over in five, but the two most recent have been under. In Vancouver’s last 10 games they are 9-1 to the under and in that stretch they have never scored more than four. The total tonight is set at 6 and bettors are split 55 percent to the under.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks have won three in a row and are 7-3-0 in the last 10. Two wins over Ottawa earlier in the week helped take their away record to 6-9-0. On Wednesday, Vancouver claimed winger Jimmy Vesey off waivers from Toronto. The former Hobey Baker Award winner will join the team tonight against Montreal. Vesey had five goals and two assists in 30 games for the Maple Leafs.
Defenceman Quinn Hughes has been driving the offense versus Montreal this year, picking up eight assists in seven meetings. The Canucks have played extremely well without their star center man Elias Pettersson. In the seven games he’s missed they have only lost once. Forward Tyler Motte rejoined the club last game, he was missing since February 6 with an ankle injury.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens play at home again, after their longest road trip of the year – six games in western Canada where they went 2-2-2. They got points in their last three home games before the trip, making them 4-2-4 in their last 10. Tyler Toffoli is heating up just in time to play his former team, he has four points in the last two games. The Habs leading scorer has 13 points on the year against the Canucks.
Montreal has faced inconsistency down the middle lately. Centre Nick Suzuki has one point in the past six and Phillip Danault scored only his second of the year on Wednesday night. Consecutive wins against the Canucks would put the Canadiens comfortably in the last playoff spot, up by six points with four games in hand for fourth place in the North.
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