Nonetheless, the Devils opened as -130 favourites on the NHL odds.

Devils vs. Canadiens NHL Betting Odds

This is not part of the Hockey Night in Canada doubleheader on Saturday as that features Maple Leafs at Senators and Capitals at Canucks. 

Former Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe is now coaching the Devils, who have made the playoffs just once since the 2017-18 season. They looked like legitimate Eastern Conference contenders earlier this season thanks in large part to the offseason trade for Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom, but New Jersey has hit a major rough patch of late. 

Still, it’s much too talented of a roster not to earn at least a Wild-Card spot unless Markstrom is lost for the season — he is currently injured but not to that extent. It’s conceivable these two clubs could be battling for those last two Eastern Conference playoff berths. To make the playoffs, New Jersey is -3000 and no is +1100. By comparison, Montreal is +400 to make it and -550 for no.

Saturday marks the second of three regular-season meetings between the teams, and they conclude it the day before the Super Bowl also in Montreal. On Nov. 7 in New Jersey, the Devils prevailed 5-3, but both these clubs were playing a lot differently back then. Jack Hughes had a goal and two assists, and Jesper Bratt two goals and an assist for the winners. Markstrom finished with 21 saves, while Sam Montembeault had 22 saves in the loss. Alex Newhook scored twice for Montreal.

New Jersey is 7-3 in the past 10 meetings, and the over-under is 6-4. 

New Jersey Devils

New Jersey played its best game in weeks on Wednesday in snapping a four-game skid with a 5-1 home win over Boston despite No. 1 goaltender Jacob Markstrom leaving in the second period after colliding with Bruins forward Justin Brazeau in the crease. Backup and former Canadien Jake Allen stopped all 16 shots he faced in relief to earn his first win since Nov. 23. Markstrom is going to miss at least a few weeks and could sit out the 4 Nations Face-Off for Team Sweden but shouldn’t be much longer. Allen likely gets the call Saturday against his former club. The 34-year-old New Brunswick native is 6-8-1 with a 2.66 GAA and .904 SV on the year. Former No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier had a goal and two assists against the Bruins for his 22nd career three-point game to tie Kevin Fiala and teammate Timo Meier for the second most by a Swiss-born player behind Predators blueliner Roman Josi (37 such games). Dawson Mercer ended a six-game points drought Wednesday with two goals. Forward Ondrej Palat (10G, 9A) missed the game and is day-to-day with an illness. New Jersey is 1-7 in its past eight road games. 

Montreal Canadiens

Montreal had a two-game winning streak snapped in a one-game trip to Detroit on Thursday with the Wings prevailing 4-2. Detroit was up 3-0 early in the second period. Kirby Dach (10^th of season) and Kaiden Guhle (fourth) had the Habs goals. Patrik Laine had an assist and has a four-game points streak (2G, 4A). Rookie blueliner Lane Hutson’s nine-game points streak ended – he was trying to become the third rookie defenceman in NHL history to register a double-digit point streak. Sam Montembeault perhaps was a surprise starter only as coach Martin St. Louis had recently been rotating him and rookie Jakub Dobes, and Dobes has been much better on the road in his brief career. It’s likely him Saturday, and Dobes’ lone home outing was last Sunday when he allowed four goals in a win over the Rangers. Montreal is still 13-4-1 in its past 18 games but looks to end an eight-game home skid against the Devils. 

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Devils vs. Canadiens?

• Regular Season

Devils Team Leaders

NJ

Points	Jesper Bratt 76
+ / -	Johnathan Kovacevic 15
Shots	Jack Hughes 229
Penalty Mins	Brenden Dillon 65
Wins	Jacob Markstrom 22
GAA	Nico Daws 0.88

MON

Points	Nick Suzuki 69
+ / -	Nick Suzuki 11
Shots	Cole Caufield 194
Penalty Mins	Arber Xhekaj 97
Wins	Sam Montembeault 23
GAA	Jakub Dobes 2.71

• Regular Season

Canadiens Team Leaders

NJ

Points	Jesper Bratt 76
+ / -	Johnathan Kovacevic 15
Shots	Jack Hughes 229
Penalty Mins	Brenden Dillon 65
Wins	Jacob Markstrom 22
GAA	Nico Daws 0.88

MON

Points	Nick Suzuki 69
+ / -	Nick Suzuki 11
Shots	Cole Caufield 194
Penalty Mins	Arber Xhekaj 97
Wins	Sam Montembeault 23
GAA	Jakub Dobes 2.71

Injuries

New Jersey

Dougie Hamilton (D)

out of season Lower Body - 05 / 03 / 25

Trent Frederic (C)

Out indefinitely Lower Body - 04 / 03 / 25

Nico Hischier (C)

Out indefinitely Undisclosed - 06 / 02 / 25

Jonas Siegenthaler (D)

Out indefinitely Undisclosed - 05 / 02 / 25

Nathan Bastian (RW)

Ques Wed Undisclosed - 28 / 01 / 25

Nico Hischier (C)

Out indefinitely Undisclosed - 26 / 01 / 25

Ondrej Palat (LW)

Ques Sat Illness - 22 / 01 / 25

Justin Dowling (C)

Ques Sun Illness - 18 / 01 / 25

Stefan Noesen (RW)

Ques Sat Illness - 14 / 01 / 25

Ondrej Palat (LW)

Ques Sat Mouth - 02 / 01 / 25

Montreal

Josh Anderson (RW)

Ques Thurs Upper Body - 26 / 02 / 25

Kirby Dach (C)

out for season Knee - 24 / 02 / 25

Michael Pezzetta (LW)

Ques Sat Lower Body - 18 / 02 / 25

Kaiden Guhle (D)

Out indefinitely Lower Body - 29 / 01 / 25

Josh Anderson (RW)

Ques Sat Undisclosed - 25 / 01 / 25

Brendan Gallagher (RW)

Ques Sat Undisclosed - 25 / 01 / 25

Emil Heineman (LW)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 14 / 01 / 25

Alex Newhook (C)

Ques Tues Flu - 13 / 01 / 25

David Savard (D)

Ques Sat Upper Body - 03 / 01 / 25

David Savard (D)

Ques Sat Upper Body - 12 / 12 / 24

Injuries

New Jersey

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Dougie Hamilton (D)	out of season	Lower Body - 05 / 03 / 25	1-1	1-1	+ -
Hamilton is battling a lower-body injury, and he is projected to miss the remainder of the season.
Trent Frederic (C)	Out indefinitely	Lower Body - 04 / 03 / 25	1-1	1-1	+ -
Frederic has landed on the injured reserve list due to a lower-body injury, and it is unknown when he will return to action.
Nico Hischier (C)	Out indefinitely	Undisclosed - 06 / 02 / 25	4-5	3-6	+ -
Hischier has been placed on the injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, and he has been considered as week-to-week.
Jonas Siegenthaler (D)	Out indefinitely	Undisclosed - 05 / 02 / 25	4-5	3-6	+ -
Siegenthaler has been placed on the injured reserve list due to an undisclosed injury, and he will miss an extended period.
Nathan Bastian (RW)	Ques Wed	Undisclosed - 28 / 01 / 25	5-7	5-7	+ -
Bastian Bastian is dealing with an undisclosed injury, and it is unknown if he will be active against the Flyers on Wednesday.
Nico Hischier (C)	Out indefinitely	Undisclosed - 26 / 01 / 25	5-8	6-7	+ -
Hischier is dealing with an undisclosed injury, and he has been considered as week-to-week.
Ondrej Palat (LW)	Ques Sat	Illness - 22 / 01 / 25	6-9	7-8	+ -
Palat is ailing with an illness, and it remains to be seen if he will return to action against the Canadiens on Saturday.
Justin Dowling (C)	Ques Sun	Illness - 18 / 01 / 25	6-11	8-9	+ -
Dowling has been sidelined with an illness, and it is unknown if he will play Sunday versus Senators.
Stefan Noesen (RW)	Ques Sat	Illness - 14 / 01 / 25	6-13	8-11	+ -
Noesen is sidelined due to an illness, and it remains to be seen if he will be available on Saturday's clash against the Flyers.
Ondrej Palat (LW)	Ques Sat	Mouth - 02 / 01 / 25	6-17	8-15	+ -
Palat is fighting off with a mouth injury, and it is unclear if he will face Sharks on Saturday.

Montreal

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Josh Anderson (RW)	Ques Thurs	Upper Body - 26 / 02 / 25	3-2	2-3	+ -
Anderson is battling an upper body injury, and it is undetermined if he will be active against the Sharks on Thursday.
Kirby Dach (C)	out for season	Knee - 24 / 02 / 25	4-2	3-3	+ -
Dach has landed on the injured reserve list with a right knee injury, and he has been shut down for the remainder of the season.
Michael Pezzetta (LW)	Ques Sat	Lower Body - 18 / 02 / 25	4-4	4-4	+ -
Pezzetta is dealing with a lower body injury, and it is unclear if he will be available against the Flames on Saturday.
Kaiden Guhle (D)	Out indefinitely	Lower Body - 29 / 01 / 25	4-9	6-7	+ -
Guhle will undergo surgery to repair a lacerated quadricep muscle, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
Josh Anderson (RW)	Ques Sat	Undisclosed - 25 / 01 / 25	5-10	7-7-1	+ -
Anderson is hampered by an undisclosed injury, and it is uncertain if he will take the court against the Devils on Saturday.
Brendan Gallagher (RW)	Ques Sat	Undisclosed - 25 / 01 / 25	5-10	7-7-1	+ -
Gallagher is managing an undisclosed injury, and it is up in the air if he will play against the Devils on Saturday.
Emil Heineman (LW)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 14 / 01 / 25	11-11	10-11-1	+ -
Heineman has landed on the injured reserve list due to an upper-body injury after being involved in a traffic accident, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
Alex Newhook (C)	Ques Tues	Flu - 13 / 01 / 25	11-11	10-11-1	+ -
Newhook is dealing with a flu, and it is unclear if he will dress against the Hockey Club on Tuesday.
David Savard (D)	Ques Sat	Upper Body - 03 / 01 / 25	14-12	11-13-2	+ -
Savard is dealing with an upper body, and it is unclear if he will face the Stars on Saturday.
David Savard (D)	Ques Sat	Upper Body - 12 / 12 / 24	20-15	16-15-4	+ -
Savard is dealing with an upper body injury, and it is undetermined if he will dress against the Jets on Saturday.